2016-02-02 P&O Committee - Item 3 - Attachment 4 - Mary River Environmental Values and Water Quality Objectives

                 Mary River environmental values and water quality objectives




                 Table 13 Suite of environmental values that can be chosen for protection

                                                                                Environmental values and definitions                                                       ICON

                  Aquatic ecosystem:
                  “a community of organisms living within or adjacent to water, including riparian or foreshore areas”. (EPPW, schedule 2)

                  The intrinsic value of aquatic ecosystems, habitat and wildlife in waterways and riparian areas – for example, biodiversity, ecological interactions,
                  plants, animals, key species (such as turtles, platypus, seagrass and dugongs) and their habitat, food and drinking water.

                  Waterways include perennial and intermittent surface waters, ground waters, tidal and non-tidal waters, lakes, storages, reservoirs, dams,
                  wetlands, swamps, marshes, lagoons, canals, natural and artificial channels and the bed and banks of waterways.
                                                                                                                                                                           
                  (This EV incorporates the “Wildlife habitat” EV used in the South East Queensland Regional Water Quality Management Strategy - SEQRWQMS.)
                  See below for more details on aquatic ecosystems, based on the EPP Water.

                  High ecological/conservation value waters                                                                                                               None
                  “Waters in which the biological integrity of the water is effectively unmodified or highly valued.” (EPPW, schedule 2)


                  Slightly disturbed waters                                                                                                                               None
                  “Waters that have the biological integrity of high ecological value waters with slightly modified physical or chemical indicators but effectively
                  unmodified biological indicators” (EPPW, schedule 2)
                  Moderately disturbed waters                                                                                                                             None
                  “Waters in which the biological integrity of the water is adversely affected by human activity to a relatively small but measurable degree.” (EPPW,
                  schedule 2)
                  Highly disturbed waters                                                                                                                                 None
                  “Waters that are significantly degraded by human activity and have lower ecological value than high ecological value waters or slightly or
                  moderately disturbed waters.” (EPPW, schedule 2)
                  Seagrass (Goal within the Aquatic ecosystem EV):
                  Maintenance or rehabilitation of seagrass habitat. (Applies only to tidal waterways.)                                                                    
                  Irrigation:
                  Suitability of water supply for irrigation - for example, irrigation of crops, pastures, parks, gardens and recreational areas.                          
                  Farm Water Supply/Use:
                  Suitability of domestic farm water supply, other than drinking water. For example, water used for laundry and produce preparation.                       
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Document Set ID: 20002123
Version: 1, Version Date: 21/12/2015