Resilient Rivers South East Queensland (RRSEQ) is a regionally coordinated catchment management partnership established in response to the severe flooding events of 2011 and 2013, which highlighted the interconnected vulnerabilities of South East Queensland’s waterways, communities and economies. Covering eighteen catchments across approximately 22,700 km², the program recognises that meaningful improvements to river health, flood resilience and ecosystem services cannot be achieved through fragmented, localised action alone.
Led by the Council of Mayors (SEQ) in partnership with the Queensland Government, water utilities, catchment organisations, traditional owners and community groups, RRSEQ has evolved from a water quality-focused initiative into a whole-of-system, values-based program. This approach integrates biodiversity, cultural values, social amenity, water and food security, and climate resilience alongside biophysical outcomes. Central to the program is the South East Queensland Waterways and Wetlands Investment Strategy, which provides a transparent governance and investment framework to prioritise actions that protect and enhance ecosystem services at scale.
RRSEQ demonstrates how regional collaboration can unlock more effective investment, align policy and planning, and deliver on ground outcomes across multiple local government areas while supporting community stewardship and First Nations engagement. With more than a decade of delivery and increasing investment through initiatives such as the South East Queensland City Deal, RRSEQ offers a practical model for stream and catchment managers seeking to move beyond project-by-project delivery toward enduring, landscape-scale resilience. This paper reflects on lessons learned, governance innovations and future opportunities for collaborative stream management in rapidly growing regions.