Stewardship Report

Many diverse groups and institutions engage in land and water stewardship activities in South East Queensland. Each group is driven by different objectives, which often reflect the group’s specific purpose and place. These groups and institutions include:

• First Nations peoples.
• Educational Institutions.
• Federal, state and local governments.
• Water service providers and bulk water suppliers.
• Natural resource management organisations.
• Non-government organisations
• Community groups.
• Private landholders.
• Businesses.

First Nations stewardship

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been the caretakers of Country for at least 65,000 years. Therefore, they have a leading role in the stewardship of waterways, actively managing the land and waters of the region. After European settlement, however, Traditional Owners were often denied the ability to manage their lands and waters. Their customs, cultural practices and land management strategies were not only disrespected but frequently prohibited and intentionally disrupted by both the government and industry. Active and effective participation of First Nations peoples in environmental decision-making and leadership in the management of Country are crucial to improving cultural and environmental outcomes.

Federal, state and local governments

Australia's three-tiered government system provides essential services to citizens through revenue raised via taxes, fees, and various charges. These funds support the development and implementation of policies and legislation across federal, state, and local jurisdictions. In the context of waterway and land management, the three levels of government have varying levels of responsibility that can overlap. Some examples of how different levels of government may influence environmental stewardship in the region are provided below.

Federal government

At a national level, the key piece of environmental legislation is the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. This act protects and manages Australia’s environment, including the protection of native species and ecological communities. Generally, this act only applies to the environments that are listed as Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES), and therefore only protects and manages nationally and internally significant species and habitats. This includes landscapes such as the Ramsar wetland of Moreton Bay and Gondwanan rainforests, and species such as migratory shorebirds and east coast koalas. The federal government also sets the national water policy, with a primary focus on water governance across multiple jurisdictions (i.e. Murray-Darling Basin).

State government

The Queensland Government has extensive roles and responsibilities with respect to conservation and environmental management. The state government has the power to make laws over environmental matters. Some of the key pieces of environmental legislation are the Environmental Protection Act 1994, the Water Act 2000, and the Vegetation Management Act 1999. These set out the guidelines by which government, industry, and individuals go about interacting and managing natural resources. With respect to waterways, the state has a responsibility to monitor waterway health and enforce organisation compliance and monitoring requirements as set out in the Environmental Protection and Water Supply Act. Another key state government instrument is the State Planning Policy, which expresses the Queensland Government’s interests in, and policies for, a range of land use planning matters.

Local government

Local governments have responsibilities across town and land-use planning, building approvals, and water and sewerage services. The primary legislation under which local government operate is the Local Government Act 2009 (LGA). Local governments also manage parkland and bushland reserves and waterway corridors. When making updates to local town-planning schemes, local governments also integrate the State Planning Policy to ensure state interests are reflected at a local government scale. Urban water management and planning are also a core responsibility of local governments.

The three levels of government also work closely to deliver major initiatives or services. Recently, the SEQ City Deal committed $40 million over the next five years (until the end of the 2028 financial year) to fund works to improve the health and resilience of the region’s rivers and waterways. The SEQ City Deal, through the Resilient River’s Initiative, aims to deliver outcomes to ensure a healthy, sustainable and liveable region through new investments in urban amenities and blue and green environmental assets.

Water service providers

Water service providers are organisations responsible for the supply of water and sewerage services. In South East Queensland, Seqwater is the Queensland bulk water supplier responsible for delivering a safe, secure and cost-effective bulk water supply for more than 3 million people.

Bulk water supply authority – Seqwater

Seqwater manages the region’s water supply and aspects of catchment health. The utility also offers community recreation facilities and provides water to businesses, including irrigators and manufacturers. Urban water use accounts for more than 70% of water consumption in the region. Rapid population growth in SEQ is therefore placing increased pressure on the availability of a safe potable water supply. Further, major water supply catchments within the region (maybe list the catchments) have a high proportion of agricultural land and rivers in poor condition, which can present significant risks to source water quality and impact water supply reliability. To safeguard drinking water sources, Seqwater is increasing investments in catchment management, specifically within water supply catchments.

Water distribution and sewerage services

Water distribution and sewerage services are managed by different organisations depending on the Local Government Area. Urban Utilities provides water distribution and sewerage services within the Brisbane, Ipswich, Scenic Rim and Somerset Local Government areas. Unitywater provides water distribution and sewerage services within the Noosa, Sunshine Coast, and City of Moreton Bay local government areas. City of Gold Coast Council, Redlands Council and City of Logan Council manage water distribution and sewerage services. Releases from sewage treatment plants to waterways and land are regulated by the Queensland Government under the Environmental Protection Act 1994.

Natural Resource Management organisations

There are 12 regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) organisations working across Queensland to manage land, water, soil, plants and animals for the benefit of people and the environment. NRM organisations aim to take a whole-of-landscape approach to land and water management. In South East Queensland, Healthy Land & Water is the nationally recognised NRM organisation for the region, and delivery partner for Federal initiatives targeting natural asset conservation and enhancement.

NRM organisations are guided by regional Natural Resource Management (NRM)Plans, developed in consultation with government, community and industry and outline targets for natural assets. The regional NRM bodies partner with government, First Nations groups, the community and environmental groups, including Landcare to deliver activities across the region.

Landcare and community groups

Landcare groups were established through federal funding to support locally led land and water management initiatives. These grassroots groups specialise in on-ground conservation and rehabilitation works. There are many landcare, catchment and community groups working across South East Queensland coordinating on-ground rehabilitation works. South East Queensland local governments actively support these initiatives by providing grants and essential resources. These groups may include:

• Catchment groups or associations (Examples: Pine River Catchment Association, Noosa Integrated Catchment Associations, Sunshine Coast Bushcare, Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee.
• Local volunteer groups such as Take Action for Pumicestone Passage and Bribie Island Environmental Protection Association Inc.
• Community and Landcare groups (Example: Noosa and District Landcare).
• The South East Queensland Catchments Members Association (SEQCMA) forms a strategic alliance between community, government and industry partners dedicated to addressing environmental challenges across the region. The association brings different community stakeholders together to improve and protect lands, forests, bushland, waterways, wetlands and coastal regions.

Private landholders and individuals

The majority of land in South East Queensland is privately owned. The management practices implemented by landholders directly impact both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem health throughout the region. With such vast areas falling under private ownership, individual landholders and community participation are crucial to the success of regional conservation, rehabilitation and natural resource management efforts. A range of government-funded programs provide incentives and support for landowners to improve land and waterway condition. As an example, the Land for Wildlife program is assisting over 5,000 landholders in the region to manage wildlife habitat on their properties .