Washpool Creek Draft Master Plan consultation

Residents are invited to have their say on the Draft Washpool Creek Master Plan in an online survey and community workshop.

The Washpool Creek Draft Master Plan community workshop will be held 5.30 pm at Bundaberg Multiplex on Wednesday 6 December, with RSVP by 1 December by emailing engineering@bundaberg.qld.gov.au.

Participants’ views will help to shape the area into a vibrant space, which balances waterway health, flood and climate resilience, community and liveability outcomes.

Bundaberg Regional Council has engaged Tract Consultants to work with the community and key stakeholders to help define a future vision for Washpool Creek and its major tributaries being Baldwin Creek and the Washpool Creek No. 2 Channel.

The online survey is open until 18 December.

Where is Washpool Creek?

Washpool Creek is a tributary of Bundaberg Creek on the southern side of the Burnett River.

It is situated within some of the oldest suburbs of Bundaberg, being Norville, Walkervale and Bundaberg South.

Washpool Creek’s highly urbanised catchment is 6.5 square km in size and its main flow path is 4.1 km in length.

History of Washpool Creek

The Washpool Creek catchment has seen significant change since European settlement.

Substantial watershed areas have been cleared, up to (and often including) riparian corridors, in efforts to maximise yield.

Since the mid to late 20th century, urban development has seen many sections of Washpool Creek converted from a natural creek to a concrete channel in efforts to maximise drainage and developable land.

Why is Council creating a Master Plan?

Council has completed a condition assessment of the concrete channels along the entire length of Washpool Creek and its major tributaries.

The outcomes from this assessment indicate that most of these concrete channels show signs of moderate to significant deterioration and major replacement is likely required within the next 10 to 20 years.

Numerous properties along these creek tributaries are exposed to a level of flood risk during localised storm events.

The need to address flood risk and replace deteriorating concrete channels presents Council and the community with an opportunity to coordinate that in the Master Plan.

Read the full Bundaberg Now story here.