Connecting ecosystems and protecting water quality across Southeast Queensland

Over the past couple of months, Ecosure has been working alongside Seqwater to deliver a large-scale ecological restoration planting at Dayboro Well 2 along the North Pine River. This site has been impacted by significant erosion following extreme weather events.

After Tropical Cyclone Alfred in 2025, sections of the riverbank experienced major slumping and channel adjustment. In response, Seqwater initiated restoration works to stabilise the banks, improve water quality, and restore riparian vegetation.

Building on earlier works in 2025, where approximately 5,770 plants were installed across 480m² of riverbank, the 2026 program focused on extending these outcomes across additional erosion-prone areas by installing an additional 3,157 plants over 3 areas totalling 775m².

Ecosure was engaged to deliver planting works that not only addressed immediate erosion risks but also supported long-term ecological outcomes for the catchment.

Our approach – practical restoration, built for performance

At Dayboro, our team focused on delivering functional, resilient restoration outcomes, combining ecological expertise with practical field delivery.

Key components of our approach included:

• Targeted revegetation planting using a mix of vetiver grass, lomandras and native species to stabilise banks and enhance biodiversity
• Adaptive planting design, responding to site conditions and erosion patterns by implementing a design that would reduce ongoing erosion and undercutting of the riverbanks
• Invasive Vines and woody weed control during site preparation to remove surrounding pressure from exotic vegetation which will improve establishment success and our team’s ability to maintain the site from invasive weeds.
• Real-time decision making on site, ensuring the planting layout achieved both specification compliance and optimal ecological outcomes

Combining the use of deep-rooting native species such as Melaleuca’s, Casuarina’s and Lomandras along with the exotic Vetiver, supplied by Grow Vetiver https://www.growvetiver.com/ also played a critical role helping to bind soil, reduce erosion and improve long-term bank stability.  Vetiver was chosen due to its ability to form large, deep root masses up to 5m into the ground, 2-3 metres within the first year, making it ideal for stabilising loose riverbanks quickly.  This species of Vetiver is sterile and cannot reproduce by seed.

Supporting Seqwater’s long-term objectives

This project is a key component of Seqwater’s source protection strategy, with a strong focus on:

• Stabilising creek banks
• Reducing sediment entering waterways
• Improving overall catchment resilience
• Supporting biodiversity outcomes across the riparian corridor

By combining restoration planting with effective weed management and ongoing maintenance, the project contributes to long-term water quality improvements and ecosystem health.

Collaboration in action

Strong collaboration between Seqwater and Ecosure was critical to the success of the Dayboro planting.

Our team worked closely with the client to:

• Refine planting layouts and species selection
• Adapt works to suit changing site conditions
• Deliver outcomes that went beyond scope where needed to improve results

This included additional weed control and refining planting alignments to suit real-world constraints, ensuring both compliance and quality outcomes.

Building resilience for the future

The Dayboro planting demonstrates how practical ecological restoration can deliver immediate and long-term benefits:

• Protecting vital water catchments
• Strengthening riparian ecosystems
• Reducing erosion risk
• Enhancing habitat for native species

Want to learn more about our restoration work?
Get in touch with our Ecological Restoration team today.

Photo credit: Chris Wiskar

Published: 6/7/2026