Moreton Bay Regional Council welcomes Healthy Land & Water report card
Published 22 October 2019
The 2019 Healthy Land & Water report card reveals exciting improvement to the health of Moreton Bay with water quality continuing to recover following the 2011 floods.
Moreton Bay Regional Council Mayor Allan Sutherland said Moreton Bay had an overall healthier ecosystem thanks to more seagrass and a reduction in mud.
“Most of the mud enters the waterways during large rainfall events, which can be a frequent occurrence for our sub-tropical environment here in South East Queensland,” he said.
“While the drier months have been tough on keeping our region nice and green, the below average rainfall has brought respite to our water ways, giving time for natural processes to flush all the mud out of the bay.
“There has been a significant recovery of seagrass which is vital for maintaining good water quality while providing food and habitats for marine life.”
Cr Sutherland said Council is doing its part to build the resilience in our waterways, which includes investing $2.5 million to rehabilitate and revegetate Cabbage Tree Creek.
“We all have a part to play in reducing pollution in our waterways and Council is invested in continuing to manage erosion, maintaining stable creek beds and rehabilitating riverbank areas,” he said.
“Council is working with developers to achieve water sensitive urban design features, such as constructed wetlands and bioretention basins, that can cater for the population growth in our region with minimal impact to the water quality of Moreton Bay.”
Spokesperson for Waterways, Canals and Foreshores Cr Adam Hain said South East Queensland’s waterways provide over $5 billion in economic benefits each year in industry, tourism, recreation and fishing.
“We love our waterways and it is important to protect them from deterioration and pollution,” he said.
“We need to continue to invest in keeping our waterways healthy so we can protect them for future generations - that’s why Council is spending $500,000 per year to renew over 400 existing stormwater improvement devices in the region.
“It is important to continue investment in managing sediment pollution during the regions urban expansion, otherwise it will become harder to maintain water quality and the recovery of Moreton Bay may become more difficult.”
Spokesperson for Environment Cr Denise Sims said that Council is committed to reducing pollution entering our waterways.
“Council supports a range of clean-up activities in the region including a weekly Caboolture River clean-up program,” she said.
“The collected litter is analysed and provides Council with valuable information on the type, amount and source of litter entering the Caboolture River.
“We are also looking at ways to stop litter from entering the waterways in the first place.”
Julie McLellan, CEO of Healthy Land and Water said the 2019 Report Card welcomed the improvements to the health of Moreton Bay.
“The Report Card confirms that 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,” she said.
“As a result, Moreton Bay has better water quality and more seagrass, meaning a healthier ecosystem.
“Moreton Bay Regional Council are delivering a range of programs to protect and improve local waterways health. Keep up the good work!”