South East Queensland’s Moreton Bay is one of three significant habitats for migratory wading birds in Queensland and is recognised internationally as a Ramsar site. The Bay supports healthy populations of dugongs and turtles in close proximity to a major city, a phenomenon not found elsewhere. The Bay also sustains 10%-15% of Queensland’s commercial fisheries.
With the region’s population set to double over the next 20 years pressures on Moreton Bay and the Brisbane River are mounting. While water quality on the eastern side of Moreton Bay is reasonably good, mainly due to strong tidal processes and wind mixing, water quality on the western and southern sides is declining.
This reduced water quality is linked to seagrass loss, algal and cyanobacteria (Lyngbya) blooms, reduced fish stocks and loss of animal diversity.
Associate Professor Bill Dennison, one of the lead scientists studying water quality in Moreton Bay said that while the fish, prawns and crabs that come out of the Brisbane River might be safe to eat based on national and international standards, the water and sediments that they’re living in are contaminated with various toxic substances.
The Commonwealth Government’s Clean Seas Program is contributing almost $1 million to cleaning up Moreton Bay. The Moreton Bay Integrated Stormwater Management Demonstration Project specifically targets water quality ‘hot spots’ at Bramble Bay, Waterloo Bay, Cabbage Tree Creek and Freshwater Creek.
The project is pioneering stormwater management technologies tailored to the Brisbane Region. With twice the annual rainfall of some southern capitals, the annual contaminant export rates are much higher for Moreton Bay than for other capital cities.
Technologies developed for temperate coasts are not necessarily applicable in these sub tropical conditions. The performance of a range of gross pollutant traps, ponds and wetlands are being trialed in the Moreton Bay catchment under these testing conditions.
For further information contact Trevor Lloyd or Eva Abal, telephone (07) 3403 4206 or email mbs6@brisbane.qld.gov.au
