Report shows improvements to water health in bay

The health of both Moreton Bay and the Pine River catchment has improved, according to the annual Healthy Land and Water Report Card.

Cabbage Tree Creek at Shorncliffe. The creek enters Moreton Bay between Sandgate and Boondall. Picture: Michelle Smith

THE annual Healthy Land and Water Report Card has revealed improvements to the health of both Moreton Bay and the Pine River catchment.

Since 2015, Moreton Bay (which extends from Caloundra almost to Surfers Paradise) has received an A- environmental condition grade, except in 2017 when it received a B+.

The Pine catchment has steadily increased from a C to a B during the same five-year period.

The water off Sandgate. Picture: Giulio Saggin

Healthy Land and Water Science Committee chairman Professor Stuart Bunn said the Report Card revealed the amount of mud in Moreton Bay has declined — either slowly redistributed to the deep areas in the Central Bay, or removed from the Bay entirely.

“This highlights the resilience of Moreton Bay to recover from land-based pollution, so long as the Bay has respite from these pressures,” Professor Bunn said.

“We are excited to see that seagrass has returned to the most degraded parts of Moreton Bay.

“There has been significant recovery of seagrass meadows in Southern Deception Bay which were lost entirely in 1996.

“In addition, seagrass meadows in Bramble Bay, which have not been seen since the 1950s, are also recovering.”

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Professor Bunn said, however, that worrying trends persist for certain key indicators of our catchment’s health.

“Fish and other freshwater organisms are doing it tough due to the increasingly dry conditions,” he said.

“The freshwater scores for these indicators in some western catchments are the poorest we’ve seen since the monitoring program began in 1999,” Professor Bunn said.

The Report Card revealed the Pine Catchment has improved slightly and remains in good condition.

This is because:

■ Pollutant loads have reduced by more than half and remain very low due to decreased sediment (mud) and nutrients (128 to 49kg/ha of sediment).

■ The health of freshwater creeks declined slightly, though remains fair. Water quality, ecosystem processes and bug health declined while fish community health improved.

■ The extent of freshwater wetlands in the catchment remains poor while the extent of mangroves and saltmarshes in the catchment’s estuaries, which are critical for productive recreational and commercial fisheries, remain in excellent condition.

■ The health of the estuary improved significantly from good to excellent due to a decrease in nutrients (total nitrogen and phosphorus) and improved dissolved oxygen throughout the estuary.

Healthy Land and Water Board chairman Stephen Robertson said the major issue impacting waterway health continues to be the amount of mud or sediment entering our waterways.

“Despite the improvement of mud in Moreton Bay, without further investment in reducing sediment pollution our waterways will continue to deteriorate, along with the many environmental, social and economic benefits they provide,” he said.

“This highlights the need to build the resilience of our waterways and reduce the amount of sediment entering our waterways.

“To do so, we must prepare our catchments for large rainfall events through managing erosion, stabilising creek channels, rehabilitating riverbank areas, investing in agricultural practices and introducing water sensitive urban design,” Mr Robertson said.

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The Report Card listed a number of ways to improve waterway health and benefits in the Pine catchment.

■ Protecting the existing critical bank vegetation and wetlands from clearing and weed infestation is key to maintaining catchment condition and recreational value in the face of projected increasing population and development.

■ Keeping bare soils covered on our properties and workplaces, trapping and reusing stormwater from our roofs on our gardens and lawns, and stopping sediment from leaving construction sites during rainfall will all contribute to a reduction in the pollutant loads entering our waterways.

■ Preserve the community’s emotional connection with waterways by protecting and promoting their use and access. A very high number (69 per cent) of residents feel nature in general is an important part of their lives, and high numbers (47 per cent) are motivated to use and protect their local waterways.

■ Campaigns to highlight the value of waterways to the community can improve feelings of responsibility and willingness to engage in or support waterway protection activities.

■ Create opportunities and incentives for residents to make changes around their home or in their local waterway to improve waterway condition.