Bundaberg Regional Council’s Washpool Creek Naturalisation project has been recognised among the best projects throughout Australia and New Zealand, receiving top honours at the 2025 Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) Excellence Awards.
Stages one and two of the innovative local project took home the highly contested Australasian Excellence in Asset Management Award at a ceremony held in Sydney last night after also being named a finalist in the Excellence in Environment and Sustainability category.
IPWEA is the peak association for public works professionals across Australia and New Zealand with its biennial awards recognising project excellence across the public works sector.
Mayor Helen Blackburn said it was further well-deserved recognition for the Council project.
“We are very proud of what Washpool Creek has become for our community and these awards celebrate Bundaberg Regional Council’s collaborative nature based solutions,” Mayor Blackburn said.
“This project was a practical response to the long-term sustainability of drainage infrastructure and the result is an active and connected space for the community to share.
“It really is a standout project for regional Australia,” Mayor Blackburn said.
Washpool Creek Naturalisation
The Washpool Creek Naturalisation is an integrated public space that balances technical stormwater drainage alongside significant water quality, ecological and environmental benefits.
Situated between Ford Street and Bundaberg Creek, the Washpool Creek corridor was comprised of a concrete channel at the end of its serviceable life and limited facilities to attract public use of the area.
The project involved replacing the existing concrete channel and returning the Washpool Creek corridor back to a natural state, providing significant stormwater quality improvements for runoff entering the Bundaberg Creek and Baldwin Swamp Environmental Park.
The result was an ecologically focused and connected recreational space for residents including new footpath connections, park facilities, waterway crossings, additional trees for shade and grassed open spaces.
The Washpool Creek Masterplan was also awarded four accolades at the 2025 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) Queensland Awards.
Find more information on Washpool Creek Naturalisation here.
