The new Riparian Management Investment Tool
A smart management platform for evidence-based investment in waterway values - water quality, quantity and biodiversity.
Elevation model of the headwaters of the Brisbane River Catchment, Alice Creek, Yugera Ugarapul Country.To improve access to evidence-based opportunities in waterway management we are building a pilot interactive riparian investment management tool.
Waterways and riparian zones are managed by First Nations peoples, community, government, industry and landholders, with diverse views and interests.
Scientific understanding of waterways also continually evolves; however data and models require integration and interpretation before they can be widely used to inform decision making. This presents challenges for land and water managers aiming to make better decisions with limited resources.
What we are doing
Rehabilitation of blue gum forests along a waterway in Southeast Queensland, credit: Tom Lally.
This project will deliver an accessible pilot decision support system for catchment managers, by developing a spatially explicit Bayesian Network, in consultation with experts and end-users.
This pilot will:
- Ingest, process, and merge relevant datasets.
- Use a spatially explicit Bayesian network to model and simulate alternative scenarios and water quality, quantity and freshwater biodiversity outcomes.
- Give multiple users a single view of riparian functional value and management options across Southeast Queensland, through a user interface.
Measuring success
This project aims to equip land and water managers with an accessible decision support tool to make improved decisions relating to catchment management.
The success of the project will be measured by the level of end-user engagement in the pilot, and it’s continued application in catchment management decision making.
Why this project is important
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Waterway vegetation or ‘Riparian Ecosystems’ provide a range of ecosystem services including water quality maintenance, habitat provision, disturbance and flood mitigation. These areas also hold important cultural value for First Nations peoples. Riparian ecosystems in South East Queensland have undergone continued loss primarily because of land-clearing, weeds, climate change and other anthropogenic pressures. It is reported that riparian ecosystems suffer an average loss of 0.15% of their extent per year in the region. Conservation and restoration of waterway vegetation is key management action aimed at to improving waterway condition and ecosystem service values of catchments. This project aims to support land-and water managers in the conservation and rehabilitation of riparian ecosystems. |
Project snapshot
| Project name: | Riparian Management Investment Tool |
| Project manager: | Dr Jack Coates-Marnane, Healthy Land & Water |
| Project team: | Brianna Heeley & Davi Guimaraes, Healthy Land & Water |
| Catchment: | South East Queensland Catchments |
| Partnerships: |
This project is funded by the Queensland Water Modelling Network and the EHMP program partnership which includes Local Governments of South East Queensland, Water Utilities and the Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science. Project partners include: Mirror Analytics and Queensland University of Technology. |
Project collaborators
This project is funded by the Queensland Water Modelling Network and the EHMP program partnership which includes Local Governments of South East Queensland, Water Utilities and the Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science. Project partners include: Mirror Analytics and Queensland University of Technology.