Central Highlands Regional Council: Sustained by the mighty Nogoa Sustained by the mighty Nogoa River system and often dominated by droughts and flooding rains, the Central Highlands region is an integral part of the Fitzroy Basin. For Central Highlands Regional Council, water management is one of its key strategic priorities. In early 2023, much-needed work at the Dingo and Duaringa water treatment plants began with the design phase. Construction began in May with an estimated completion by end 2023. Both plants will have an ultrafiltration unit installed, refurbished clarifiers, new chemical storage and dosing facilities as well as new amenities and offices. Duaringa will gain two additional treated water storages, and the elevated tower will be removed in Dingo, and a new pump station installed. The approximate amount of these updates is just over $5 million. “These upgrades are very important to the livelihood of our residents in Dingo and Duaringa. Duaringa will have larger, more reliable storage and Dingo residents will notice better water pressure,” General Manager Infrastructure & Utilities Jason Hoolihan explained. “With consistent servicing and maintenance which council is committed to, these new upgrades will last up to 15 years,” Mr Hoolihan said. “The second phase [...]

FBA: CQ graziers create healthy wetlands Nankin Wetlands are located just outside of Rockhampton. They are part of the Fitzroy Delta and listed as a Nationally Important Wetland in Australia. The Nankin wetlands are unique as they are located on a grazing property called Broadmeadows, owned by Robert and Michele Lang. The property covers 984 hectares and is largely marine plain with grass sedge wetland country. CQ’s Natural Resource Management organisation, Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA) has worked closely with Robert and Michele to improve the property to allow for sustainable grazing alongside functioning wetlands. Robert Lang is passionate about having the two co-exist successfully. “We have so many native animals and birds out here, local birdwatchers can name about 118 species of birds on these wetlands”, said Robert. Water-spreading banks were constructed in 2017 and 2018 and additional banks were constructed in 2021 to reduce water run-off, erosion and scalding by slowing water flow across the property and improving ground cover. By slowing the water run-off, the banks are also stopping the movement of sediment and allowing better water infiltration in the salt-affected areas. Satellite imagery of the property was captured in May 2021 before the construction of [...]

Cotton Australia: Water stewardship and sustainable cotton production in the Fitzroy Basin Since becoming the first Australian agricultural industry to independently assess its environmental impacts in 1991, the Australian cotton industry has been quietly improving its sustainability. Managing sustainability, like growing cotton, is a complex process. The Australian cotton industry has a sustainability framework called PLANET. PEOPLE. PADDOCK. which coordinates a whole-of-industry approach to managing the environmental, social and economic factors most important to its stakeholders. One of the environmental topics managed by the industry is water use. The industry’s water goal matches the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal: to significantly increase water use efficiency over time, within sustainable river and ground water system withdrawal limits. Here, Emerald cotton grower Graham Volck describes how he manages water quality and water efficiency on his farm. The 4 key cotton farming parameters influencing farm water quality are shown in Figure 1. Irrigation efficiency All irrigation water leaving fields is captured in water storages and re-used. Rain events of 25mm or less are similarly captured. This attribute of farm design recognises the value of water and significantly reduces the opportunity for environmental harm. Maintaining good water quality in farm storages reduces the risk of environmental impacts if water [...]