Managing urban and non-agricultural run-off to the Reef

Urban areas cover less than one per cent of the Great Barrier Reef catchment.

Yet stormwater run-off from urban and industrial land use and wastewater treatment plant releases contribute up to seven per cent of the dissolved inorganic nitrogen entering the Reef, and close to two per cent of the sediment that flows to the Reef.

Aside from urban land use, there are a number of non-agricultural land uses that contribute to nutrient and sediment emissions. Behind wastewater treatment plants, pond aquaculture facilities are the second greatest point contributor to point source nitrogen loads flowing to the Reef, accounting for an estimated one per cent of the total anthropogenic nitrogen load. Pond aquaculture farming is becoming more intensive over time and there are plans to expand the industry in Queensland, with six Aquaculture Development Areas gazetted.

These activities can also impact the health of local waterways and the community benefits they provide.

Who manages urban and non-agricultural land use run-off?

Urban run-off is a shared responsibility between state and local governments, the development and construction industry and water service providers. Support is also provided by peak bodies such as the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ), water industry bodies and natural resource management organisations.

Local government is responsible for managing wastewater treatment, as well as erosion control and stormwater management measures in line with Queensland Government legislation.

Pond aquaculture is a designated Environmentally Relevant Activity (ERA) and facilities need to be managed by owners in accordance with license conditions.  The Department of Environment Science and Innovation regulate license approvals and compliance.

How is urban and non-agricultural land use run-off to the Reef managed?

As well as providing policy and legislative frameworks to manage pollution impacts associated with urban land use, the Queensland Government has invested $3.5 million through the Queensland Reef Water Quality Program to support industry and councils in the Great Barrier Reef catchment to reduce urban run-off to the Reef.

Urban water related program outcomes include:

Legislation and new discharge standards

Queensland’s State Planning Policy provides clear guidance on how the state’s water quality interests are to be protected. Allowances have also been made for land developers to use off-site urban stormwater management solutions in situations where installing suitable stormwater treatment devices within the development footprint are limited.

In addition to the introduction of minimum practice agricultural standards under the Reef protection regulations, all new, expanded or intensified point source activities (including wastewater treatment) are required to meet new discharge standards to ensure there is no increase in nutrients flowing to the Reef above current licence limits.

If this can’t be achieved through design or operating conditions, the Point Source Offsets Policy allows for nutrient offset schemes to provide greater flexibility for councils to help them achieve no net decline in water quality when wastewater treatment plants need updating or replacing.

Better monitoring and understanding of industry approaches to wastewater management

The Water Tracking and Electronic Reporting System (WaTERS) captures and assesses data from wastewater treatment plant and pond aquaculture releases across the state. With additional wastewater treatment plants and other licensed point source facilities now providing data to WaTERS, the understanding of the levels of nutrients and other contaminants being released by these point sources within the Reef catchment continues to improve.

Information on the number, location and nature of point source activities and facilities across the Reef catchment has been captured through the Great Barrier Reef Point Source Evaluation and Stewardship Delivery Project (formerly referred to as the Great Barrier Reef Point Source Metadata Collection Project).

A report linked to Stage 2 of this project covers general information on point sources and risk, but focuses on Sewage Treatment Plant nutrient load contributions.

Stage 3 of the project includes a review (The Leading Practice Sewage Treatment Plant Environmental Management Review) of sewage treatment plants environmental management performances ranges with regards to end of pipe release water nutrient concentrations, energy use, and cost per equivalent person, in Queensland and more particularly in the Reef catchment. It also identified novel treatment technologies and management approaches that deal with cost, energy and greenhouse gas emission management.  Definitions of leading practice for end of pipe nutrient concentrations outlined in this review could be used to inform licence condition settings for new facilities releasing continuously to water or those requiring upgrade. Leading practice information for all assessment categories could also be used by councils to benchmark the performance of their sewage treatment plants and, where relevant, to explore opportunities for improvement. Further work is required to identify the key design or operating features that allow leading practice to be achieved for the aspects covered.

Stage 3 of the project also includes a review of the nutrient releases from aquaculture activities, undertaken jointly by the department and Griffith University’s Australian Rivers Institute. The Review of Nutrient Release from Aquaculture Activities report was informed by an industry survey and release monitoring data provided as required under the facilities’ environmental authorities. The report explores the pond-based aquaculture industry in Queensland, including a review of the industry, information on aquaculture regulation and policy, a review of environmental authorities, a look at current nutrient management and treatment technologies, and recommendations to provide direction on future works.

Skills and capacity building

Increasing the capacity and skills of local councils and the construction industry in wastewater treatment, stormwater management and erosion management, including compliance, is critical in reducing urban run-off.

The Queensland Government funds the Erosion and Sediment Control and Urban Stormwater Capacity Building program delivered by Healthy Land and Water – Water by Design and the Queensland Water Regional Alliance Program (QWRAP), an industry-led regional collaboration between 30 councils, LGAQ and qldwater.

Healthy Land and Water provides direct training, reviews of council policy and planning documents and toolkits to improve the ability of local government staff to manage erosion and sediment control and stormwater management effectively. They also coordinate Reef Urban Stormwater Management Group community of practice forums, which are a vital way of sharing knowledge across councils on ways of achieving urban water stewardship.

The Queensland Government provides $2 million per annum towards the QWRAP. This program provides a formal opportunity for councils to partner on managing drinking water and sewerage services in regional Queensland, which helps them overcome barriers relating to inhouse expertise and financial resources.

Implementing a management practice bench-marking framework

The Urban Water Stewardship Framework (framework) enables councils and the development and construction industry to evaluate level of practice for their urban water management practices and activities.

The framework has been implemented twice in the Great Barrier Reef catchment as part of a biennial assessment; in 2020/21 and in 2022/23. Thirteen local governments participated in the assessment process (twelve of these on both occasions).

The framework provides an evidence basis for councils to identify and prioritise aspects of urban water management for improvement and to track effectiveness of intervention strategies over time. It also helps generate greater dialogue between urban water managers working in different council management siloes, which makes for better water quality outcomes.

View the Urban Water Stewardship Framework Summary Findings:

Trialling low-cost wastewater treatment solutions

The Queensland Government invested $1.15 million in the Cleaner Wastewater Initiative project, which is linked to the Reef Councils Rescue Plan.

The initiative provides Reef councils with information to make decisions around moving towards alternative, low-cost wastewater management solutions. This includes education packages outlining how three demonstration trial projects can be replicated.

Two of the Cleaner Wastewater Initiative projects provide examples of different point source offset approaches, which is important as there are few examples of point source offset schemes outside of south east Queensland.

The third project provides an example of a timber plantation-based treated wastewater reuse scheme, which opens the possibility of investment return through the sale of timber and access to carbon abatement schemes credits. (Education package details are to come for this project.)

View the Mackay North Water Recycling Facility Nutrient Offsets Education Package (PDF, 4.2 MB) .

View the Bohle River Offsets Roadmap Education Package (PDF, 2.4 MB) .

For more information

Email: officeofthegbr@des.qld.gov.au