Flood-affected land regenerated into koala habitat

The Voluntary Home Buy-Back (VHBB) program is enabling vulnerable homeowners and their families to move on, free from the risk of flooding, while also creating new homes for wildlife in the Lockyer Valley.

Two severely flood-impacted properties in Lower Tenthill were bought back under the program last year by the Lockyer Valley Regional Council.

Once an agreement for buy-back is reached as part of the program, the properties are bought back by the local council using program funds. The building is then demolished or relocated and the land re-zoned to a non-occupied use such as green space.

With the Lower Tenthill lots vacated, Lockyer Valley Regional Council hosted a community tree planting day on 21 April, during which the site was regenerated with the planting of 750 native seedlings.

The planting will not only help bolster native habitat, it will also reduce future flood damage.

The new trees will stabilise a critical part of Lockyer Creek, reducing the impacts of future flooding by preventing sediment loss and bank erosion during major flood events.

The planting will also increase and enhance habitat for native animals, including koalas, which have been recorded in the local area.

The VHBB program is jointly funded by the Queensland and Australian Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements as part of the $741 million Resilient Homes Fund.