What’s happening?
A modified drainage channel at Woodlands District Park will be restored as a functioning natural waterway.
Healthy Land & Water is delivering the Mackay project through its Water by Design initiative. Mackay Regional Council and Reef Catchments are supporting the work.
The channel discharges into McCreadys Creek and has been heavily altered over time. Restoration will include native planting, weed removal and new habitat structures for local wildlife.
On-ground works are underway and will continue over the coming months. A second project is also being delivered at Lex Semple Park in Yeppoon.
Why it matters?
The Woodlands District Park project will improve the quality of stormwater entering McCreadys Creek. It will also create a healthier habitat for aquatic species and other native wildlife.
Native wetland plants will slow and filter stormwater before it reaches the creek. Planting along the channel banks will also strengthen the surrounding habitat.
Healthy Land & Water CEO Julie McLellan said urban waterways offer wide environmental and community benefits.
“Urban waterways punch well above their weight. They support native wildlife, improve water quality, and give communities a genuine connection to nature right on their doorstep,” Ms McLellan said.
“Through our Water by Design initiative and the Living Waterways co-design model, we’re working with the communities of Yeppoon and Mackay to convert these degraded channels into something people can be proud of.
Both banks of the drainage channel will be replanted with native vegetation. The channel itself will be restored to improve water quality and support wildlife.
The surrounding remnant woodland will also receive targeted weed removal and further native planting. Together, these works will strengthen habitat across Woodlands District Park.
A stormwater detention basin that flows directly into the watercourse will be planted with native wetland species. Once established, the vegetation will slow and filter water before it enters McCreadys Creek.
Nesting boxes, rock piles and habitat logs will provide shelter and breeding areas throughout the site. Information signs will explain the restoration work and the area’s ecological value.
By the numbers
- The Australian Government has committed $1 million to the Mackay and Yeppoon projects through its urban waterways program.
- Around 175 metres of drainage channel will be restored at Woodlands District Park before it reaches McCreadys Creek.
- Nearly half of nationally listed threatened animals, and one-quarter of threatened plants, occur within Australia’s urban areas.
Zoom In
The Mackay project was developed through Healthy Land & Water’s Living Waterways co-design model. The approach brings local residents together with planners, engineers and landscape architects.
A community workshop has already been completed at Woodlands District Park. Residents helped shape the scope and character of the planned restoration.
“Our Living Waterways program is about rethinking the way we manage water in our urban areas. We work with communities, not just for them,” Ms McLellan said.
“The people of Yeppoon and Mackay already know and value these places. Our job is to work alongside them to restore the natural processes that make these waterways function, and to give the community the tools and ownership to protect them long into the future.”
Zoom Out
The work forms part of the Australian Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments Program. The program supports healthier urban waterways for native plants, animals and local communities.
A related project will restore part of Fig Tree Creek at Lex Semple Park in Yeppoon. Livingstone Shire Council is supporting that work.
Both projects involve councils, natural resource management groups and residents. Ms McLellan said this cooperation would support benefits beyond the physical restoration.
“The breadth of collaboration behind these projects sets them apart. Australian Government investment in urban waterways creates opportunities that go well beyond the on-ground works.
“NRM organisations and local governments, all contributing to restoring these waterways, and inviting the communities of Yeppoon and Mackay to become part of their local creek’s legacy,” Ms McLellan said.
What To Look For Next?
Restoration at Woodlands District Park will continue over the coming months, followed by a community planting day.
The project is due for completion by April 2027. By then, measurable improvements are expected in habitat health and water entering McCreadys Creek.
