Moreton Bay farmers clean up the stream

The last oyster leases on north Moreton Bay will benefit from a pilot program that focuses farmers on water quality in the small coastal Ningi Catchment.

Located between Caboolture and Bribie Island, the catchment covers just 3,079 hectares. Around eight farmers are involved in the pilot and their actions should prove beneficial for the region.

Funding

In 2005 the Ningi Catchment Sustainable Production Partnership received $95,000 from the Australian Government. It is managed by South East Queensland (SEQ) Catchments and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries.

Declining water quality is an issue for the rapidly urbanising region which includes strawberry and pineapple growers, chicken farmers, nurseries and 'life-stylers.'

Activities and achievements

"The impact of how we manage our land doesn't stop at the property boundary," said Project Officer Ian Layden.

"Through this project we've been working with farmers and the community to increase awareness of what and who is in the catchment.

"We're also encouraging the community to appreciate what farmers are doing."

One of three oyster farmers in the catchment, Jerry Crandall, knows all too clearly the impacts of poor water quality.

"Before this pilot program many people didn't even know there was an oyster industry in the catchment," he said.

"Now they do. And they're much more aware of the links between what happens upstream with what ends up downstream."

The project's technical leader, John Bagshaw, sees one of its main aims as increasing regional industry awareness of potential water quality issues in the catchment.

"We're trying to get people to take a close look at their businesses through environmental eyes," he said.

One practical step he suggests farmers take to treat runoff before it reaches waterways involves running it though a vegetated drainage area, or wetland. "This removes the sediment and allows nutrients to be absorbed by the vegetation," he said.

Ian Layden has helped farmers develop management plans and initiated some trials to reduce erosion.

These have included planting oats as a 'living mulch' between rows on pineapple farms to minimise runoff and alternative irrigation methods on strawberry farms to cut down nutrient leaching.

Poultry grower Barry Benbow is an enthusiastic participant in the project. "I think it's important to understand how the catchment operates," he said.

"It's good to know we're all working together as a team to improve our catchment's water quality."

More information

• Pumicestone Region Catchment Coordination Association: www.prcca.caloundra.qld.gov.au
• Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries: www.dpi.qld.gov.au/
• SEQ Catchments: www.seqcatchments.com.au/about.html

Australian Government NRM Team
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
1800 552 008 (toll-free)

DEWHA  | DAFF  | australia.gov.au  | NAP  | NHT 
Caring for our Country is an Australian Government initiative jointly administered by the Australian Government departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts