2016-12-12 General Committee - Attachment 1 to Item 6 - Biodiversity Assessment Report

                                                   Noosa Biodiversity Plan – Biodiversity Assessment Report




  1                                                                                         Healthy with
                                                                                            minimal disturbance

 0.9


 0.8


 0.7


 0.6


 0.5


 0.4


 0.3


 0.2


 0.1


                                                                                            Unhealthy and highly
  0
                                                                                            disturbed
         2009       2010         2011       2012         2013       2014           2015
                      Ecosystem processes      Fish                        Invertebrates
                      Nutrient Cycling         Physical Chemical           Pollutant load
                      Riparian


Figure 26: Ecosystem health monitoring results for freshwater environments in the Noosa River catchment

Similarly for the marine environments in the Noosa River catchment, elevated turbidity levels have been
recorded in previous years suggesting an influx of sediment entering the waterways (Figure 26). This is
most likely attributed to erosion and runoff that has been accelerated by vegetation clearing and
catchment alterations.

Whilst overall the Noosa River catchment is considered to be in high ecological condition, recent
estimates indicate that 3,045 tonnes of sediment generated from all types of land use entered the
waterways within the Noosa catchment in 2015 (SEQ Waterways, 2016). The removal of vegetation
within the catchment as well as ongoing land management practices that result in an increase in sediment
laden runoff has been a previous threat and as such will require ongoing consideration.




  © ECO LOGICAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD                                                                                  67