Transcript Slide 1

Local Government Perspective
on Hilltops2Oceans (H2O)
Greg Bruce
Manager
Environmental Management Services
Townsville City Council
www.soe-townsville.org
Local Government Perspective on Hilltops2Oceans
Key Elements
•
Local Government & Community healthy waterway partnerships & projects in
conjunction with major engineering water assets.
•
Infrastructure based approach (Citiworks & Citiwater)
•
Community involvement & acknowledgement
•
The challenges and opportunities
•
Roles and activities of Local Government which affect change
•
Promoting “total water cycle management” principles and “whole of catchment
management and sustainability”.
•
ICZM as local action: an The evolution of “Creek to Coral” which links the land
and sea in our area for the first time.
Local Government Context Geographically speaking
Dry Season
Satellite image
Wet Season
Satellite image
Louisa Ck.
Catchment flyover
Background to integrated frameworks
•
Council has been involved extensively in developing partnerships
and alliances as a significant part of its policy, programs, and
operations.
Sometimes with success, sometimes not…
•
This has involved challenges and demonstrated clear opportunities
for “integrated coastal zone management” including
“whole of catchment management” and;
•
Finally achieving the linking of land and sea via the Healthy
Waterways program of “Creek to Coral”.
The Coral being indicative of the fringing coral reefs off Townsville
and around Magnetic Island…
Background to integrated frameworks
(continued)
•
Working with community groups in extensive catchment management
initiatives.
•
Support landcare groups across the twin cities of Townsville-Thuringowa and
even further afield in association with the Burdekin Shire River Improvement
Trust.
•
Support for on-ground wetland protection, management and promotion with
private property owners. (Serpentine Lagoon - wetland of national significance),
state government (Town Common and Louisa Creek).
•
The model – “Sustainability Planning Framework for Townsville City”
demonstrates the internal and external relationships appropriate to the
integration of water management (Sustainable Townsville program).
Background to integrated frameworks
(continued)
•
Environment officers have been working with Council’s water
management and drainage engineering business units;
•
Leading edge of environmental care & management;
•
Transforming cultures in both environment and engineering fields to:
– reflect the natural water cycle,
– develop understanding of each others socio-economic and business needs,
(especially cost effective maintenance and access to waterways)
– integrate management process via stormwater/drainage/water
management plans (eg: USQMP) and projects
(NHT Clean Seas/USI)
•
Including complimentary development of significant partnerships
with:
– Conservation Volunteers Australia for delivering community waterway
education and;
– local Landcare groups for revegetation and riparian management.
Local Government & Community Healthy Waterway Partnerships, Alliances and Projects
TCC projects which demonstrate an integrated approach
•
Designed and implemented “concrete” solutions (bioengineered GPTs
•
Developing a Urban Stormwater Quality Management Plan (USQMP)
•
Obtaining integrated Drainage and Waterway Permits/Licenses
•
Community waterway management education process
•
Creek To Coral “Our waterways, our responsibility”
•
Carbon Neutral Water Recycling Project
and wetland treatment trains at Louisa Creek NHT Clean Seas Project & USI
CBD Urban Waterway Project = A$2M investment)
Projects which demonstrate an integrated infrastructure based: community
approach
•5 Day soil erosion and sediment control course for the Tropics
International Erosion Control Association (IECA) endorsed.
•Haughton River rural catchment management (ICM)
•Landcare & Catchment Centre (Dry Tropics Landcare Inc.)
•Supporting regional community NRM plan (NaREF)
•Cleveland Bay Consortium
(water quality studies in bay)
•Townsville Healthy Cities Plan
(Environmental Health Officers)
•Burdekin Dry Tropics Local Government Network (BDTLGN)
•Regional Natural Assets Database
(with Townsville Enterprise)
•Townsville State of Environment Report
– web based & dynamic
www.soe-townsville.org/hilltops2oceans
Challenges in Institutionalising ICZM (Land and Sea) locally with
community
link to table page
•
What looking after our waterways means and the types of agreements and
partnerships which assist and don’t.
•
Historically and contemporarily very little quantitative information available.
•
Catchment variability across the landscape and geography of Australia
•
Surveys and focus groups have shown that people in Townsville are concerned
about the environment.
– This does not translate into what actions they either need to take or are
responsible for.
•
“Kakadu syndrome”
Challenges in Institutionalising ICZM (Land and Sea) locally with
community (continued)
link to table page
•
Extra financial and social impost on the Council and how it
manages its urban environments (especially retrofitting but also
greenfields developments).
•
Developing community interest in environmental management and
finding ways for them to be involved and participate is local
challenge.
•
•
Always dependent on the financial and human resources available
to complete the task
•
•
Central driver behind the case of establishing Creekwatch .
Which leads to an innovative approach of seeking partners and
developing appropriate levels of integration
Spending too much time on ideals and principles – the “way it
should be”,
•
get it going, small steps and then work on refining the structure if required.
Challenges in Institutionalising ICZM (Land and Sea) locally with
community (continued)
link to table page
•
Look for champions, or find where the capacity occurs or might occur and
then seek to invest in that direction.
•
Developing trust, respect and the ability to provide written agreements
which encapsulate expectations, liaison process, resources, and reporting.
•
The best efforts and capability of the representatives themselves
•
Recognising that it is all a process and that different things happen at
varying speeds and at different times.
•
To act when the opportunity presents, and working with the up front “get on
boarders”
•
Councils responsibilities have been increasing in environmental
management and protection
Case Study: Creek to Coral
“our waterways, our responsibility”
Launched on the 12th December, 2003 by the Qld Minister for Environment &
the Mayors of Townsville and Thuringowa City Councils
Business Plan
• Vision
• Objectives
• Framework
• Partners
• Communication Network
• Working groups
• Success Factors
Combined Townsville, Thuringowa and State
Government Initiative to Maintain and Enhance our
Healthy Waterways in the Coastal Dry Tropics
Draft Business Plan 2004-2005
“To achieve, sustain and promote the benefits of a clean, fresh and
marine water ecosystem and to encourage, educate and involve
community in integrated catchment management”.
Emphasis is placed on information exchange linking objectives resulting in
increased quality of water in the Townsville Thuringowa Coastal Dry Tropics
region.”
Infrastructure based
Community focused
Adaptive management framework
Integrated network (community, industry, science, government)
Local ownership
Environmentally sustainable
Slide prepared by R. Allan – C2C Project Officer
Today’s situation:
Lots of individual catchment management initiatives
Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Protection Plan
CRC Catchment to Reef Program
CSIRO Healthy Country Flagship Program
Coastal Catchments Initiative
Urban Stormwater Quality Management Plans (USQMP)
Ross River Waterway Management System
Regional Burdekin Dry Tropics Accredited NRM Plan
City Plans (TCC & CoT)
Environmental Management Plans
supporting
Slide prepared by R. Allan – C2C Project Officer
Community Perceptions
 Twin cities waterways are valued and the perception is they are fairly clean
but need improving
 People think of the waterways as compartments (i.e. Ross River, The
Strand), not as an integrated catchment system
 They can relate to the Creek to Coral concept and like it
 Litter and Rubbish are the main problems
 Waterway Management is the responsibility of everyone
“Our Waterways – Our Responsibility”
supporting
Slide prepared by R. Allan – C2C Project Officer
Back to “Challenges”
Townsville
Townsville Map with STP
Magnetic Island
Discharge
Black River
Bohle River
Cape Cleveland
Mt Low STP
Discharge
Townsville Port
Bohle River STP
Mt St John STP
Deeragun STP
Discharge
Discharge
Ross River
Sandfly Creek Crocodile Creek
Alligator Creek
Discharge
Condon STP
Discharge
Cleveland Bay STP
Ross Dam
Ross River Catchment
Area
1707 km2
Sugar
<10 km2
Hort.
<10 km2
Clearing
1229 km2
Grazing
1481 km2
Objectives include…
Ensure sustainable management of storm water,
ground water and effluent
Focus on the benefits of total water cycle management
including recycled water
Reduce N & P discharge from STP to 5:1 ratio by 2008
through a load based licence
Objectives include
(continued)…
View the coastal marine environment as a biophysical indicator of our
effectiveness in managing terrestrial waterways and wetlands.
Identify waterway health indicators & develop a score card system to access
ecosystem health
Inform, educate, and involve community based stewardship, awareness and
ownership of catchment and wetland issues (including recreational use)
Slide prepared by R. Allan – C2C Project Officer
Framework
BDTB
Schools
&
Communit
y Groups
Key terrestrial
and coastal
sites
NaREF
Community
ownership and
education
Biodiversity &
natural values
of catchment
TCC
(CVA)
TPA
CoT
(Cleveland
Bay
Consortium
)
Govt.
Agencie
s
Coordinatio
n
Commerce
and
Industry
EPA
NQ Water
GBRMPA
Monitoring and
catchment
health
indicators
Storm water,
treated water,
water supply
and use
(LMAC)
Traditional
Owner
Groups
(BDTB)
Urban and rural
planning and
development
Scientific
research
agencies
Communications Network
Current Board of Directors
TCC Mayor, CoT Mayor, GBRMPA, EPA Executive Director
Current Project Control Group
Consists of representatives from TCC, CoT, EPA, GBRMPA
Environmental Management Reference Group
EPA, NQ Water, TCC, CoT, TPA, GBRMPA
Traditional Owner
Advisory Group
(BDTB)
C to C Coordinator
Working Groups
Integrated Water
Quality Monitoring
and Research
Community
Education and
Involvement
CRCReef
ACTFR
JCU
AIMS
CSIRO
CoT
TCC
EPA
GBRMPA
NQ Water
TPA
CVA
DNR&M
DPI
AAL
Defence
QNI
AMH
BM Webb Group
NaREF
CVA
GBRMPA
TCC
Citiwater
CoT
Thuringowa
Water
On-ground Action
and Infrastructure
Environmental Protection
and Emergency Response
TCC
CoT
NQ Water
NaREF
TPA
Thuringowa
Water
Citiwater
Main Roads
EPA
TCC
CoT
DPI
TPA
DNR&M
AAL
Community Partners
Seagrass Watch, Reef Check,
Louisa Creekwatch
Fish Watch (TCC), Traditional Owners, TSV Sustainable Schools
Local Marine Advisory Committee (LMAC)
Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare
Marine Coastal Community Network (MCCN),
Reef Guardian Schools
Indo Pacific Sea Turtle Conservation Group (IPSTCG)
Burdekin Dry Tropics Board (BDTB),
NQCC
Natural Resource Environment Forum (NaREF)
The Working Groups
 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring & Research
 Community Education and Involvement
 On-ground Action and Infrastructure
 Environmental Protection & Emergency Response
INFRASTRUCTURE
WORKING GROUP
• Stormwater (GPTs)
• Sewage / recycled water
(STPs, Industries)
• Water supply & treatment
• Managing point source
discharge from industry and
ERA’s
• Rivers, creeks & wetland
rehabilitation
• Groundwater Use
Graphic courtesy of SEQ Healthy Waterways
Community Education, Involvement and Monitoring





Catchment tours
Events (Ecofiesta, Wetlands festival)
Reef Guardian Schools (Reef Beat)
TSV Sustainable Schools
Calenders, fliers, posters
Slide prepared by R. Allan – C2C Project Officer
Seagrass
Coral Reef Health
Water quality & Fish
Marine Turtles
Water Quality Monitoring
Monitor receiving water quality & ecosystem health
Establish baseline understanding of current monitoring
Report cards / State of Environment reports
LOCAL, STATE & COMMONWEALTH
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
COMMUNITY GROUPS
SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH
AGENCIES
INDUSTRY &
COMMERCE
EPA
Louisa Creek Watch
CRC Reef
Aust Meat Holdings
DNR
WaterWatch
JCU
Sun Metals
NQ Water
NaREF
ACTFR
Xtrata Copper
TPA
Reef Check
AIMS
BM Webb Group
CoT
Sea Grass Watch
CSIRO
QNI
TCC
IPSTCG
DPI
AAL TSV airport
OUCH
DPI
MCCN
Defence
Qld Transport
Slide prepared by R. Allan – C2C Project Officer
Ecosystem Health
 Coral
 Fish habitat & species
 Aquatic weeds
 Riparian vegetation
 Mangroves, seagrass, algae
 Turtles (marine/fresh) / dugong
 Birds
 Water Quality
Slide prepared by R. Allan – C2C Project Officer
ScoreCard
Graphic courtesy of SEQ Healthy Waterways
Current Partners
Townsville City Council
City of Thuringowa
Environmental Protection Agency
NQ Water
Townsville Port Authority
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
The End
exit
Sustainable
Townsville
CyberFactory.com.au
C2C
Combined Townsville, Thuringowa and State
Government Initiative to Maintain and
Enhance our Healthy Waterways in the
Coastal Dry Tropics
Creek to Coral Administration and management
 An acting coordinator has been employed by TCC to initiate
implementation of the Creek to Coral project.
 The project coordinator will facilitate the involvement of relevant
stakeholders in the project control groups and the working groups.
Success Factors
Stakeholder involvement in agreement-based decision making
Whole of community approach to monitoring & feedback
Local government as champions and advocates
Good quality integrated monitoring
Effective and timely project management
Good external links to regional planning & funding
(all levels of government involved and committed)
Adequate funding generated through creative alliances of
governments, industry and community
Slide prepared by R. Allan – C2C Project Officer
Thuringowa
Black River Catchment
Area
1057 km2
Sugar
9.7 km2
Hort.
4.2 km2
Clearing
501 km2
Grazing
802 km2