October 23, 2015
The Upper Brisbane River catchment has received a “D” on a Healthy Waterways report card released by the State Government this week.
The report, released by Environment Minister Dr Steven Miles, said the overall environmental condition of the catchment area was poor.
Low sediment and nutrient loads were being generated but poor riparian vegetation was resulting in very poor stream health.
However, the Friends of the Yarraman Creek riparian restoration of Yarraman Creek received a positive mention.
“The project has helped to create a harmonious, energetic and environmentally aware volunteer group,” the report reads.
“It saw the successful removal of all Class 2 and 3 weeds, Salvinia molesta, annual weeds and introduced grasses.
“Yarraman Creek is now a healthy Australian waterway frequently used for field days and educational planting for the local school.
“Thousands of locally native plants have been established along the Yarraman Creek banks, for a distance of half a kilometre on both sides of the creek.”
The Upper Brisbane catchment isn’t the only waterway to receive a bad report.
The Healthy Waterways Report Card rated the majority of south-east Queensland’s western catchments as in poor condition due to a legacy of long-term vegetation clearing.
Dr Miles said the 2015 Report Card, prepared by not-for-profit organisation Healthy Waterways Ltd, involved a more holistic monitoring approach that included a Waterway Benefits Rating for the first time.
“The new look Report Card now considers the level of economic and social benefits that our waterways provide, so we can see the environmental outcomes but also see how those outcomes enhance the community’s quality of life,” he said.
The Upper Brisbane catchment received a “benefit rating” of 3.5 stars:
“The local community receives high social and economic benefits from the waterways. Very high economic benefits are being generated through waterway recreation and recreational fishing. The community value the waterways highly but rate their satisfaction with, and ability to use, waterways as moderate. The Upper Brisbane is an important drinking water supply catchment.”
Dr Miles said the “standout catchment” in the southern region was the Stanley which received an environmental grade of B and a waterways benefit rating of 2.5.
- The full list of results across all South-East Queensland catchments is available on the Healthy Waterways website
