Image of a creek in Queensland

Water quality monitoring in S.E. Queensland

Monitoring water quality in South-East Queensland

CSIRO has played an important role in a multi-agency project managing water quality in one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions.

  • 25 November 2010 | Updated 14 October 2011

In a major program aimed at improving the ecosystem health of South-East Queensland (SEQ) waterways, CSIRO scientists are working with partners in:

  • government agencies (Commonwealth, state, local)
  • universities and other research institutions
  • industry
  • community groups.

Our role

CSIRO environmental statisticians are part of a team designing, evaluating and implementing an integrated water quality management strategy for the region.

Scientific tasks for the Moreton Bay Study were carried out by scientists from 11 organisations, including CSIRO.

Studies showed that Moreton Bay and its four major rivers were slowly choking on increasing amounts of sediment, nutrients and toxicants. A comprehensive management strategy was produced in response.

The resulting SEQ Regional Water Quality Management Strategy is administered by Moreton Bay Waterways and Catchments Partnership. CSIRO has an ongoing involvement in the monitoring component.

We became involved at the program’s early stages and have worked with the program’s partners to ensure maximum usable information is obtained from the monitoring and measurement programs.

For example, we have:

  • identified indicators for assessing ecosystem health
  • developed new kinds of charts so stakeholders can easily see significant changes in ecosystem health indicators
  • designed a cost-effective and co-ordinated monitoring and assessment program.

Timeline

  • 1994 – The Queensland Government and six local councils were awarded Natural Heritage Trust funding to assess historical water quality on Brisbane’s Moreton Bay and estuaries on its four major rivers. Proposal emerged for framework for integrated water quality management strategy.

  • 1996 – A Moreton Bay study aimed to provide system-wide understanding of nutrient and sediment problem. Scientific tasks were carried out by scientists from 11 organisations (including CSIRO, Queensland EPA, University of Queensland), consulting with local government and industry stakeholders.

  • 1996 - A Regional Water Quality Management Strategy developed for bay and estuaries. Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program implemented to monitor success of strategy.

  • 1999 – CSIRO participated in similar research and monitoring done for freshwater regions of Moreton Bay to extend scope of Management Strategy, which now involves 19 local councils.

  • 2002 – Newly formed Moreton Bay Waterways and Catchments Partnership helps stakeholders to meet commitments in framework for future management detailed in SEQ Regional Water Quality Management Strategy.

  • current - The Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program uses CSIRO monitoring strategies to provide an annual Report Card of the Ecosystem Health of SEQ waterways. Reports grade water quality and ecological health and help measure success of management actions.

Find out more about our work in Environmental Monitoring & Analysis.