2022-11-08 Planning & Environment Meeting Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA   8 NOVEMBER 2022




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PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                         8 NOVEMBER 2022

      Healthy Land and Water Scientist — Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program Jack Coates-Marmane
      provided an overview of Healthy Land and Water's role in monitoring and producing annual report cards
      for catchment across South-East Queensland (SEQ).
          ®  Healthy Land and Water works in partnership with DES and is guided by local and state
             governments, Unitywater and universities. A steering committee identifies and prioritises targets
             for monitoring and the communication of results.
          e  The EHMP provides data and information about the health of SEQ waterways for network
             members, researchers, managers, and the wider community. It informs policy on behalf of the
             EHMP network to indicate funding allocations.
          e  Elements of the catchment conditions grade are based on the Freshwater Ecosystem Health
             Program, Estuarine Water Quality Program and Event Monitoring Program programs coordinated
             by DES.
          e  Results are communicated via Healthy Land and Water's Report Card program.
          e  The Program Framework used for the report card consists of four elements: Environmental
             condition; benefit; pressure and actions. The report uses physical-chemical parameters and
             several different indicators to create an assessment of the overall condition of the catchment,
             which is then graded A to F.
          ¢  Data evaluation assessment is completed using desired Water Quality Objectives (WQOs)
             determined by the State Government.
          ®  Since 2015 the EHMP has been investing in a water quality model, TUFLOW FV, to learn and
             understand system behaviour using model scenarios to support decision making and understand
             the impacts of development on water quality.

      5.  DES Water Quality Monitoring Programs and Remote Sensing Technology
      DES Science Leader, Water Quality and Investigations Reinier Mann provided an overview of another
      water monitoring program funded by the Australian Government and Queensland Government which
      covers six sites in SEQ.

          e  The Noosa River is not included in the program.
          e  The program also includes waterways that flow into the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) lagoon and the
             region which starts in the Burnett-Mary catchment. There is a gap between the six SEQ sites and
             the waterways in the GBR.
          e  The existing DES monitoring program uses remote instruments which analyse nutnent and
             sediment parameters and pesticides levels in water samples. The cost involved in installing a
             remote water monitoring base is approximately $100,000.
          e  The program focuses on pesticide, herbicide and fungicide monitoring.
          ¢  Data analysis is reported online as nutrient, sediment and TSS loads delivered on the end of a
             river or catchment system. Data is available for analysis of 24 pesticides at the GBR and SEQ
             sites and is available through the Pesticide Reporting Portal.
      Project Objectives:
          e  The Catchment Monitoring Program objectives are to validate water quality models and inform
             regional report cards.

          e  Pesticide report data displays the guidelines values for the protection of moderate to disturbed
             waters and displays risk factors for aquatic ecosystems.

     Minutes — Water Quality Workshop 24/08/22                                                  Page 4

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