The Kedron Brook Catchment Network (KBCN) is an informal network of individuals and organisations working together to maintain and improve Kedron Brook catchment’s environment. Our network functions as a facilitating and organisational group for our members. Our membership includes a variety of individuals, organisations and hands-on working groups.
Our major partner:
The Kedron Brook Catchment Branch
of The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland (WPSQ).
The Kedron Brook Catchment Branch of WPSQ was formed to facilitate network’s administrative requirements.
You can take part in network activities out becoming a branch member. However, there are many advantages:
- you will be joining a large, well-respected and influential environmental organisation
- you will receive monthly WPSQ newsletter
- you can subscribe to WPSQ’s WILDLIFE AUSTRALIA a glossy informative quarterly magazine
- as a branch member, you will receive any distributed postal mail-outs or emails
- you will have formal voting and be able to hold official positions in branch.
See our special Kedron Brook Catchment Branch Brochure (327 KB pdf file) for a summary of our aims and activities.
The KBCB executive team:
The volunteer KBCB executive team consists of:
President – Robert Standish-White
Vice President – Philip Rowland
Treasurer – Kathy Ran
Secretary – Rachael Williams
What do we do?
Our network encourages involvement of community and governments at all levels. We seek to encourage coordination and communication between those who use or make decisions about catchment of Kedron Brook.
We do this by keeping people informed about catchment issues, encouraging participation in Bushcare and other environment groups, and provide opportunities to plan and learn about catchment.
Some information about Kedron Brook
The Kedron Brook has its source in Brisbane Forest Park, near Camp Mountain, in Moreton Bay Regional Council area (previously Pine Rivers Shire). Its main tributary, Cedar Creek, rises from a similar origin slightly to south east, and joins Kedron Brook at Ferny Grove. Part of Brook down from nearby Maureen Lawrence Park serves as boundary between two local government areas. From Boundary Park, near Mitchelton, Brook then flows wholly in area of Brisbane City.
As Kedron Brook passes Kalinga Park, Clayfield, it becomes a highly structured waterway; Schultz Canal. Finally, at Gateway Motorway Deviation bridge, canal becomes Kedron Brook Floodway; essentially a wide, walled waterway flowing to its outfall into Moreton Bay, near Nudgee Beach.
The catchment is about 29 km long and about 4 km wide – a total area of 110km2.
It is mostly urbanised but significant areas of native vegetation remain, particularly in upper catchment and beyond. The lower third of Brook has been engineered to accommodate massive requirements of original Brisbane Airport, Gateway Motorway Deviation, Airport Link Project , Northern Busways Project, and soon, Brisbane Airport – Second Runway Project.
Kedron Brook (really a creek or stream) flows into Moreton Bay, a significant wetland and home to dugong and turtles. Hence, water quality is of importance to people in catchment and to those who use Moreton Bay.
Kedron Brook historical background
The brook has a long Aboriginal history prior to colonization. Free settlement saw timber milling and farming along brook. Increased urbanisation since 1940s has further depleted brook’s riparian and native vegetation. Flood mitigation re-engineering, falls in water quality, and reduced recreation access are also major changes that have occurred. For more information see Brook History.
Residential and industrial uses now predominant and only a few remnants of natural vegetation remain. See Our Urban Catchment for a detailed report.
Our Network and Brisbane City Council (BCC)
Volunteer Bushcare groups have worked since early 1990s to restore local native vegetation and improve wildlife habitat.
Brisbane City Council (BCC) supports bushcare groups’ activities through Habitat Brisbane Program.
Moreton Bay Regional Council supports bushcare groups in upper catchment.
These groups are members of Kedron Brook Catchment Network. There are currently 15 active bushcare groups tending over 30 rehabilitation sites along Brook from Ferny Grove to Northgate.
The BCC has also been directly involved in this site’s development. The ourbrisbane.com Online Business and Community Development Program originally provided funding, hosting and development. Although this website is now hosted elsewhere, BCC supports it less directly through general and project funding.
Our objectives
The objective of Kedron Brook Catchment Network is to protect and improve environment of Kedron Brook Water Catchment Area.
We aim to do so by acting in an educational and facilitating role rather than as a ‘hands on’ working group.
Our aims are based on concepts of
knowledge, education, consultation, communication and advocacy.
If we want a Brook Catchment that is fit for us and our children to live in, we must make decisions geared towards that end. Education and awareness are pivotal.
Decision making needs to be made against a solid fact base, and informed values. This involves everyone from individuals and grass roots organisations to governments.
Communication enhances coordination of activities and enables us to act from a point of consensus.
The support of community projects such as catchment’s twelve currently active Habitat Brisbane Bushcare Groups, Men of Trees organisation, and two groups supported by Moreton Bay Regional Council are a major focus.
Our Network’s Aims
- To co-ordinate community projects for Kedron Brook Catchment
- To co-ordinate and facilitate projects to improve environmental health of catchment
- To link groups and individuals an interest in environmental health of catchment
- To encourage and facilitate research into ecology of catchment and to disseminate this information
- To liaise business, government (local, state and federal) and other agencies on environmental issues affecting catchment
- To promote environmental values of catchment to public and inform public of Network’s activities, aims and achievements
- To enhance communication and education on flora and fauna of Kedron Brook and issues affecting them
- To ensure maintenance of existing habitat and creation of habitat (where appropriate) and corridors along Kedron Brook
Kedron Brook Catchment Branch E-book
In 2017, information from former website was turned into an E-Book which can be found here. We would like to thank Brisbane City Council for supporting this project to record amazing amount of information created by Charles Ivin in a reference book.