2017-01-16 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                16 JANUARY 2017


New indicators in the Report Card grade measure the amount and impact of ‘mud’ entering
waterways, as well as the ‘extent of habitats’ (such as riparian vegetation and seagrass) available
to mitigate these impacts and support fish, turtles and other aquatic life.
A new waterways benefit rating was also introduced which measures the ‘level of social and
economic benefits’ waterways provide to local communities. This indicator also explores what
motivates action among landholders and community groups to protect and improve waterways.
Key messages
Key messages of the 2016 Report Card for the Northern Catchments i.e. Noosa, Maroochy,
Mooloolah, and Pumicestone Passage are that:
   Sediment pollutant loads generated through rural channel erosion and a rapidly growing
     urban footprint continue to impact water condition and benefits. Further action is needed in
     vulnerable rural and urban areas to maintain vegetation, stabilise channels and banks, and
     minimise runoff from construction sites.
   The majority of waterways have high quality estuarine habitat, which support recreation and
     commercial fishing. The level of benefit the community receives from their local waterways
     ranges from high to very high. The local communities therefore value their waterways highly
     and report being highly satisfied with them. The economic value generated through local
     waterway recreation is very high.


3.   VALUES, THREATS AND CHALLENGES
Values
The Noosa River catchment is arguably South East Queensland’s only substantially-natural major
river system and has an abundance of environmental values of international recognition. Many of
the values are as a result of its naturalness.
Large parts of the catchment’s freshwaters, groundwater and estuary are designated ‘high
ecological value’ under Schedule 1 of the Environmental Protection (Water) Policy 2009. The
management intent for these waters is to maintain an effectively unmodified waterway condition.
The catchment boasts large areas of remnant vegetation and a wide range of intact aquatic
ecosystems, including floodplain and wetlands.
The Noosa River Wetlands and Lake Weyba are listed in the Wetlands of National Importance
Directory. These wetlands provide many valuable ecosystem services, including contribution to
biodiversity, provision of flood control through short-term storage of floodwaters, hydrological and
ecological processes such as groundwater re-charge, nutrient cycling and sediment trapping.
Local wetlands also provide unique habitats that support a wide variety of aquatic and amphibious
animals, including local and migratory birds and vulnerable frog species such as the wallum sedge
frog, wallum froglet and wallum rocket frog.
The Noosa River is unique among Queensland estuaries in having a transition from freshwater to
hypersaline waters in the lakes.
The freshwater lowlands provide habitat for endangered freshwater fish such as the honey blue
eye and oxleyan pygmy perch, while the estuary harbours Australian bass, bream, blue salmon,
estuary cod, flathead, garfish, jewfish, luderick, mangrove jack, sea mullet, tailor and whiting, as
well as mud and sand crabs and schook, greasyback, bay and eastern king prawns.
Its unique network of shallow, tidal lakes has long reaches of fringing mangrove forests which
feature all of the Sunshine Coast’s known mangrove species, and the largest riverine seagrass
beds in South East Queensland. In addition, the majority of the estuary falls within a 6,000ha
designated Fish Habitat Area, including Lakes Cootharaba, Cooroibah, Doonella and Weyba and
the river sections between them.


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