(1)   What projects will be funded under the $1.94 million funding the Minister announced for the Moreton Bay Coastal Catchments Initiative (CCI) on 18 August 2004.

(2)   What will be the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) contributions to each project, what will be the outcomes for each project and why were these projects selected.

(3)   What is the Government’s priority for improving and protecting Moreton Bay water quality and how does it compare to other environmental issues in the Bay, its catchment or South East Queensland.

(4)   What priority is Bay water quality in making Commonwealth investments through the regional component of the NHT.

(5)   What sum has been spent through the NHT extension on Bay water quality improvement and what is each project’s title and its NHT contribution.

(6)   In respect of the Minister’s announcement of $2.5 million towards implementation of the CCI in Port Phillip Bay and Western Port in September 2004, (a) which projects will be funded, (b) what will be the NHT contribution to each project, (c) what will be the outcomes for each project, and (d) why were these projects selected.

(1)   The following projects will be funded under the $1.94 million announced on 18 August 2004:

• Development of a Water Quality Improvement Plan for Moreton Bay;
• Development of a statutory decision-support system for protecting water quality in Moreton Bay;
• Targeted action in the Lockyer Catchment to improve Moreton Bay water quality;
• Targeted action in the Bremer River Catchment to improve Moreton Bay water quality;
• A Strategy for Water Sensitive Design in South East Queensland; and
• A Nutrient Trading program to improve water quality in Moreton Bay.

(2)  

(a)   Water Quality Improvement Plan ($240,000). The WQIP will provide an informed basis on which to prioritise and fund management interventions to improve water quality and environmental flows and protect Moreton Bay.

(b)   Statutory decision-support system (DSS) ($200,000). This project will enhance predictive modelling and decision-support tools to better guide catchment managers in making plans and taking decisions that affect Moreton Bay water quality.

(c)   and (d) Lockyer Creek catchment project ($350,000) and Bremer River catchment project ($350,000). These projects will identify, characterise and support implementation of management practices to reduce agricultural and industrial sources of pollution to Moreton Bay. These projects will also identify the minimum management interventions required to achieve water quality objectives for the Lockyer and Bremer River catchments and pollutant load targets set for Moreton Bay.

(e)   Water sensitive design project ($400,000). This project will support development of regional and local government policies for water sensitive design, as well as model planning provisions to be used by planning authorities in implementing water sensitive design. Guidelines and decision-support tools will also be developed.

(f)   Nutrient trading program ($400,000). This project will scope the nature and feasibility of a nutrient trading or offsets program in the Moreton Bay catchment, and if feasible, will establish such a program.

(3)   Water quality in Moreton Bay is a priority for the Government.

(4)   Water quality is one of six priorities for the Australian Government regional Trust investment.

(5)   See Attachment A. Note: Some projects in Attachment A only partly support water quality outcomes or have other environmental benefits.

(6)   Yet to be determined. Attachment A

Project Title	Funding from the extension of the Natural Heritage Trust
	2002/2003 $	2003/2004 $	2004/2005 $	Total $
Kumbartcho Environment Centre to Bunya Crossing Riparian Corridor	30,000			30,000
Riparian Management along the Lockyer Creek			9,028	9,028
Preparation of a Water Quality Improvement Plan for Moreton Bay		190,000	20,000	210,000
A Statutory Decision Support System for protecting water quality in Moreton Bay		130,000	30,000	160,000
A Nutrient Trading Program to improve water quality in Moreton Bay			210,000	210,000
Targeted action in the Lockyer Catchment to improve Moreton Bay Water Quality		215,000	60,000	275,000
Targeted action in the Bremer Catchment to improve Moreton Bay Water Quality		215,000	60,000	275,000
Water Sensitive Design Strategy for South East Queensland.		250,000	70,000	320,000
North Pine Catchment Pilot Riparian Management Incentive Scheme	27,682			27,682
Ravensbourne and District Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Resource Management Project	25,081			25,081
Protect Against and Alleviate Erosion of Banks Along the Bremer River	19,770			19,770
Riparian Restoration on the North Pine River at Apex Park, Dayboro	22,023			22,023
Riparian and Instream Habitat Restoration of Norman Creek Demonstration Site	27,000			27,000
Implementing a Pilot Waterwatch Program on Farms, for Sustainable Horticultural Production	8,501			8,501
Building the Water Quality Monitoring Network in the Lockyer Catchment	19,282			19,282
Valuing the Stockyard and Flagstone Creek Catchments in SEQ	26,573			26,573
Pineapple Growers’ Best Practice Education Project	15,320			15,320
Rehabilitation of Bushland Adjacent to Kurwongbah Spillway, Sideling Creek, Petrie	17,475			17,475
Yarraman Creek Restoration Project	15,750			15,750
Capacity Building and On Ground Training in Measuring, Recording and Analysing On-Farm Water-Use for Primary Producers Preparing to Undertake EMS		17,483		17,483
Establishment of Eudlo Creek Rivercare Plan and Catchment Care Group		11,491		11,491
Building Capacity for Environmental Management Systems in Horticultural Industry on Sunshine Coast		16,038		16,038
Environment Care - Protecting a Gully Feeding the Caboolture River		4,932		4,932
Building Community Capacity through Monitoring and Education Programs - Cooyar Catchment		14,909		14,909
Rehabilitation of Petrie Creek Project, Nambour		27,265		27,265
Norman Creek Stage Two Riparian and Instream Habitat Restoration Project		27,273		27,273
Moreton to Mountains - South Pine River Riparian Vegetation Rehabilitation Extension		24,064		24,064
Community Monitoring Program for Biodiversity Conservation and Water Quality, Ravensbourne, Qld		7,781		7,781
Pallara Willawong Community Bushland Regeneration Project		26,166		26,166
“Aileach” Repair and Recovery Plan, Queensland		14,281		14,281
Restoration and Enhancement of Aboriginal Heritage Trail at Ipswich State High School			7,622	7,622
Landholders Assistance Program			400,000	400,000
Interim Facilitators and Coordinators Funding - Coastcare		129,460		129,460
Foundation Funding - Coastcare		79,950		79,950
Implementing Coastal Management Priorities		100,000		100,000
SEQ NRM Indigenous Engagement - Coastcare		10,250		10,250
Prioritisation and Target Setting for Waterways Protection, Stabilisation and Repair for the NRM plan, and Logan, Albert and Maroochy/Mooloolah Catchments		315,000		315,000
Protocols for Defining, Measuring and Auditing load-based targets in QLD WQIP0+A54			90,000	90,000
South East Queensland -Interim facilitators and coordinators funding - Rivercare		268,878
SEQ NHT2 foundation funding - Rivercare		166,050		166,050
SEQ Waterwatch Network maintenance and enhancement - Rivercare		90,000		90,000
SEQ NRM - Indigenous engagement - Rivercare		10,250		10,250
Coastcare coordinators position - NRM SEQ Inc.		58,000		58,000
Local Level Waterwatch coordinator - Natural Resource Management South East Queensland Inc.		64,000		64,000
Local Level Waterwatch coordinator - South East Queensland Western Catchments Group Inc.		64,000		64,000
A Framework for Sustainable Sugar Cane Catchments*			400,000	400,000
Tools for Lyngyba Modelling and Management*			330,000	330,000
	254,457	2,547,521	1,686,650	4,488,628

Note 1: Some of these projects support water quality in Moreton Bay directly, others support water quality and other NRM outcomes or cover a broader area than just Moreton Bay. Note 2: All funding amounts are those approved by Ministers.

This data does not include the following information:

Projects which are Commercial in Confidence.

Projects without approved funding.

Projects which are not NHT1 or NHT2.

Project which have been Terminated, Withdrawn or Denied after being approved.

Projects which do not occur between 1996/97 and 2005/2006.

Projects which do not have “Water Quality” in the Title and/or Description.

Projects which do NOT occur in South East (QLD) NHT2 Region*

*(NHT1 projects may not be accurately displayed by NHT2 Regions)