WHAT IS THE URBAN WATER STEWARDSHIP FRAMEWORK?
The Urban Water Stewardship Framework (UWSF), developed by the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI), is a tool for assessing the level of practice being applied to managing erosion during construction, stormwater runoff, and sewage treatment discharges, relative to best practice and legislative standards. UWSF data can be used to assess practice level at local government, through to regional, and whole of Reef catchment scale.
Having a better understanding of how regional councils address nutrient and fine sediment loads from urban landscapes to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon is an important part of working together as a region toward water quality improvements.
As part of the UWSF process, Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership Executive Officer Jaime Newborn visited each regional council in our reporting area to discuss the latest assessment results and connect on local water quality management issues. Images from left: (1) Isaac Regional Council’s Manager of Liveability and Sustainability, Mick St Clair, (2) Mackay Regional Council Executive Leadership Team, (3) Cr Clay Bauman, and Whitsunday Regional Council Manager of Natural Resources and Climate, Scott Hardy.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
The Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan (WQIP) applies to all land-based water pollution that affects water quality in the Great Barrier Reef catchments, including urban and industrial land use, along with agriculture.
Being able to assess the effectiveness of land use management in urban areas within the Great Barrier Reef catchments is a desired outcome of the Reef 2050 WQIP, as is fostering innovation and improvement in point source pollution management. While the amount of nutrients and sediment entering the Great Barrier Reef from urban areas is relatively small compared to runoff from agricultural land, it potentially represents a locally significant impact if not managed effectively.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Data is collected on each council in the Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership reporting area – Mackay, Whitsunday and Isaac regional council – through a series of workshops. Workshops are attended by officers with expertise in land use planning, compliance, catchment management, development approval, civil engineering, asset management and wastewater treatment. At each workshop, personnel from each council provide information and cite evidence on their practices within three management components:
- Developing Urban: construction phase activities relating to erosion and sediment control and the design and installation of stormwater treatment systems.
- Established Urban: stormwater infrastructure in already developed areas.
- Point Source: wastewater treatment facilities and linked sewer networks.
Initial ratings for each component are discussed as a group until consensus is reached, with both the initial and final ratings recorded.
LATEST RESULTS
The grade shown here is the based on assessments undertaken in 2022-23 with the Mackay, Whitsunday and Isaac regional councils.
The MWI region scored a ‘C’ grade for overall management practice level, denoting outcomes in line with minimum industry standards and a moderate risk to water quality. This suggests that improved erosion and sediment control and stormwater management planning should be a particular focus for improvement in the coming years.
Regionally, the poorest-scoring indicators related to policy, planning, and governance for the established urban component. The highest scoring component of urban water management
was point source, which was considered in line with best management practice.
WORKING TOGETHER
The UWSF allows the regional Report Card Partnerships the opportunity to connect with local councils on water quality management-related issues, providing potential linkages between regional Report Card data and management practice change. As part of the UWSF, the results are presented to each local government to discuss options and opportunities for improving urban water management.
