Short Oral Presentation 12th Australian Streams Management Conference 2026

Bank stabilisation works in the tidal zone of the Caboolture River aim to re-establish a mangrove fringe and native riparian vegetation. This was achieved 1.2km of riverbank (6 sites) using a combination of earthworks and hardwood logs.

At 11ASN, Healthy Land & Water and Alluvium presented on the recently-completed works, construction-phase learnings and observations from the first wet season.

Two years on, this case study offers further learnings from the field to support other organisations designing and implementing bank stabilisation or estuarine restoration programs.

Key lessons from this case study include:

• Application of a nature-based design solution to accommodate some acceptable adjustment and bank retreat while vegetation establishes. At two sites, this flexible application of hardwood timber has performed as designed, with visible adjustment and stabilisation after flood events.
• At one site, the mangrove bench has retreated much more quickly than expected, and a design modification has been developed for future similar sites.
• There is a dramatic contrast between revegetation growth rates on batters and on flat “overbank” areas. Various approaches have been applied to encourage more rapid vegetation establishment.
• Two years of site monitoring captures the natural recruitment of mangroves, and supports application of this approach to future sites.

Mangrove restoration can provide protection and resilience to waterways and infrastructure in many locations, and we hope the restoration method and on-ground learnings will be of use to others working in similar ecosystems and as an approach to increase climate resilience associated with rising sea levels.