Ecosystem Health Report Card sets a model of scientific reporting of states waterways

Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection Andrew Powell and Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts, Ros Bates, released the 2012 report card on the health of South East Queensland waterways today.

Minister Powell said this year’s results were encouraging, particularly in areas affected by last year’s floods.

'Like all report cards, it has both good and bad news, but most importantly, it tells us with absolute honesty where we are heading in the right direction and where we need to improve,' Mr Powell said.

'It is particularly pleasing to see the improvement in Moreton Bay where seagrass beds and corals are recovering from the floods much more quickly than expected. 

'On the other hand, we now know that we still have work to do to improve our freshwater streams and some of our estuaries such as Coomera and Tallebudgera, Oxley, Bremer and Logan are still causing concern.'

Minister Bates said scientists had traversed more than 40,000km by boat and road collecting water quality, marine and fresh water biodiversity data from 389 sites during the year.

'Scientists have collected 36,000 water bugs and caught and released around 39,000 fish,' Ms Bates said.

'The work involved roughly equates to 3500 days covering a distance that is equal to travelling around the Earth’s equator.'

Scientists were also very excited to discover a new species of lamprey on the Sunshine Coast.  

'This is believed to be only the fifth species discovered in the southern hemisphere, and the first found in Queensland. Lampreys usually prefer cooler climates and are usually found south of Sydney so this is a very exciting discovery,' Mr Powell said.

The Healthy Waterways partnership, which includes experts from the Queensland Government, universities and CSIRO, has been producing report cards for 10 years.

Minister Powell said the report card would be a model for open and transparent reporting on the health of regional waterways.

'The Newman government is now replicating this open and transparent reporting in Gladstone and contributing $200,000 towards the Gladstone Healthy Harbour Partnership,' he said.

'That will help to provide the robust independent science and transparency of decision making that the people of Gladstone community have been seeking and I am confident this will result in improved water quality outcomes for Gladstone Harbour.'

Data and findings of the 2012 report card are available on the Healthy Waterways site.

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Media contact: Brooke Hargraves 0458 689 043 or Ken Vernon 0431 027 017