North Ipswich Wetlands

North Ipswich Wetlands is an area of Council land along a substantial section of Tivoli Creek. Originally an area of coal mining and agricultural activity, land along the stream and adjacent areas unsuitable for residential use was acquired by Council and managed as parkland and drainage problem areas.

Much planting and earthworks was carried out originally under Federal Government funding, and a community group was set up. As an ongoing management practice, the stream was regularly cleared with a backhoe and routine slashing was carried out. Most recently, Bremer Catchment Association has carried out work in the riparian area. This has involved additional plantings in previously mown areas, bank stabilisation using coarse rock and gravel plus plantings, stream bed lining with coarse
rock, reinforcement of existing pool and riffle systems and stabilisation of eroding side gullies to reduce sediment input..

Overall, this has resulted in a cleaner, more regular flow throughout the year. There also seems to be a return in some original species like eels and turtles. There is a reasonably stable population of birdlife and evidence of water birds such as cormorants, ducks and bitterns.

Ongoing maintenance is required and there is an enormous scope for replacing mowing and maintenance with extensive habitat plantings. Additionally, almost all of the course of this stream could be unified into one corridor connecting the Bremer River to bushland which has the potential to be a link to preserved forest areas along the Brisbane River and the ranges west of Brisbane.