Environmental Protection (Water) Policy 2009 Brisbane River Estuary environmental values and water quality objectives Basin No. 143 (part), including all creeks of the Brisbane River estuary, other than Oxley Creek 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.......... 12 3.1 WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES (WQO S) TO PROTECT AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS ............................... 13 3.1.1 Physico-chemical WQOs .................................................................................................. 13 3.1.2 Biological WQOs............................................................................................................... 20 3.1.3 Riparian WQOs................................................................................................................. 21 3.1.4 Stormwater design objectives........................................................................................... 21 3.2 WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES (WQO S) FOR HUMAN USE EV S .................................................... 22 4 WAYS TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY ..................................................................................... 32 5 DICTIONARY................................................................................................................................. 33 List of Tables Table 1 Environmental values (EVs) for Brisbane River estuary catchment waters................................ 8 Table 2 Water quality objectives to protect aquatic ecosystem environmental value (refer to Plan WQ1431 for location of waters).............................................................................................................. 14 Table 3 Aquatic ecosystem EV: Biological water quality objectives for freshwater streams (refer to Plan WQ1431 for location of streams)............................................................................................................ 20 Table 4 Water quality objectives to protect human use environmental values ...................................... 22 Table 5 Primary contact recreation EV: Water quality objectives for management of cyanobacteria in contact recreation areas ......................................................................................................................... 25 Table 6 Aquaculture EV: Water quality objectives for tropical aquaculture............................................ 26 Table 7 Aquaculture EV: Water quality objectives for optimal growth of particular species in freshwater ................................................................................................................................................................ 26 Table 8 Aquaculture EV: Water quality objectives for optimal growth of particular marine species ...... 27 Table 9 Irrigation EV: Water quality objectives for thermotolerant (faecal) coliforms in irrigation waters used for food and non-food crops........................................................................................................... 28 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) .................................................................................................................................. 29 Table 11 Stock watering EV: Water quality objectives for tolerances of livestock to total dissolved solids (salinity) in drinking water............................................................................................................. 30 Table 12 Stock watering EV: Water quality objectives (low risk trigger values) for heavy metals and metalloids in livestock drinking water ..................................................................................................... 30 Table 13 Drinking water EV: Priority water quality objectives for drinking water supply in the vicinity of off-takes, including groundwater, before treatment................................................................................ 31 Table 14 Suite of environmental values that can be chosen for protection............................................ 34 iv Brisbane River estuary 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 Brisbane River estuary 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 groundwaters draining the catchment of Brisbane River estuary, as indicated in the accompanying plan (WQ1431)1. These waters fall within the broader Brisbane basin (basin 143)2. Waters covered by this document include: • Brisbane River estuary; • Bellbowrie, Breakfast, Bulimba, Cubberla and Enoggera Creeks; • Jindalee, Kholo, Moggill, Norman and Pullen Pullen Creeks; • tidal canals, constructed estuaries, marinas and boat harbours; • wetlands; and • groundwaters. The geographical extent of waters addressed by this document is shown in the plan (WQ1431), and is broadly: • north to the boundary of the North and South Pine Rivers catchment and the Brisbane Creeks – Bramble Bay catchment; • west to the upstream boundary of the Brisbane estuary catchment with the Brisbane River freshwater catchment, and with the Bremer River estuary catchment; • south to the boundary of the Logan-Albert basin (basin 145); and • east to the waters of western Moreton Bay. 1This document and the accompanying plan are available in electronic form from the Environmental Values