2017-09-18 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                                                18 SEPTEMBER 2017




                                                                            Existing range 50-80% of the time
                                                        Proposed Criteria
                                    Existing Criteria



    Phosphorous will significantly be allowed to increase in Stumers creek (up to 50%), 50% of
      the time.
    The entire suite of nutrients will be able to significantly increase in Burgess Creek by
      between 40%-933% however this will also result in significant improvements by requiring
      a halving the concentration of some nutrients from the existing situation for 50% of the
      time. i.e. the proposal is to increase limits of Oxidised Nitrogen from its current limit of
      60ug/L to 620ug/L. However the environment is currently experiencing up to 1280ug/L over
      50 of the time.
    In the Moderately Disturbed areas of Southern Noosa Draining Freshwaters (i.e. the
      catchment that drains to Burgess Creek) the entire suite of nutrients will be able to
      significantly increase by between 40%-933%, however this will also result in significant
      improvements by requiring a halving the concentration of some nutrients from the existing
      situation for 50% of the time. i.e. the proposal is to increase limits of Oxidised Nitrogen from
      its current limit of 60ug/L to 620ug/L. However the environment is currently experiencing
      more than 620ug/L over 50% of the time, actually measuring over 1280ug/L for 20% of the
      time over the past 10 years. Burgess Creek already shows evidence on stress in the
      environment from excess nutrients.
Insufficient information has been provided to demonstrate that reduction of nutrients flowing to
Burgess Creek for 50% of the time will be enough to prevent the observed transformation from
oligotrophic heathland vegetation to nutrient loving vegetation.
Burgess Creek (i.e. Southern Noosa Coastal Draining Freshwaters) is already displaying signs of
stress from increased nutrients. The below photo shows that vegetation that needs low nutrients
is already being overtaken by weedy vegetation that has a competitive advantage over the native
vegetation in nutrient rich environments. Whilst the proposed changes will require an
improvement to the current situation for 50% of the time, it is unclear whether this is sufficient to
discourage the advantage the weeds currently have. Changing the water quality objectives in
Burgess Creek to reflect the existing situation instead of the low nutrient ecological needs of the
environment will also endorse the current water quality situation that is believed to be one
stressor responsible for the transformation of heathland vegetation to rainforest species or
weeds.




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