A degraded area of Archerfield Wetlands will be transformed into a thriving wetland environment for local native wildlife thanks to a $887,988 grant from the Australian Government.

Brisbane Sustainability Agency (BSA) is proud to announce the commencement of the Archerfield Wetlands – Habitat Transformation Project, an ambitious initiative focussed on creating a thriving wetland for native plants and animals by revegetating an area containing old wastewater run-off ponds associated with the former Oxley Bacon factory.

“This project is another exciting step in the transformation of the degraded Oxley Creek corridor into a world-class, green, lifestyle and leisure destination,” said Brisbane Sustainability Agency CEO, Tracy Melenewycz.

Located in the heart of the 20-kilometre Oxley Creek corridor, south of the Ipswich Motorway and adjacent to Archerfield Airport, the 150-hectare Archerfield Wetlands is home to a remarkably diverse range of ecosystems and habitats that support a range of terrestrial and aquatic fauna.

Decades of historical land clearing and industrial activities, including a bacon factory, a wastewater treatment plant, landfilling, and grazing, have left the site in a highly degraded state.

The man-made, wastewater run-off ponds, located in the northern section of the Archerfield Wetlands site were originally constructed as part of the former bacon factory operations. The run-off ponds area is now significantly impacted by weed species and poor water quality.

Graham Perret MP, Member for Moreton said the Archerfield Wetlands project will reclaim industrial land to recreate a diverse natural habitat for a huge variety of vegetation and native wildlife- especially birds.

The focus of the Habitat Transformation Project is to take these unsightly areas of weeds and standing water and transform them into a vegetated wetland habitat that supports a range of native flora and fauna, including several threatened species such as the Powerful Owl, Glossy Black Cockatoo, Australasian Bittern and Greater Glider.

Brisbane Sustainability Agency will deliver this project in partnership with Greening Australia and Oxley Creek Catchment Association.

The $887,988 project is funded by the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust under the Urban Rivers and Catchments Program, with $90,000 of additional in-kind support from Greening Australia.

Key features of the project include:

• Planting over 53,000 native plant species to establish a sustainable wetland ecosystem that supports threatened species, contributing to our target to plant one million native plants across Brisbane by 2032 through the Biodiverse Brisbane Initiative.
• Restoration and revegetation of the riparian edges and flood plain of Oxley Creek to stabilise banks and create opportunity for the habitats for threatened species, with a focus reducing sediment entering the creek, Brisbane River, and ultimately Moreton Bay.
• Planting native woodland species along the existing Archerfield Wetlands Discovery Trail to enhance habitat connectivity, provide shade for visitors, and connect with existing woodland areas.
• Removal of invasive weed species that would otherwise continue to flourish and spread within the wetland environment.