Water quality improvement plan final report for mackay whitsunday region

Reefrelated sugar growing regions mackay whitsunday, burdekin, herbert river and wet tropics. Queensland reef water quality program fiveyear investment. Pdf this report focuses on the trial of a regionallyspecific framework to assess and monitor the human dimensions of the great barrier reef gbr as. Abcd management frameworks document has been designed to support the identification and validation of grazing management practices that can improve both freshwater and marine water quality and ecosystem health as identified in the water quality improvement plan wqip, drewry, j. Together, the mayor and councillors comprise the governing body of whitsunday regional council and are required to discharge their roles in accordance with the local government act 2009. Stewardship and cultural heritage page 4 of 26 terms and acronyms alum australian land use and management classification system basin an area of land where surface water runs into smaller channels, creeks or rivers and discharges into a common point and may include many. Mackay whitsunday natural resource management group, mackay, qld. Wqips have been developed for the former douglas shire, the mackay whitsunday nrm. The mackay whitsunday grazing management practices. This is the 5 year average price from 2005 to 2009 150 hectare farm. Sandy creek mackay whitsunday water quality improvement plan. The black ross townsville water quality improvement plan wqip is intended as a guidance. Water quality improvement great barrier reef foundation great. To ensure we continue to build on this momentum, it is critical that we continue to implement these and other measures to support implementation of the reef 2050 water quality improvement plan.

This is the first update to the region s water quality improvement plan since 2008. Development of methods for the mackaywhitsunday report. Urban stormwater quality management plan for mackay page ii contents. Whitsunday regional councils whitsunday water team installed over five kilometres of mains and pipelines as part of the greening and growing bowen project. Oconnell river mackay whitsunday water quality improvement. Report to the national environmental science programme. Avoiding implementation failure in catchment landscapes. The queensland reef water quality program qrwqp is the queensland governments key response to addressing water quality impacts affecting the great barrier reef. Mackay regional council dwqmp annual report fy 20162017. Final report for mackay whitsunday region, to submit an update or takedown request for this paper, please submit an updatecorrectionremoval request. Report cards environment, land and water queensland. The queensland reef water quality program delivers activities as part of implementing the reef 2050 water quality improvement plan 20172022 reef 2050 wqip which supports the water quality.

Queenslands cities and regions mackay to whitsunday islands. Eton soil type and rainfall assumed to approximate cane yields in the rest of the region net sugar price. Costeffectiveness of management activities for water. Provide a concise history of stormwater quality management in the mackay region. This fact sheet provides some examples of reef water quality improvement activities that are underway, but not yet fully captured in report cards to date. Mackay whitsunday region water quality improvement plan 2008. Observation system simulation experiment for the mackay. For the first time, results are reported at a finer catchment and subcatchment scale. Reef and rainforest research centre limited, cairns 85pp. They are now included in schedule 1 of the environmental protection water and wetland biodiversity policythe epp water and wetland biodiversity. Strengths and weaknesses in the development and delivery of the douglas shire water quality improvement plan. Appendix i demonstation case water quality improvements i6 the mackay whitsunday water quality improvement plan the wqip identified the main sources of pollutants for the region. A great barrier reef report card is produced annually which measures progress towards the reef 2050 water quality improvement plan s reef 2050 wqip goal and targets for water quality in the great barrier reef. Mackays general cargo port is vital for fuel distribution into resource areas, with coal ports at both hay point and abbott point.

It extends from north of bowen to south of st lawrence, and west to clermont and the bowen basin. The first of the regional programs to be established will be the mackay whitsunday water quality program and the fitzroy water quality program. John drewry staff details manaaki whenua landcare research. The wqip is an important document that aims to ensure water quality is suitable for human uses and aquatic.

The learnings from the mackay whitsunday report card will be applied to the development of other regional integrated monitoring report card programs into the future e. Queensland government annual investment report 20182019. For the 2014 adoption scenario, median although not mean n lost via deep. Reef catchments is pleased to present the publicly available ebook of the 20142021 mackay whitsunday isaac mwi water quality improvement plan wqip. Effective and efficient pathways for investment in improved. The mackay whitsunday region covers an area of 9000 square kilometres and supports a diverse range of ecosystems including soft coral communities and the nationally recognised goorganga wetlands. Under the project, innovative management practices and technologies were trialled with the aim of improving the quality of water leaving farms in. Mackay whitsunday region abcd management practice framework. Whitsunday regional council provides drinking potable water to customers in 4 schemes proserpine, coastal, bowen and collinsville, through a separate business unit whitsunday water. Management of water quality through the reef 2050 water quality improvement plan aims to improve the water quality entering the great barrier reef. Development of methods for the mackaywhitsunday report card 2015. Sector framework used to assess stewardship horticulture reef plan water quality risk framework.

The reef plans first report card mackay regional summary6 provides a useful. While there are certainly areas in the region with encouraging results, there are also clear areas where improvement is needed, and some areas where we have no data at all, ms tarte said. The wqip is an important document that aims to ensure water quality is suitable for human uses and aquatic ecosystem protection. Fitzroy basin neighbourhood catchment program fb nap pap 01 final report. Paddock to subcatchment scale water quality monitoring of sugarcane management practices. Providing economic support to project game changer mackay whitsunday 2016 this is a final report on project game changer with a compilation of case studies from the mackay whitsundays. Integrated monitoring, modelling and management of the.

Reef and rainforest research centre limited, cairns 52pp. Healthy rivers to reef partnership mackaywhitsunday. Overall, 90 per cent of the pollutants are from diffuse sources. It assesses the results of all reef 2050 water quality improvement plan actions reported up to june 2018. Economic and social impacts of protecting environmental values in the great barrier reef catchment waterways. Mackay is one of the fastest growing regions in queensland, and while this growth presents opportunities, it also comes with many challenges especially when it comes to our h 2 o as our region grows, our community is going to use a lot more water. Water quality department of environment and science. Sandy creek mackay whitsunday water quality improvement plan catchment. In 20172018, a new fiveyear investment plan 20172018 to 20212022 was developed outlining the delivery of the. View wetland habitat area for all water quality improvement plan catchments. Water quality improvement plan for the catchments of. Assessing the human dimensions of the great barrier reef.

Water quality improvement in the mackay whitsundays region. Marine monitoring program inshore coral reef monitoring. The mackay whitsunday water quality improvement plan the wqip. The report identifies the key issues raised by stakeholders during the. Projects water quality seasonal context reporting for sugarcane production and management practice adoption in the mackay whitsunday region mackay whitsunday water quality improvement plan bakers creek system repair site water quality sampling for gbr catchment loads monitoring. Interactions between climate change and sugarcane management.

Water quality improvement plans great barrier reef catchments. This follows consultations carried out for the mackaywhitsunday region water quality improvement plan, public release of draft materials in 2012, and consultations during 20. Water quality improvement plans wqips for catchments draining to the great barrier reef were initially prepared by regional nrm bodies and councils under the australian governments coastal catchments initiative. The mackaywhitsundayisaac report card aligns its agricultural stewardship reporting with the gbr report card, which are reported through the paddock to reef p2r program. Very high, high and moderate priority reef catchments as outlined in the reef 2050 water quality improvement plan wet tropics, burdekin, mackay whitsundays, fitzroy and burnett mary supports cane farmers and graziers by using onetoone agricultural experts extension officers. Water quality improvement, systems repair, land use management and species conservation needs outlined in the mackay whitsunday water quality improvement plan wqip 20142021. Bowens new recycled water network will green and grow bowen by connecting the network to bowens parks and public green spaces. Drewry, j, higham, w, mitchell, c 2008, water quality improvement plan wqip. Mr wallace and mr mulherin launched the mackay whitsunday regional water supply strategy mwrwss while at a. The first of the regional programs to be established will be the mackaywhitsunday water quality program and the fitzroy water quality program. To develop the report card the partnership uses the best available independent science, including results from a range of regional monitoring programs.

Mackay whitsunday water quality improvement plan area. Water quality improvement plan final report for mackay whitsunday region j. Water quality improvement plans wqips and healthy waters. In previous studies conducted in the wet tropics region, water quality is identified as an important. The whitsunday region has a wellestablished and strong horticulture industry that is notably the largest winter growing vegetable region in australia. Water quality improvement plan final report for the mackay whitsunday region. The mackaywhitsunday region today received a comprehensive waterway health check, with the release of the regions first full waterway health report card. Pdf assessing the human dimensions of the great barrier.

The mackay isaac whitsunday region is represented by a broad range of industries including agriculture, tourism, horticulture, aquaculture, mining, manufacturing and construction. The reef 2050 wqip is a nested plan under the reef 2050 longterm sustainability plan there are also regional report card partnerships that provide local information. The intent is to build on the current reef wide approach to reporting, with nested regional models that provide finer scale information and promote. The mackay whitsunday region covers an area of 9000 square kilometres and supports a diverse range of ecosystems including soft coral. In addition to this final report, the project has produced three documents. Mark baird and nugzar margvelashvili 2018 scoping study to address poor water quality in the whitsunday region. Published by the reef and rainforest research centre on behalf of the australian governments national environmental science programme nesp tropical water quality twq hub. Management practices on sugarcane farms mackay region. The 20142021 mackay whitsunday water quality improvement plan wqip aims to. Frameworks and stewardship reporting of the major industries in the mackay whitsunday mw region.

Diffuse source water quality postconstruction operational phase 15 %85 %0 0 0% 50% 40% 10 15 d dated practices c conventional practices b best practices a aspirational this catchment management area cma report is part of the mackay whitsunday water quality improvement plan wqip 20142021. Report card 2017 and 2018 was released in august 2019. Science projects and outputs environment, land and water. Department of state development about the region local government areas isaac mackay whitsunday population as at 30 june 2014, the estimated resident population. Mackay whitsunday region grazing management practices. Waters include the pioneer, proserpine and oconnell river basins, whitsunday islands, plane creek basin, and adjacent coastal waters. Participatory landscape ecology a basis for acceptance and implementation. Mackay isaac whitsunday region department of state.

Mackay whitsunday water quality improvement plan reef catchments, australia. Draft groundwater guidelines for townsville region july 2012. Mackay whitsunday water quality improvement plan area facts. In relation to cane and irrigation practice change, where an intervention involved a. This plan builds on the existing reef coastal catchments initiative supporting regional water quality improvement plans using a comparable but tailored planning process. Effective and efficient pathways for investment in improved water quality in the gbr. Draft macroinvertebrate water quality guidelines for townsville and mackay whitsunday regions july 2012. Mackay whitsunday region current condition report 502300 2000 167100 9700 7100 1600 9600.

The tropical climate has a distinct wet season, with 50 to 60 per cent of the average annual rainfall occurring between january and march. Mackay whitsunday reef 2050 water quality improvement plan. Water quality improvement plans wqips and healthy waters management plans hwmps the environmental protection water and wetland biodiversity policy 2019 establishes healthy waters management plans hwmps as a key planning mechanism to improve the quality of queensland waters. The mackay and whitsunday district covers 90,140km 2. The economic analysis is based on the a, b, c and d management practice framework for water quality improvement developed in 20072008 by the respective natural resource management region. The mackay whitsunday report card reports on the health of the region s waterways, including the catchments of the don, proserpine, pioneer, oconnell and plane basins, eight estuaries, and the inshore and offshore marine areas.

Environmental values evs and water quality objectives wqos for mackaywhitsunday region waters were finalised in august 20. It delivers activities as part of implementing the reef 2050 water quality improvement plan 20172022 reef 2050 wqip which supports the water quality theme. This work also built upon the previous modelling and costing information produced during the original reef costings project alluvium, 2016. Fresh and marine water quality in the mackay whitsunday region. Paddock to subcatchment scale water quality monitoring of. Catchment management area report water quality improvement plan coastal catchments initiative an australian government initiative myrtle creek catchment relative ecological condition of freshwater streams low rating of all streams in the mackaywhitsunday region andromache river catchment lethe brook catchment key to land use natural areas. Urban stormwater quality management plan for mackay. In the whitsunday region, tourism is the largest sector, with an emphasis on lifestyle and highquality food production. Mackay, isaac and whitsunday regional plan, queensland government, february 2012, available from the department of state development, infrastructure and planning. The whitsundays agricultural capabilities whitsunday. Water minister craig wallace and member for mackay tim mulherin today announced the start of work on an historic water blueprint for the mackay whitsunday region for the next 50 years. Benchmarking costs of improving agricultural water management in gbr catchments v acknowledgements the contribution of staff at the nrm groups for their time to discuss costeffectiveness and the water quality improvement plans and provide relevant data is gratefully acknowledged. With international concern about the gbrs declining ecological health, this paper identifies and focuses on implementation failure primarily at catchment scale as a systemic risk within the overall gbr.

Mackay whitsunday natural resource management group. This is the 5 year average ccs for the mackay sugar mill. Access wetland mapping in pdf and kml format by selecting the desired 100k map tile below or download the data via the queensland government information service the below map is for visual representation purposes only. Integrated monitoring, modelling and management of the gbrwha. While many landholders have improved their land management practices, the results reflect the scale of change still required to meet the water quality targets. Proserpine scheme services proserpine and mt julian communities. Final water quality data summary bloomsbury treated. Mackay whitsunday region environment department of.

Benchmarking costs of improving agricultural water management. Waterways within the mackay regional council local government area. Drinking water quality management plan dwqmp annual. Great barrier reef water science taskforce may 2016 key recommendation monitoring, modelling, evaluation and reporting for improved decision making and adaptive. The reef water quality science program has produced a suite of. Costeffectiveness of management activities for water quality improvement in sugarcane farming. Effective and efficient pathways for investment in. The mackay whitsunday isaac water quality improvement plan wqip 2014 2021, is a. Mackay regional council dwqmp annual report fy 20162017 18 december 2017 page 2 of 180. Mackay whitsunday regional water master plan begins the. The mackay whitsunday region in central queensland extends from south of.

It is based on the principals and processes of the australian governments framework for marine and estuarine water quality protection with respects to establishing environmental values and water quality objectives. The region is known for its tropical beaches and island destinations, scattered throughout the great barrier reef. Historical context and causes of water quality decline in. Nov 01, 20 the 2050 water quality targets for din loads in the mackay whitsunday water quality improvement plan drewry et al. St helens creek mackay whitsunday water quality improvement plan catchment. Oconnell river mackay whitsunday water quality improvement plan catchment. This beautiful region is famous for its tropical beaches and world famous destinations, scattered throughout the great barrier reef and whitsundays islands.

The queensland reef water quality program is the queensland governments key response to addressing water quality impacts affecting the great barrier reef. Interim report 200910 wet season, mackay whitsunday region. Reef horizon fact sheet reef 2050 water quality improvement. The reef water quality report card 2017 and 2018 assesses the results of reef 2050 water quality improvement plan actions reported up to june 2018. Queensland department of environment and resource management for reef catchments mackay whitsunday inc. Access wetland mapping in pdf and kml format by selecting the desired 100k map tile below or download the data via the queensland government information service.

Historical context and causes of water quality decline in the. The monitoring of inshore reefs is fundamental to documenting their condition and trends against which the effectiveness of reef plan s actions can be. Access wetland mapping in pdf and kml format by selecting the desired 100k map tile below or download the data via the queensland government information service the. Water quality outcomes affecting australias great barrier reef gbr are governed by multilevel and multiparty decisionmaking that influences forested and agricultural landscapes. The report card will be launched in mackay today at 11.