The Wolston and Centenary catchments consist of Wolston Creek and various sub-catchments in the Centenary suburbs which feed directly into the Brisbane River. Together, these catchments are 66 square kilometres in size and are located within the Brisbane, Ipswich and Logan City
Council areas.
Wolston Creek has two tributaries, Bullockhead Creek and Sandy Creek and forms the downstream part of the catchment that flows into the Brisbane River.
The Centenary catchments include Mount Ommaney Creek and Jindalee Creek plus several other minor, unnamed creeks, which all flow separately into the Brisbane River through
Brisbane’s south-western suburbs.
Significant natural assets in the Wolston and Centenary catchments include:

Pooh Corner

Wacol Bushlands

Wolston Creek Bushland Reserve

Pullen Reach Bushland Reserve

Rocks Riverside Park

Mount Ommaney Bushland Reserve

Edenbrooke Park.
Pooh Corner contains approximately 1100 eastern grey kangaroos – the largest kangaroo population of any Australian city.
Land use in the Wolston catchment includes industrial, residential and Queensland Government purposes. It is also used by the Department of Defence for training as well as providing unique natural areas. The centenary catchment is highly urbanised, mainly residential but with natural bushland reserves along the Brisbane River, creeks and other locations.
A myriad of rare and endangered fauna can be found in the Wolston and Centenary catchments including platypus, koala, red goshawk and the grey-headed flying fox. Pooh Corner alone contains approximately 1100 eastern grey kangaroos, the biggest kangaroo population to be found in any Australian city. Other mammals found across the catchment include the greater glider, swamp wallaby and red-necked wallaby as well as the elusive and seldom seen spottedtailed quoll. More than 100 bird, 16 reptile and six frog species have been recorded in the catchment including rainbow bee-eater, carpet python and the tusked frog. Native fish such as the iconic spangled

perch, firetail gudgeon and agassiz’s glassfish are found in many of the creeks.
Much of the native vegetation found in the restricted Greenbank Military Training Area has been classified as endangered regional ecosystems. This classification means that the plant species and soil type in the bushland reserves are rare and significant.
T he catchments’ main vegetation communities range from patches of eucalypt forest and open woodland in the upper catchment to dry rainforest and riparian corridors in gullies and along creeks.
Some of the more common eucalypt species in the catchment include Queensland blue gum, gum-topped box, spotted gum and Queensland grey ironbark. There are several acacia species including hickory wattle, early black wattle and sickle-leaved wattle. These trees and shrubs form a protective ‘canopy’ that helps reduce direct sunlight for plants living underneath.
Dry rainforest is found in various areas of the catchments, notably along the Brisbane River banks, along parts of Wolston Creek and its tributaries such as the Wolston Creek Bushland
Reserve. Larger species found in these areas include brown laurel, Moreton Bay fig and hard quandong while native holly, smell of the bush and forest pittosporum make up the understorey.
Some of the larger riparian flora (plants found beside creeks) include giant water gum, black tea tree, swamp oak and sandpaper fig. These species help to create a well protected moist environment that in turn supports ferns, herbs, grasses, sedges and lilies.
Wolston and Centenary Catchments (WaCC) is a community-based group formed to oversee and driv e the community’s involvement in enhancing the environment in the area covered by the
Wolston and Centenary catchments. WaCC are actively engaging the community through events, meetings, information stalls, education programs and on-ground environmental projects.
The Wolston Creek catchment contains Pooh Corner, a 138-hectare biodiversity hot spot containing Queensland Government-recognised endangered ecosystems. The land has been defence land since World War II where it was used for US soldiers as part of Camp Columbia. In
2005 the land was surplus to requirements so the Federal Government put it up for sale.
Recognising the ecological value, members of the community set up Friends of Pooh Corner to campaign for the protection of Pooh Corner, rather than being sold off for industrial development.
After a swift two week campaign involving all three levels of government, the Federal
Government agreed to sell Pooh Corner to Brisbane City Council for $1, to be managed as a nature reserve.
C ouncil’s community conservation partnerships program helps community groups restore natural habitats in parks, remnant bushland and wetlands along waterways. There are currently a number of active bushcare groups tending rehabilitation sites in the Wolston and Centenary
Creek catchments.
The program also supports the community to protect and restore B risbane’s waterways and bays in partnership with groups, businesses, schools and individual property owners.
For more information on Council’s community conservation partnerships program and environment centres phone Council on (07) 3403 8888.

Brisbane City Council: www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
Wolston and Centenary Catchments: www.wacc.org.au
info@wacc.org.au
Brisbane Catchment Network: www.brisbanecatchments.net.au
Healthy Waterways: www.healthywaterways.org
SEQ Catchments: www.seqcatchments.com.au