Townsville
Community Action Plan
Projects launched from local consultation.
What action did Townsville want to take
for its rivers and Reef?
We asked, and our community answered. The Townsville Community Action Plan (CAP) detailed the issues, ideas, and projects that the people of Townsville wanted to see prioritised for the health of their waterways.
Thanks to workshops, events, and consultation, the Townsville community decided to focus its plan on two priority issues:
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The effects of stormwater runoff and erosion. Two stressors affecting local Townsville reefs are sediment and nutrient pollution from stormwater runoff. By protecting riverbanks and coastlines from runoff, our town wants to see both land and water ecosystems benefit.
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Climate change and its local impacts on our waterways and reefs. Townsville wants to see greenhouse gas emissions in our local atmosphere reduced, and ecosystems become more resilience to climate change. To this end our community has identified support for blue carbon projects and ecosystem restoration as paths to follow.
To tackle their two priority issues, the people of Townsville selected and mapped six ‘shovel-ready’ on-ground projects.
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The Healthy Waters Partnership, in collaboration with our partner Reef Ecologic, successfully led the Community Action Plan in Townsville. Three innovative projects received seed funding from the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, each contributing to healthier waterways and marine environments in the Dry Tropics region.
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Project Highlights
Riparian Monitoring and Rehabilitation Planning -
Wildlife Surrounds
The project successfully piloted the VegCAT method to assess riparian health, addressing a key gap in the Waterways Report Card. The findings will guide future rehabilitation efforts and support long-term ecosystem monitoring.
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Reef Evolution: Empowerment through nature -
Envite Environment
At Mundy Creek, this project improved water quality flowing to the Reef through weed management, erosion control, bank stabilisation, rubbish removal and native seedling planting.
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Grounds to grounds: HumiSoil Tuckshpo Blend Initiative - Atlas Soils
A school-led circular economy model converted 30 tonnes of food waste, coffee grounds and Coles organics into HumiSoil Tuckshop Blend. Cyclone debris was also reused in composting and garden beds, promoting sustainability and innovation whilst reducing carbon emissions.​
Looking Ahead
Whilst the Community Action Plan Program has come to end, we remain committed to expanding its legacy. We’re actively seeking funding partners to build on the success of VegCAT, and integrate it into analytical models for assessing riparian vegetation health.
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The collective impact of these projects has strengthened the resilience and ongoing care of waterways and marine environments across the region.
Dive back into CAP updates
