Funding boost for environmental efforts

Environmental clean-up and habitat restoration works will continue across Cairns, with Council securing $256,000 in funding through the Clean Up and Local Conservation Grants program.

The program, which is jointly funded by the Australian and State governments’ Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, supports environmental restoration activities in regions impacted by the North and Far North Tropical Low in early 2025.

The grant funding will allow Council to continue its Clean Creeks and Conservation Partnerships initiatives with local Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger groups. Grassroots projects to protect local waterways and catchments will be rolled out over the next 12 months at priority sites across three regions:

• North: Deadman’s Gully and its tributaries, leading to Arlington Esplanade at Clifton Beach, Sweet Creek in Palm Cove, and Avondale Creek in Smithfield.
• Central: Moody Creek catchment in Manoora, Goomboora Park and Freshwater Creek in Brinsmead, Ryan Weare Park in Freshwater
• South: Mulgrave River catchment, including Greenpatch Camping area, Little Mulgrave, Arnolds Bridge at Ross and Locke (Peets Bridge), gullies and creeks in Gordonvale, and Babinda Rotary Park and Babinda Creek.

The works will focus on clean-up activities to remove debris, rubbish and weeds, stabilising creek banks and restoring vegetation to improve biodiversity, reduce erosion and support community amenities.

The funding will also support the annual Clean Up Cairns weekends held annually in September, where volunteers, schools, businesses and community groups join forces to clean up local beaches, creeks and parks to prevent litter from washing out to the Great Barrier Reef.