Calling On The Crisafulli Government For A Herbert River Master Plan

For years, landowners along the Herbert River have battled against riverbank erosion. Gradually, this issue has chipped away at agricultural land, threatened infrastructure, and made properties unsafe. Despite the strong and committed efforts by the Herbert River Improvement Trust (the Trust), the problem continues to worsen due to sheer scale of the damage and a lack of government support.

Sadly, the severe flooding in February made this serious problem significantly worse. Powerful floodwaters tore away at riverbanks, caused major collapses and stripped away even more land. The Trust estimated more than $7.5 million is needed to rectify the most immediate damage along the Herbert River.

It’s frustrating to hear green groups constantly voicing concerns about sediment runoff from farmland, yet none of them seem concerned about the football fields worth of sediment washed out to sea from collapsing, unmanaged riverbanks. This is a serious environmental concern that needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, these calls were ignored by the previous government for many years and that’s why I’m calling on the Crisafulli Government to provide immediate funding to assist landowners and the Trust to urgently repair key sections of the Herbert River.

But we also need to think long-term. In addition to the immediate needs, I’ve proposed the idea of a Herbert River Master Plan. Led by the Trust, this plan would guide river management over the next 10–15 years and help future-proof the Herbert River. It could map out current erosion zones, pinch points, sediment build-up areas, long-term infrastructure risks, and opportunities for better water flow and flood mitigation. This will require support and dedicated funding from the government, but in return, it will deliver a clear, strategic blueprint for tackling river erosion in the years to come.

I have written to the Minister for Local Government and Water and Minister for Fire, Disaster Recovery and Volunteers, the Hon. Ann Leahy, requesting funding for both the urgent repair works and the strategic planning and development of a Herbert River Master Plan. I look forward to the Minister’s response and will keep the community informed as things progress.

Contributed with thanks by Nick Dametto MP