Bundaberg Regional Council’s Washpool Creek Master Plan has earned four prestigious accolades at the 2025 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) Queensland Awards.
Announced at a recent gala ceremony in Brisbane, the awards recognised outstanding projects across Queensland that are shaping the future of communities through landscape design.
The Washpool Creek Master Plan, developed in a collaborative partnership by Bundaberg Regional Council and Tract Consultants, was honoured with the Award of Excellence for Landscape Planning as well as the Regional Achievement, Climate Positive Design and ShadeSmart awards.
Mayor Helen Blackburn said the recognition was a proud moment for Council and the teams involved in the project.
“This is a phenomenal result that reflects our commitment to ensuring the long-term sustainability of essential Council infrastructure” Mayor Blackburn said.
“Recent condition assessments of the concrete channels along Washpool Creek revealed that many are nearing the end of their serviceable life, with major replacement likely needed within the next 10 to 20 years.
“The Master Plan provides a proactive 30-year blueprint to replace this ageing infrastructure with resilient, sustainable stormwater assets that also deliver environmental, recreational, cultural and flood management benefits.”
AILA Queensland Jury Chair David Hatherly praised the project and others at the recent awards ceremony.
“This year’s entries reflect a discipline leading with clarity, creativity and passion,” he said.
“We saw a strong commitment to designing with climate, Country and community – advancing not only the quality of our public spaces, but also their meaning, equity and resilience.”
The master plan received high praise during the awards assessment process with jury citations noting:
• “Washpool Creek Catchment Master Plan exemplifies a design-led approach of listening to traditional custodians, community, and stakeholders, to deliver environmentally sensitive outcomes based on robust technical engineering and ecological investigations.
• “This is a project which enhances resilience, allows for adaption, and heals landscape within a highly urbanised and largely residential area of Bundaberg.”
• “It is to be commended for recognising the opportunity to move away from a one size, worst-case scenario approach to stormwater management.”
The Washpool Creek Master Plan will now proceed to the National Landscape Architecture Awards, to be announced in October in Hobart.
Find out more about the Washpool Creek Master Plan here.
Looks amazing!! The welcome to Bargara sign and surrounding gardens could do with a quality project like this (please council!!!). Something that tourists would stop their cars beside for a photo. Something Bargaraians can be really proud of.
Hopefully, the bridge connecting Lake Ellen with the other side of the creek will be upgraded as a matter of urgency with wider board space and the installation of bridge railings. This bridge is one of the most used bridges in the entire Baldwin Swamp and is a major safety issue due to heavy flood run off and possibility of children falling off into either the flood waters or concrete drain, also the elderly and disabled for the same reasons. This message comes from me, having walked over this bridge regularly for over the past 25 years and am rather concerned about this dangerous crossing. Trevor Tuesley, Walkervale 26th June 2025.