River improvement trusts
Transfer of River improvement trusts' functions
In March 2008, the Premier announced an independent review of government boards, committees and statutory authorities. The review sought to identify ways to improve the overall efficiency of government bodies while maintaining the integrity and security of necessary regulatory functions. Find out more about the Webbe-Weller review.
This review, known as the Webbe-Weller review, included a recommendation that the functions of River improvement trusts be transferred to local government. The Queensland Government has agreed with this recommendation.
Read more about the Webbe-Weller review and River improvement trusts.
About River improvement trusts
A River improvement trust (trust) is a statutory authority constituted under the River Improvement Trust Act 1940 to protect and improve rivers, repair and prevent damage to rivers and prevent or mitigate flooding of land by riverine flood.
A local government may make an application or 2 or more local governments may make a joint application to the Minister for Finance, Natural Resources and The Arts to have constituted, by regulation, a trust and an associated river improvement area. A trust has jurisdiction within its benefited river improvement area. A river improvement area may comprise all or part of one or more local government areas and may be amended by regulation.
The primary role of a trust is to plan, design, finance, undertake and maintain stream improvement works for the benefit of the community within its river improvement area. The River Improvement Trust Act 1940 provides a trust with the powers to undertake these functions including the ability to raise funds, enter land, occupy land, enter into contracts and carry out works.
At present there are 15 trusts in Queensland: 5 in the Darling Downs region, 2 in the Ipswich area in South East Queensland and 8 located in the tropical north coast area between Mackay and Mossman.
The area comprising the river improvement area for each trust is stated in the Schedule in the River Improvement Trust Regulation 1988. Plans describing the river improvement areas are held by the department.
The trusts are statutory bodies under the Financial Administration and Audit Act 1977 and the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982, and in each financial year are obliged to provide an annual report and audited financial statements to the Minister for Finance, Natural Resources and The Arts.
The Minister is required to table, in the Queensland Parliament, either a copy of each annual report or prepare a summary report for each river improvement trust. For a number of years, the Minister has tabled a summary report for each trust.
Annual reports for River improvement trusts
- Summary of 2009-10 Annual Reports and Financial Statements of Queensland's River Improvement Trusts (PDF, 340K)*
- Summary of 2008-09 Annual Reports and Financial Statements of Queensland's River Improvement Trusts (PDF, 485K)*
- Summary of 2007-08 Annual Reports and Financial Statements of Queensland's River Imporvement Trusts (PDF, 219K)*
- Summary of 2006-07 Annual Reports and Financial Statements of Queensland's River Improvement Trusts
If you have difficulty downloading these documents, please contact:
Principal Project Officer, Water Authority Governance and Transition
Telephone: 07 3330 6089
Facsimile: 07 3330 6116
Plans for River improvement trust areas
- Cairns River Improvement Trust (PDF, 291K)*
- Cardwell Shire River Improvement Trust (PDF, 264K)*
- Clifton River Improvement Trust (PDF, 320K)*
- Don River Improvement Trust (PDF, 157K)*
- Douglas River Improvement Trust (PDF, 208K)*
- Johnstone River Improvement Trust (PDF, 236K)*
- Jondaryan River Improvement Trust:
- Pioneer River Improvement Trust (PDF, 287K)*
- Scenic Rim (formerly Boonah) River Improvement Trust:
- Stanthorpe River Improvement Trust (PDF, 318K)*
- Wambo River Improvement Trust:
- Warwick River Improvement Trust:
- Whitsunday River Improvement Trust (PDF, 171K)*
Contact us
Principal Project Officer, Water Authority Governance and Transition
Telephone: 07 3330 6089
Facsimile: 07 3330 6116
* Requires Adobe Reader
Last updated 2 November 2010