The results of SEQ’s environmental health assessment are in. South East Queenslanders can check in on how their catchment is fairing and look at some priority actions for their area. While our waterways have largely weathered the devastating effects of the 2022 floods, our more degraded waterways have not rebounded as quickly or to the same extent as those which have been protected or restored.

The good news is that all the people who can do something about it, are armed with over 23 years of data to know what to do and where to do it...

The results of SEQ’s environmental health assessment are in. While our waterways have largely weathered the devastating effects of the 2022 floods, our more degraded waterways have not rebounded as quickly and to the same extent as those which have been protected or restored.

“The good news is that all the people who can do something about it, are armed with over 23 years of data to know what to do and where to do it,” says Julie McLellan, the CEO of Healthy Land & Water, the independent body which manages the monitoring and reporting for SEQ.

“The results for 2023 have just gone live, so South East Queenslanders can check in on how their catchment is fairing and look at some priority actions for their area.”

Snapshot of key messages:

Overarching:

1. Climate challenges: The region faces intensified climate extremes, including floods, droughts, heatwaves, and heightened bushfire risk.
2. Population growth: Rapid population growth, expected to reach 2.2 million in the next 25 years, necessitates urgent measures for sustainable urban development and erosion control.
3. Land-use impact: Legacy and ongoing land-use changes have left many SEQ catchments in poor condition, with tracts of cleared lands with poor resilience to withstand the further pressures climate change and continued population will bring.
4. Flood legacy: Last year’s (2022) floods, while restoring some freshwater ecosystems, have led to adverse effects on estuarine water quality and marine habitats in Moreton Bay.
5. Green Olympics legacy: Through positive action the declines are reversible, but investment and targeted action is needed.

Call to action:

1. Conserve, restore & build resilience: Invest in conservation of catchment and waterways and implement targeted on-ground actions to enhance the region's resilience against future climate events.
2. Strategic planning: Collaborate on a regional level to address the impacts of population growth and climate change, focusing on waterway management, conservation, and restoration.
3. Community empowerment: Engage communities, First Nations, industry, and all levels of government to coordinate collaborative efforts, share knowledge, and invest in conservation and restoration.
4. Scale up!: We know what is working, we need more of what’s working. The great news is we can see where the action taken over the past two decades is making a real difference. With the pressures on our region escalating, we need more of what’s working to keep our beautiful biodiverse region that way before it’s too late– more investments, people, collaboration, awareness, and action.

Ms McLellan says that to help make the condition of the region blisteringly clear, this year the traditional and somewhat old-fashioned grades system (A-D) has been converted to a simple to understand results scale (poor to excellent).

"We want to help people understand it’s getting more urgent every year. We are worried about tipping points, after which recovery will be near impossible or too expensive to contemplate. Whether it is protecting waterways, and threatened species or increasing sustainable and productive land use and building developments, action is needed.

Julie McLellan says that SEQ’s decision-makers and investors are some of the most fortunate around the globe. “Few regions in the world have this incredible wealth of long-term data on which to make impactful decisions,” she says. “…and the timing for decisions and investment is right now. With the effects of continued population growth and climate change, more is needed to turn things around and make our region healthy and resilient – which will support our natural systems to endure whatever is headed our way, but importantly leave a positive legacy.

“We have the data, the insights, and the solutions. Now, it's about scaling up efforts to protect the biodiversity, lifestyle values, and economic benefits that our waterways bring to the community.”

Media contact: Suzi Moore, Healthy Land & Water, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 0427 641 239.

Link to the Report Card website

https://reportcard.hlw.org.au/

Check out the website for

• Full key messages for the year.
• Results by catchment (environmental & socio-economic).
• New cultural indicators are being developed this year.
• A range of deeper dive resources.

About the Report Card
The Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program (EHMP) is one of the most comprehensive waterway monitoring programs in Australia. It delivers an annual regional assessment of the environmental condition and benefits of waterways for South East Queensland catchments. The EHMP commenced in the late 1990s, with this year marking the Report Card’s 23rd year.

An assessment is undertaken for each of South East Queensland’s 18 major catchments, including five zones in Moreton Bay, Broadwater, and islands. It includes scientific monitoring at 338 freshwater, estuarine, marine, and event monitoring sites throughout the region.
The results are compiled, analysed, and summarised in an annual Report Card, which can be accessed here: reportcard.hlw.org.au. It includes:

• Ecosystem health grades (poor to excellent).
• Social and economic benefits that waterways provide to local communities (1- 5 star rating) [added in 2015, broadening the program’s focus to encompass additional pressures and understand the links between water quality and waterway benefits provided to the community. 2022 marks the eighth year these extra measures were introduced].
• Cultural Resource Management Indicators (new in 2022) that provide key measurable statistics on where and how First Nations are being empowered to protect and determine their rights and interests.

Healthy Land and Water coordinates the program, in partnership with member organisations including local and state government, water utilities, and Seqwater. Healthy Land and Water and its members are committed to understanding the pressures facing the region’s waterways so we can better protect them for future generations. It is delivered with support from scientific expert representatives from government, universities, and industry.

About Healthy Land & Water
Healthy Land & Water is an independent, science-based group dedicated to monitoring and enhancing the health of South East Queensland's waterways. With over 23 years of robust data, the organisation collaborates with partners to inform regional investments and empower community-led actions for sustainable environmental practices.

Independent body, Healthy Land & Water, has been monitoring and reporting on the health of the region for over 23 years.

Healthy Land & Water calls for a unified approach, leveraging the upcoming Brisbane 2032 Olympics as a catalyst for lasting positive change.

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