Strategy to maintain healthy drinking water catchments

Fraser Coast Regional Council has adopted a new strategy to support and guide how the region’s drinking water catchments are managed over the next decade.

Cr Darren Everard said three separate catchments supplied the Fraser Coast with drinking water.

“Drinking water catchments are areas where the natural landscape collects rainwater which eventually flows via creeks, rivers and underground systems into drinking water storages, such as dams, weirs and barrages,” he said.

“The Fraser Coast’s drinking water catchment areas are along the Burrum River, the Mary River and Tinana Creek, and maintaining these catchments is vital for ensuring a safe water supply for our community.

“These catchments don’t just provide drinking water though. They also support various land uses, including agriculture, grazing, forestry and residential properties.

“In addition, our drinking water catchments are home to a range of species of plants and animals, provide opportunities for recreation such as boating, fishing and kayaking, and include culturally significant areas like the Wongi Waterholes.”

Cr Everard said the strategy was developed following extensive stakeholder and community consultation, with the community asked what land and water values were most important to them.

“We thank the community for providing feedback, which enabled Council to finalise the strategy and the five key principles to guide how our drinking water catchments will be managed,” he said.

The five principles of the Fraser Coast Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy are:

• Prioritise through long-term planning and investment;
• Protect through Council and key stakeholder programs and projects;
• Understand and apply through sampling, monitoring, surveillance and research;
• Educate and collaborate through sharing knowledge, resources and projects with the community and key stakeholders;
• Value beyond providing safe and reliable drinking water, focusing on environmental, cultural, social and economic values.

A copy of the Fraser Coast Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy is available at https://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/publications

Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy