The Gold Coast’s waterways are generally in good shape, and the health of most of our freshwater, estuary and marine sites has improved since last year.
That’s the verdict of the 2013 Ecosystem Health Report Card, released by Healthy Waterways. The report card covers all of South East Queensland’s catchments, using data recorded at 389 monitoring sites between July 2012 and June 2013.
The report card grades waterways from A (excellent) to F (fail) based on a range of measurements which indicate overall ecosystem health.
This year, Tallebudgera and Currumbin creeks received the highest grade (A-) of any South East Queensland freshwater catchment. Whilst other Gold Coast waterways received lower grades, they either improved or maintained their grade from 2012 .
Mayor Tom Tate has welcomed this year’s results, saying they reflect the City’s ongoing commitment to managing and caring for our waterways.
“This is good news for the Gold Coast and for the environment. We’re doing well on managing the health of the city’s cherished natural playgrounds,” he said.
“My focus has been on the Broadwater, so a jump from a C- last year to a B- this year means we’re heading in the right direction and the future of the Broadwater is looking good.”
“Everyone can play a part in keeping our waterways healthy – make sure chemicals aren’t washed into stormwater drains, reduce fertiliser use, and make sure on-site septic systems are well maintained. Every little bit helps.”
Chair of the City’s Water Services Committee, Councillor Paul Taylor, who received the report card on behalf of the city this morning, said that the positive results were good for everyone.
“Our rivers, estuaries and beaches are our playground, enjoyed by millions of users every year for swimming, boating, fishing, surfing and wildlife-watching. Keeping them healthy is good for the environment and essential for our city, our tourism and our lifestyle,” he said.
Healthy Waterways operates the Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program on behalf of member organisations including City of Gold Coast, and is delivered by a team of experts including the Queensland Government, universities and CSIRO.
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Did you know the Gold Coast has 9 times the length of waterways than Venice in Italy? The Gold Coast, being a water city, boasts a spectacular network of waterways, over 480km of rivers and streams and 774 hectares of lakes, dams and canal. All flow to the our famous beaches!
OUR WATERWAYS
– Albert – Logan
– Coomera
– Broadwater
– Nerang
– Tallebudgera – Currumbin
– Coolangatta
