The Oxley Creek Catchment Association is a not-for-profit community-based organisation
Mission
To protect and enhance the natural environment and resources of the catchment of Oxley Creek by partnering, advocating, educating and participating in catchment management.
Objectives
- Educate the community of residents, businesses, public institutions (including schools) and governments in the sustainable land-use and conservation practices needed in the catchment, recognising the interactions between land, waterways, vegetation and wildlife.
- Advocate sustainable land-use and conservation practices needed in the catchment, recognising the interactions between land, waterways, vegetation and wildlife
- Foster cooperation between all members of this community in achieving the mission of the association
- Provide a forum for the community to engage in discussion and resolution of catchment management issues in furtherance of the association’s mission
- Enter into partnerships with organisations to further the mission of the association
- Engage in activities that further the mission of the association
- Develop the capacity of the association to achieve its mission
History
In 1995, some members of the Oxley Creek Environment Group Inc. and the Australian Marine Conservation Society Inc. approached the Brisbane River Management Group (then part of the Department of Environment) to establish an Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) program in the Oxley Creek catchment and permission was granted to trial a pilot urban ICM structure.
Subsequently, the Brisbane River Management Group (now Healthy Waterways) applied for and received Commonwealth funding to establish a Catchment Coordinating Committee, led by a Catchment Coordinator. This funding also supported the organisation and development of plans for the catchment, enabling the Committee to commission a “State of the Oxley Creek Catchment Report and Water and Land-Use Impact and Management Analysis” with the support of BRMG, BCC, Logan City Council and Beaudesert Shire Council. This was then followed by intensive consultation and planning culminating in the release and implementation of the Oxley Creek Catchment Management Plan early in 1999.
Initially, the Association was located in State Government offices in Brisbane city centre but in September 1999, the Association moved to offices in the catchment, firstly at the Department of Primary Industries Rocklea Research Farm, and in May 2001, into rooms generously provided by the Brisbane Markets Corporation, later the Brisbane Markets Limited.
In 2014 OCCA was offered the use of a house in Coopers Plains in an area being developed by Consolidated Properties Group Pty Ltd. The organisation moved into it’s new home at 9 Macdevitt St, Coopers Plain in August 2015. At last OCCA had its very own Catchment Centre – a free-standing house and surrounding land. This enabled OCCA to fulfil a long-standing aim – to bring our office, nursery and Biodiversity Services together in a single location. Our grateful thanks go to Lachlan Grantley and Consolidated Properties Group for providing the house and land.
After almost a decade at Coopers Plains, OCCA has now moved into a moved a purpose-built Catchment Centre at Durack in October 2024. Our new home at the Archerfield Wetlands District Park is courtesy of Brisbane City Council and offers a unique opportunity for OCCA to expand the scope of our work.