Maintaining habitat, aquatic biodiversity and water quality is critical for ecological economic and social wellbeing. Some of the terms used in our water quality monitoring are provided below. Many of these are used in our annual waterway recovery report.
Environmental indicators
Council's monitoring programs use environmental indicators of waterway health that represent key elements of complex ecosystems and have meaning beyond the measure it represents. Indicators are typically grouped into physico-chemical, biological or socio-economic measures.
Further information on environmental indicators can be found at the Department of Environment and Sciences.
Environmental values
The waterways of Redlands Coast have defined environmental values and water quality guidelines that have been developed by the Queensland State Government. Environmental values are qualities or characteristics of a creek that support healthy ecosystems and the community livelihoods and lifestyles.
For further information please refer to the Department of Environment and Science website:
South East Queensland and Moreton Bay – see the table row ‘Redland creeks’ for documents.
Water quality objectives
Water quality objectives are defined in the Queensland Environmental Protection [Water] Policy 2019 which seeks to achieved the objective idenitified by the Environmental Protection Act 1994 - to protect Queensland's waters by an integrated management program while allowing for development that is ecologically sustainable.
Numerical concentrations of water quality indicators are defined to protect waterway environmental values. These values provide the benchmark that are used to assess the condition of our waterways.