2017–18 Activity Statement—Environment

Queensland’s unique and diverse environment, including the iconic Great Barrier Reef, is a significant advantage for the state. Queensland’s natural assets are key drivers of community wellbeing, provide a recreational destination for Queenslanders and visitors alike and are vital for supporting a sustainable economy.

The Queensland Government is committed to preserving the state’s natural environment, employing sustainable planning and resource management, and addressing environmental health challenges. In 2017–18, the Queensland Government:

Preserving Queensland’s natural assets

• finalised the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan that guides how industry, government and the community will work together to improve the quality of water flowing to the Great Barrier Reef
• finalised the Reef 2050 Mid-Term Review in June 2018 and released the revised Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan that includes a much stronger treatment of climate change as advocated by Queensland representatives
• delivered key milestones from the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan
• developed an online tool (the Paddock to Reef Projector) that estimates the water quality benefits derived from improving farm management practices in Great Barrier Reef catchments (a key milestone for the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan)
• led the implementation of enhanced and coordinated extension and education programs for reef water quality, and delivered on-ground practice change, improved agribusiness profitability and improved the health of the Great Barrier Reef through economic evaluation of profitable practices and delivery of best management practice and associated programs
• commenced in-field trials of affordable, fine-scale water quality monitoring sensors developed through the Advance Queensland SBIR program for deployment in the catchments of the Great Barrier Reef
• increased investment between the Queensland Government and the Australian Government for the Great Barrier Reef Field Management Program
• expanded Queensland’s protected area estate, including:
• the addition of 103,600 hectares of national park (Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal land) bringing the total to 2,171,851 hectares as at 30 June 2018
• 6354 hectares of national park
• 615,265 hectares of nature refuge
• worked with Traditional Owners, The Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation and the Port Curtis Coral Coast Trust to nominate K’gari (Fraser Island) and Bulburin National Parks to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy program, resulting in these two parks becoming the first protected areas in Australia to be recognised under the program
• delivered the Queensland Government’s election commitment to purchase the Earl Hill property at Trinity Beach to protect the land’s conservation values and to guarantee its exceptional recreational opportunities remain available to the public
• purchased two conservation-significant properties for addition to the protected area estate in the localities of Granite Vale and Conondale, totalling 4675 hectares
• released to the public a detailed assessment of significant conservation values in the Brigalow Belt bioregion as identified through a Biodiversity Planning Assessment
• released to the public a detailed assessment of significant conservation values for riverine and non-riverine wetlands in the eastern Gulf of Carpentaria (Flinders, Norman, Gilbert, Staaten and Mitchell catchments) as identified though an Aquatic Conservation Assessment
• reinstated a responsible vegetation management framework that included the following actions:
• ceased broadscale clearing of remnant vegetation for high value agriculture and irrigated high-value agriculture
• restored the pre-2013 mapping of high value regrowth which will protect approximately 630,000 hectares on freehold and Indigenous land
• expanded the definition of ‘high value regrowth’ to include vegetation that is at least 15 years old, securing an extra 450,000 hectares of protected vegetation
• enhanced compliance powers and monitoring to support landholders in meeting their obligations
• managing thickened vegetation will require landholders to first seek expert assessment and approval before conducting these activities
• endangered, vulnerable and near-threatened species are better protected with the application of Essential Habitat mapping
• extended protection to regrowth vegetation along all watercourses that lead to the Great Barrier Reef
• completed the 2015–16 Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) Report to detect changes in woody vegetation in Queensland to report annualised total woody vegetation clearing rates in hectares per year
• expanded the water quality monitoring sites to inform the Great Barrier Reef Catchment Loads Monitoring Program which now monitors water quality at 43 sites across 20 key catchments for sediment and nutrients, and a total of 20 sites for pesticides
• released the 2017 Declared Fish Habitat Area Network Assessment Report documenting key changes, knowledge gained and management activities across the network
• continued to develop a long-term protected area strategy for the expansion and effective management of Queensland’s protected areas, building on the results of public consultation undertaken in 2016–17
• completed a new Management Plan for Hinchinbrook Island National Park in July 2017
• continued to deliver outcomes for koala conservation with the installation of fauna infrastructure on roads, and continued research to improve the identification of threats to koalas and identification of koalas in the field
• a notable project was the research to improve field identification of koalas which has identified through the use of drones and sniffer dogs an increase in field identification of up to 50% can be achieved over the use of traditional methods
• facilitated over 1.37 million overnight camping stays in Queensland’s National Parks and Forests
• scuttled the ex-HMAS Tobruk to create a new dive site in the Great Sandy Marine Park

Sustainable planning and resource management

• supported the consistent implementation of the State Infrastructure Plan (SIP) requirement to have Infrastructure Sustainability assessments for all projects over $100 million
• during 2017–18, two projects received Infrastructure Sustainability design ratings of ‘excellent’ and 31 are working towards a high rating in 2018–19
• the implementation of this government initiative has delivered financial savings across the whole of life of the asset, improved environmental outcomes and engineering innovation
• commenced work on a series of Climate Change Sector Adaptation Plans, under the Queensland Climate Adaptation Strategy 2017–2030, including an Emergency Management Sector Adaptation Plan which is expected to be delivered by the end of 2018
• delivered the Queensland Climate Change Response; a package of 46 measures to deliver on the vision of an innovative and resilient Queensland that addresses the risks and harnesses the opportunities of a changing climate
• launched a Tourism Sector Adaptation Plan, focusing on adapting the Queensland tourism industry to deal with risks and opportunities associated with climate change
• launched The Future is Electric: Queensland’s Electric Vehicle Strategy, the first of its kind in Australia, on 4 October 2017
• released QFleet Electric Vehicle Transition Strategy and QFleet Environmental Strategy for the Queensland Government motor vehicle fleet to increase the number of electric vehicles in the fleet, including initiatives specifically aimed at reducing or minimising greenhouse gas emissions
• announced investment of $97 million as part of the Advancing Clean Energy Schools program to reduce energy costs across Queensland State schools through solar and energy efficiency measures
• provided hydrological monitoring and modelling to inform water security and supply decisions for Queenslanders
• maintained a network of wave and storm tide monitoring sites to provide advice that keeps people safe during extreme weather events
• released the Mined Land Rehabilitation Policy in September 2017, which states the Queensland Government’s commitment to ensuring land disturbed by mining activities is rehabilitated to a safe and stable landform that does not cause environmental harm, and can sustain an approved post-mining land use
• conducted the prosecution case against Linc Energy:
• the trial returned guilty verdicts on all five counts of wilfully and unlawfully causing serious environmental harm between 2007 and 2013 at Chinchilla and fined the company $4.5 million—the largest penalty awarded under environmental legislation in Australia
• completed the land suitability assessment component of the Northern Australia Water Resource Assessment in collaboration with the CSIRO, providing field surveys and validation in the Mitchell River catchment
• the soil and land suitability assessment will identify areas for potential expansion of irrigated agriculture in the catchments
• completed the surface water modelling and associated hydrology work to inform the Burdekin Water Plan targeted amendment
• maximised the use of Crumb Rubber Modified binder, a type of road surfacing which is made from recycled tyre rubber, through demonstration projects, training workshops and updated technical specifications that facilitate increased use of this material
• undertook the trial of the EME2 pavement material which enables a reduction in the depth of material by 17.5%, but more importantly, will enable all pavement material to be recycled in the future delivering outcomes for waste management, engineering and long-term maintenance costs
• completed 11 of 33 actions outlined in the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy, with other milestones and performance indicators on track

Environmental health services

• delivered a coordinated response to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl (PFAS) contamination across the state, including through the delivery of proactive Queensland Government community engagement, and coordination of the Queensland Government’s input into the Intergovernmental Agreement on a National Framework to Respond to PFAS Contamination
• led the implementation of the first policy of its kind in Australia to ban the future use of types of PFAS firefighting foams in Queensland
• maintained a network of air quality monitoring sites to inform people about the quality of the air they breathe and to minimise the impacts of industrial activities
• announced development of a comprehensive new Waste Strategy, underpinned by a Waste Disposal Levy to increase recycling and recovery and create new jobs
• conducted the Swanbank and surrounds community survey for Ipswich residents to share their experiences of odour issues in their local area to better understand what concerns the community has about the waste industry and ongoing odour issues associated with odour generating industries in the region
• installed a permanent air quality monitoring station at Southport State High School as part of the network of state-of-the-art miniature KOALA (Knowing Our Ambient Local Air-quality) sensors:
• the station monitored air quality during the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) through a collaboration with QUT, Southport State High School and Griffith University
• completed a review of Coal Dust Mitigation Treatments and Air Quality Monitoring Programs on the Western-Metropolitan Rail System
• managed a number of nationally cost shared programs concerning pests including varroa mite, exotic fruit fly, red imported fire ant (SEQ and Brisbane Airport), red witchweed, and four tropical weeds
• responded to a number of non-nationally cost shared responses including anthrax in cattle, Hendra virus in horses, white spot disease, Panama disease tropical race 4, West Indian drywood termite, cucumber green mottle mosaic virus, electric ants, Asian green mussels and Mozambique tilapia and spotted tilapia.