Mackay Whitsunday basins

Environmental values (EVs) and water quality objectives (WQOs) for Mackay-Whitsunday region waters were finalised in August 2013. They are now included in schedule 1 of the Environmental Protection (Water and Wetland Biodiversity) Policy—the EPP (Water and Wetland Biodiversity). This follows consultations carried out for the Mackay-Whitsunday region Water Quality Improvement Plan, public release of draft materials in 2012, and consultations during 2013. Waters include the Pioneer, Proserpine and O’Connell River basins, Whitsunday Islands, Plane Creek Basin, and adjacent coastal waters.

The EVs and WQOs for the Mackay Whitsundays region are derived from: information in the Mackay-Whitsunday region Water Quality Improvement Plan (2008), available local water quality data, Great Barrier Reef water quality guidelines, and Queensland and national water quality guidelines.

Following the completion of the EVs project for this region, the department has prepared a Consultation summary and response to submissions (PDF, 2.7MB) . The report identifies the key issues raised by stakeholders during the Townsville and Mackay-Whitsunday EVs projects, and provides responses to the issues. It also summarises consultation activities undertaken before, during and after the public release of draft EV materials.

Map

• Overview map of Mackay-Whitsundays (PDF, 922.8KB)

Status

Scheduled 2013. Draft consultation materials (reporting, maps — estuarine, coastal/marine waters) were released for comment in 2017, and are now under review.

EPP (Water and Wetland Biodiversity) – scheduled Environmental Values and Water Quality Objectives

Waters	Basin no.	Schedule 1—Document	Schedule 1—Plan Fresh waters	Schedule 1—Plan Coastal waters
Pioneer River and Plane Creek basins, including all waters of the Pioneer River and Plane Creek basins, and adjacent coastal waters	Basins 125, 126	Pioneer River and Plane Creek Basins (PDF, 583.2KB)	WQ1251 Pioneer River and Plane Creek (PDF, 4.3MB)	WQ1222 Mackay Whitsunday coastal waters (PDF, 4.4MB)
Proserpine River, Whitsunday Island, O’Connell River Basins, including all waters of the Proserpine River, Whitsunday Island and O’Connell River Basins, and adjacent coastal waters	Basins 122, 123, 124	Proserpine River, Whitsunday Island and O’Connell River Basins (PDF, 602.9KB)	WQ1221 Proserpine River, Whitsunday Island, O’Connell River (PDF, 5.0MB)	WQ1222 Mackay Whitsunday coastal waters (PDF, 4.4MB)

Supporting documents

• Mackay-Whitsunday region Water Quality Improvement Plan (2008), available from Reef Catchments
• Water quality guidelines for the Great Barrier Reef

Water Quality Improvement Plans / Healthy Waters Management Plans

• Water Quality Improvement Plan for Mackay Whitsunday region

Related Information

• Mackay Whitsunday Isaac Natural Resource Management Plan

Spatial datasets

Spatial datasets for scheduled areas are available from the Queensland Spatial Catalogue, QSpatial. Search for ‘EPP’.

Contact details

For further information please contact the Healthy Waters Policy and Strategy Team:

• by email at evinfo@des.qld.gov.au
• by mail to the Healthy Waters Policy and Strategy Team at GPO Box 2454, Brisbane Qld 4001