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Reef Councils Major Integrated Project

Initiative 1. Wastewater Stewardship: Strategic Assessment (WWSSA) Project

This is a Queensland Government (Office of the Great Barrier Reef) funded project under the Reef Councils’ Major Integrated Project (MIP) initiative, being delivered by qldwater on behalf of the LGAQ and participating Reef Councils. The WWSSA project will run from April 2019 to October 2020 and will benefit all councils through cataloguing alternative solutions and supporting participating councils and key stakeholders to transition to a trial readiness stage. 

Background

Local government is a significant partner in the implementation of the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan and a major investor in activities that contribute to Reef health and the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan. In collaboration with Reef councils, the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) facilitated the development of the Reef Councils Major Integrated Project (MIP) proposal.

The proposal aims to create a prioritised local government response to the targets and objectives of the Reef 2050 Plan and has three initiatives:

  • Wastewater Stewardship,
  • Fish Friendly Councils and
  • Best Practice Controls for Unsealed Roads.

The Office of the Great Barrier Reef in the Department of Environment and Science, the LGAQ and qldwater are partnering to undertake Stage 1: Strategic Assessment, of the Wastewater Stewardship Initiative (WWSSA) and inviting councils to participate in the work.

Wastewater Stewardship: Strategic Assessment (WWSSA)

The Challenge:

  • 100+ council owned sewerage treatment plants (STPs) in the Reef’s catchments;
  • increased nutrient removal usually directly linked to higher cost and greater energy use;
  • upgrade of plants within 50 km of coast to tertiary = ~ $719 million and ~$33 million maintenance costs p.a.;
  • cost for STPs in smaller councils disproportionately higher - no economies of scale, smaller rate base - least able to afford.

The Initiative will:

  • consider STP discharges from a local and whole of catchment perspective;
  • prioritise sites to test and assess innovative, pollutant mitigation approaches;
  • create a rigorous framework for testing alternatives to traditional STP upgrades;
  • engage with and increase awareness about council participation in the initiative with local communities through their councils;
  • provide a decision-making structure to balance costs, risks and benefits;
  • inform further development of policy and regulations.

Public documents relating to the Reef Councils MIP

STP Standards Knowledge Base - Release Date 15-Nov-2019: - This is a Power BI file and need to be opened in the Power BI App. Point Source Metadata Collection Project - Stage 2: Sewage Treatment Plant monitoring and standards review knowledge base for Great Barrier Reef Catchments. Developed by the Department of Environment and Science and published in August 2019.

Reef Councils MIP Diverse Approaches to STP Stewardship in QLD - Release Date 10-Jun-2019: - Reef Councils MIP presentation on diverse approaches to STP stewardship in QLD delivered by Chris Mooney, Utilities and Government Organisations Assessment, DES

Reef Councils MIP Dorean Erhart Presentation - Release Date 10-Jun-2019: - Reef Councils MIP Presentation by Dorean Erhart, Lead - Climate Change & Great Barrier Reef

Reef Councils MIP Project Design V4 - Release Date 10-Jun-2019: - Reef Councils MIP Project Design delivered by Rob Fearon and Ryan Cosgrove

Reef Councils STP Monitoring Std Review - Release Date 10-Jun-2019: - Great Barrier Reef Point Source Metadata Collection Project Stage 2, STP Standards Review: a project overview by Dr Ian Ramsay, Dr Gatut Sudarjanto and Ed Barry, Water Sciences, Science & Technology Division, Department of Environment and Science, 2019

Reef Councils WWSSA Flyer - Release Date 30-Apr-2019: - The Wastewater Stewardship: Strategic Assessment (WWSSA) Project is the first initiative under the Reef Councils Major Integrated Project plan which aims to prioritise local government response to the targets and objectives of the Reef 2050 Plan.

Reef Councils MIP Objectives and Measures on a Page - Release Date 03-Apr-2019: - Reef Councils outputs, objectives, measures, targets and timeframes on one page.

Reef Councils Project Plan - Release Date 25-Mar-2019: - The wastewater stewardship project will investigate alternative sewage management options and their applicability to addressing nutrient risks from GBR catchments. Providing pathways to reduce nutrient flows to the GBR needs to address the impact from sewage treatment plants and the central role Councils play as stewards of GBR catchments. This project is the initial component required to enable consideration of a larger MIP proposal.

Project Steering Group documents for the Reef Councils MIP

 

     
This project is funded through the Queensland Reef Water Quality Program and is being delivered by qldwater on behalf of LGAQ and the Reef Councils.