The bay and creeks form a special part of the Redland Coast so here is some things that you can do to see the condition of these natural assets protected and enhanced.
Why is it important to protect our bay and creeks?
- A healthy bay and creeks support healthy ecosystems
- We play and get active in and around our bay and creeks
- We obtain safe and clean drinking water
- A healthy bay and creek support many wondrous plants and animals.
Simple ways you can make a difference:
- Keep soil on your land covered.
Keeping any soil on your land covered will reduce erosion of your land and minimize sediment and the associated pollutants (e.g. nutrients) entering our creeks and the bay.
- Pick up rubbish around our bay and creeks.
Picking up rubbish reduces litter moving into the storm water system. Litter poses a growing threat to our creeks and marine environment affecting human health, the environment, wildlife and the economy.
- Wash your car on the grass.
Washing your car on the grass prevents detergents, mud, oil and grease washing directly into our storm water system, polluting our waterways.
- Avoid washing chemicals down drains.
Disposing of excess cleaning agents, oil, paint and other chemicals appropriately, such as at a hazardous waste drop off point for recycling. This stops these chemicals washing down our drains polluting our waterways.
- Apply the right amount of fertiliser.
Applying the right amount of fertilizer ensures plants use all the nutrients and avoids any excess nutrients washing into our waterways causing excess growth of algae and waterweeds which can result in starving fish of oxygen.
- Rake up leaves and dirt around your home.
Raking up leaves around your home reduces the amount of nutrients entering our waterways affecting the water quality in our creeks, estuaries and bay.
- Ensure aquarium fish and plants do not enter our bay and creeks.
Clean your aquarium in a way that no waste produced flows into stormwater or one of our many creeks.
- Provide drinking water for your stock away from creeks.
Happy animals (stock) have easy access to drinking water. Create off-stream watering points and fence off waterways to prevent trampling and bank erosion of our creeks by stock.
- Get involved in on or Councils initiatives
- Community Bushcare protects native vegetation near and around waterways providing homes for wildlife, protecting banks from erosion, along with helping to reduce excess nutrients and sediments entering our creeks.
- If you have a creek or dam on your property, join our Waterways Extension Program (WEP). WEP is a voluntary program that supports private landholders with catchment and waterway management, to reduce pollutants entering our waterways.