Environmental Protection (Water) Policy 2009 Broadwater environmental values and water quality objectives Basin No. 146 (part), including Biggera and Loders Creeks, the Broadwater and all creeks of the Broadwater catchment and Runaway Bay July 2010 Prepared by: Water Quality & Ecosystem Health Policy Unit Department of Environment and Resource Management © State of Queensland (Department of Environment and Resource Management) 2010 The Department of Environment and Resource Management authorises the reproduction of textual material, whole or part, in any form, provided appropriate acknowledgement is given. This publication is available in alternative formats (including large print and audiotape) on request. Contact (07) 322 48412 or email <[email protected]> July 2010 Document Ref Number Main parts of this document and what they contain • Scope of waters covered Introduction • Key terms / how to use document (section 1) • Links to WQ plan (map) • Mapping / water type information • Further contact details • Amendment provisions • Source of EVs for this document Environmental Values • Table of EVs by waterway (EVs - section 2) - aquatic ecosystem - human use • Any applicable management goals to support EVs • How to establish WQOs to protect Water Quality Objectives all selected EVs (WQOs - section 3) • WQOs in this document, for - aquatic ecosystem EV - human use EVs • List of plans, reports etc containing Ways to improve management actions relevant to the water quality waterways in this area (section 4) • Definitions of key terms including an Dictionary explanation table of all (section 5) environmental values • An accompanying map that shows Accompanying WQ Plan water types, levels of protection and (map) other information contained in this document iii CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 WATERS TO WHICH THIS DOCUMENT APPLIES .............................................................................. 1 1.2 GUIDANCE ON USING THIS DOCUMENT ......................................................................................... 2 1.2.1 Key terms............................................................................................................................ 2 1.2.2 Main parts of this document................................................................................................ 4 1.2.3 Use of this document .......................................................................................................... 4 1.3 INFORMATION ABOUT MAPPED AREAS AND BOUNDARIES ............................................................... 4 1.4 WATER TYPES AND BASIS FOR BOUNDARIES ................................................................................ 5 1.4.1 Water types......................................................................................................................... 5 1.4.2 Water type boundaries........................................................................................................ 5 1.5 MATTERS FOR AMENDMENT ....................................................................................................... 6 2 ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES (EVS) ............................................................................................... 7 2.1 ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES .......................................................................................................... 7 2.2 MANAGEMENT GOALS TO SUPPORT EV S..................................................................................... 7 3 WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES (WQOS) TO PROTECT ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES............ 9 3.1 WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES (WQO S) TO PROTECT AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS ............................... 10 3.1.1 Physico-chemical WQOs .................................................................................................. 10 3.1.2 Biological WQOs............................................................................................................... 16 3.1.3 Riparian WQOs................................................................................................................. 17 3.1.4 Stormwater design objectives........................................................................................... 18 3.2 WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES (WQO S) FOR HUMAN USE EV S .................................................... 18 4 WAYS TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY ..................................................................................... 28 5 DICTIONARY................................................................................................................................. 29 List of Tables Table 1 Environmental values (EVs) for Broadwater catchment waters.................................................. 8 Table 2 Water quality objectives to protect aquatic ecosystem environmental value (refer to Plan WQ1463 for location of waters).............................................................................................................. 11 Table 3 Aquatic ecosystem EV: Biological water quality objectives for freshwater streams (refer to Plan WQ1463 for location of streams) ........................................................................................................... 16 Table 4 Water quality objectives to protect human use environmental values ...................................... 18 Table 5 Primary contact recreation EV: Water quality objectives for management of cyanobacteria in contact recreation areas ......................................................................................................................... 21 Table 6 Aquaculture EV: Water quality objectives for tropical aquaculture............................................ 22 Table 7 Aquaculture EV: Water quality objectives for optimal growth of particular species in freshwater ................................................................................................................................................................ 22 Table 8 Aquaculture EV: Water quality objectives for optimal growth of particular marine species ...... 23 Table 9 Irrigation EV: Water quality objectives for thermotolerant (faecal) coliforms in irrigation waters used for food and non-food crops........................................................................................................... 24 Table 10 Irrigation EV: Water quality objectives for heavy metals and metalloids in agricultural irrigation water – long-term trigger value (LTV), short-term trigger value (STV) and soil cumulative contamination loading limit (CCL) .................................................................................................................................. 25 Table 11 Stock watering EV: Water quality objectives for tolerances of livestock to total dissolved solids (salinity) in drinking water............................................................................................................. 26 Table 12 Stock watering EV: Water quality objectives (low risk trigger values) for heavy metals and metalloids in livestock drinking water ..................................................................................................... 26 Table 13 Drinking water EV: Priority water quality objectives for drinking water supply in the vicinity of off-takes, including groundwater, before treatment................................................................................ 27 Table 14 Suite of environmental values that can be chosen for protection............................................ 30 iv Broadwater environmental values and water quality objectives 1 Introduction This document is made pursuant to the provisions of the Environmental Protection (Water) Policy 2009 (the EPP [Water]), which is subordinate legislation under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 . The EPP (Water) provides a framework for: • identifying environmental values for Queensland waters, and deciding the water quality objectives to protect or enhance those environmental values; and • including the identified environmental values and water quality objectives under Schedule 1 of the EPP (Water). This document contains environmental values and water quality objectives for waters in the Broadwater catchment, and is listed under schedule 1 of the EPP (Water). 1.1 Waters to which this document applies This document applies to fresh, estuarine and marine surface waters and ground waters draining the Broadwater catchment, as indicated in the accompanying plan (WQ1463) 1. These waters fall within the broader South Coast basin (basin 146) 2. Waters covered by this document include: • The Broadwater (including Runaway Bay); • Loders Creek; • Biggera Creek; • Nerang River-lower estuary; • other fresh and estuarine waters within the Broadwater catchment; • tidal canals, constructed estuaries, marinas and boat harbours; • wetlands; and • ground waters. The geographical extent of waters addressed by this document is shown in the plan (WQ1463), and is broadly: • north to the boundary of the Broadwater catchment with the Coomera River catchment; • west to the boundary of the Broadwater catchment with the Coomera and Nerang River catchments; • south to the boundary of the Broadwater catchment with the Nerang River catchment; and • east to include waters of the Broadwater. Waters of South Stradbroke Island and open coastal waters east of the Broadwater are contained in the separate Moreton Bay scheduling document. 1 This