BURDEKIN WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2016 The ‘go-to’ document for improving water quality in the Burdekin Dry Tropics region of the Great Barrier Reef.

Some of our waterways in the Burdekin Dry Tropics region contain high levels of sediment, nutrients, pesticides and other pollutants that threaten the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). We need to effectively address these threats to improve the GBR’s health, and build its resilience to the impacts associated with climate change. This will support the health, prosperity, and productivity of our regional communities. Improving water quality and restoring the health of our waterways and the GBR requires strong collaborations, strategic planning, major investment and thorough evidence on which to base management decisions.

To develop the Burdekin Water Quality Improvement Plan 2016 (WQIP), NQ Dry Tropics collaborated closely with scientists, government agencies, industry bodies, and a range of other regional experts and stakeholders. This means it’s the most comprehensive, thoroughly-researched document available that specifically deals with the issues surrounding water quality in the Burdekin. For specific details related to individual catchments, see the Catchment Atlas, at www.nqdrytopics.com.au/wqip2016/

KEY FINDINGS • Priority pollutants that need to be managed are total suspended sediment (TSS), particulate nutrients, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and photosystem-II inhibiting herbicides (PSII herbicides). • Soil erosion from grazing lands contributes by far the largest proportion of the TSS and particulate nutrient loads to the end of catchment loads in the Burdekin Region. • Sugarcane contributes the majority of the DIN and PSII herbicide loads delivered to the GBR from the Burdekin region, with relatively minor loads from other crops. • Most DIN and PSII is from the Lower Burdekin sugarcane areas in both the Burdekin River Irrigation Area (BRIA) and Delta regions. • The greatest nutrient source from urban areas is discharge from sewage treatment plants, with small loads from operations outside of Townsville. • A large proportion of graziers and sugarcane farmers in the Burdekin Region are operating below industry standard.* • Seagrass located in Halifax Bay and the Palm Island group, Cleveland Bay, Magnetic Island and associated reefs, Bowling Green Bay, Upstart Bay and Abbott Bay is at high or very high risk of being affected by high levels of sediment and nutrients. • Water quality will continue to decline if there is ongoing development and expansion of the development footprint in the region, such as changing grazing land to intensive agriculture, or industrial or urban development. • Many highly-valuable ecological systems in the region are vulnerable to water quality pressures, including the GBR and the internationallyrecognised Bowling Green Bay Ramsar Wetlands and, in the northern part of the region, the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

*(‘C’ practice, or High Risk in the P2R Water Quality Risk Framework; as reported in the 2014 Report Card Queensland Government, 2015).

BURDEKIN WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2016 THE WQIP: • is intended for use by all levels of government, industry bodies, nongovernment service and advocacy organisations, landholders and members of the Burdekin regional community;

Monitoring and modelling data shows that the bulk of fine sediment is delivered from a small proportion of the region, primarily within the Bowen Broken Bogie catchment (43%) and the Upper Burdekin catchment (27%) (Figure 1).

• incorporates the most up-to-date science available, so investors and planners can confidently use it to guide their decisions and recommendations; • aims to identify and prioritise all potential threats to regional water quality and ecosystem health, including the main landbased activities impacting the coastal and marine environment; • identifies priority areas for water quality improvement works; • sets targets and recommends priority strategies and actions to reduce and manage water pollution in a cost-effective way; and • is complemented by an extensive library of supporting materials, at www.nqdrytopics.com.au/wqip2016/.

According to the Source Catchments model (2013 baseline), grazing lands contribute 2.6 million tonnes of the estimated annual average total load of Total Suspended Sediment (TSS) – approximately 72 per cent of the total regional load.

Figure 1. Modelled annual average total suspended sediment (TSS) loads (kilotonnes/year) in the catchments of the Burdekin region.

MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND TARGETS • Environmental Values (EVs) and water quality objectives (WQOs) have been scheduled under the Environmental Protection Policy (Water) 2009 for the Townsville region and its marine waters, and draft localised guidelines are presented for the Don, Haughton and their marine waters. • Catchment-specific targets for the WQIP include: –– a 50-per cent-reduction in fine sediment from the Burdekin Basin by 2025; –– a 60 per cent-reduction in potentially bioavailable nitrogen in the region, which comprises an 80-per cent-reduction of DIN from the Lower Burdekin sugarcane areas, and a 52-per cent- reduction of PN from the Burdekin Basin by 2025; and –– a 90-per cent-reduction of PSII herbicides from the Lower Burdekin sugarcane areas by 2015. • In addition to the proposed Burdekin reductions, Wet Tropics river nitrogen loads need to be reduced by the most recently proposed Ecologically Relevant Targets (ERTs) – which range between basins from 20 to 80 per cent – to deliver the outcomes needed for GBR health. • The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan targets will be updated in 2017 as part of the revision of the plan. Current efforts to refine the ERTs using new evidence, including the eReefs modelling, will provide greater confidence in the current targets and establish ERTs for the Basins where they are yet to be defined. Therefore, it is possible that there will be some adjustments to the targets recommended in this plan, and these should be revised in late 2017.

Targets established for catchment condition, land management, and end-of- catchment pollutant load reductions focus on: • groundwater levels and salinity in the Lower Burdekin region; • improved management practices with water quality and industry sustainability benefits in sugarcane, horticulture, grazing and cropping; • groundcover; • riparian extent; • natural wetland extent and function; and • catchment-specific pollutant load reductions for TSS, PN, DIN, PP, DIP and PSII herbicides. These targets build on the existing Reef Water Quality Protection Plan targets and Reef 2050 Plan targets for 2025, and extend them to develop catchment-specific pollutant load reduction targets that are predicted to meet ecological thresholds.

BURDEKIN WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2016 An estimated $226 million investment is needed over the next five years, (approximately $45 million per year), to implement the required actions to meet these targets. The majority of this will be upfront costs to cover capital investments. Ongoing annual maintenance costs beyond the first five years are likely to be lower, however, large-scale, long-term investment will need to be maintained. It is crucial we protect remaining natural assets and the ecosystem services they provide. For more information on the WQIP and information about specific catchments, visit www.nqdrytopics.com.au/wqip2016/

RECOMMENDATIONS TO MEET TARGETS $110.2

• Shift 50% of current graziers/growers to B Class practices over the next five years.

million

for BMP

$226

• Ensure 100% of new graziers/growers begin at B Class.

Actions include (but are not limited to):

million WQIP Investment

$21.1 million

for monitoring, reporting, research, and more

$94.7 million

for intensive activities

• large-scale gully remediation in grazing lands; • adopting more innovative practices to manage fertilliser, pesticide and irrigation in sugarcane; and • better managing pollutants in urban areas and other agricultural areas, including horticulture and cropping.

These funds will support actions including (but not limited to): • developing action plans; • monitoring success; • carrying out research to fill knowledge gaps; and • communication and engagement activities

For more information, and to view a copy of the WQIP visit http://www.nqdrytropics.com.au/wqip2016

The Burdekin WQIP is funded through the Australian Government Reef Programme. Works Cited: Commonwealth of Australia. 2015. Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan. Dougall C., et al. 2014. Modelling reductions of pollutant loads due to improved management practices in the Great Barrier Reef catchments Whole of GBR Technical Report. Volume 1. Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Rockhampton, Queensland.