Healthy Waters Management Plans
The Environmental Protection (Water and Wetland Biodiversity) Policy 2019 (EPP Water and Wetland Biodiversity), legislation under the Environmental Protection Act 1994, establishes Healthy Waters Management Plans (HWMPs) as a planning mechanism to improve the quality of Queensland waters.
Using consultation and the best available science, HWMPs identify:
- environmental values
- water quality objectives
- catchment-based management actions.
HWMPs have been developed for all Queensland Murray–Darling Basin catchments. For these catchments, the HWMPs fulfil EPP Water and Wetland Biodiversity requirements and Australian Government water quality planning provisions under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan 2012.
In 2016, the Warrego, Paroo, Bulloo and Nebine Basins HWMP was approved. The Condamine HWMP, Queensland Border Rivers–Moonie HWMP and Maranoa–Balonne HWMP were approved in 2019. These plans identify the key risks to water quality across the Queensland Murray–Darling Basin and highlight potential management responses to address the risks.
HWMPs are broader than water quality as they protect aquatic ecosystems by specifying water quality objectives for indicators such as macroinvertebrates, fish, riparian vegetation and groundcover. Collaborative partnerships between the Queensland Government and regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) bodies typically deliver these plans.