Building on our Success and Delivering on our Commitment:
The
Townsville City Council’s State of the Environment Report marks
an important step for the city and for sustainable development in
the region. It also delivers on a specific election commitment by
Tony Mooney’s Council team.
Working
in Partnership with the Community
Towards Sustainability
Summary
Document (large file)
Townsville City Council continues to show leadership, initiative
and creativity in addressing environmental challenges in Townsville
and environs (see awards)
and this is demonstrated in this first State of Environment Report
for the Townsville region.
 
Click
the images to enlarge
Townsville Local Government Area map courtesy of the Department
of Local Government and Planning
Those
of us fortunate enough to live in Townsville well appreciate how
unique and rich in environmental values is the surrounding region.
Unlike almost any other region in Australia, four distinct types
of environment come together in the Townsville region. Each of these
provide habitats upon which a very unique collection of plants and
animals depend. Many of the flora and fauna that occur in the North
Queensland region are found nowhere else. Some of them are threatened
or endangered while others are migratory species, which depend heavily
on our wetlands, waterways and coastal waters each year.
Our
community also sits on the edge of one of the greatest environmental
icons in the world – the Great Barrier Reef. As a consequence, the
environment is an issue very close to the hearts of Townsville residents.
We are proud of it, we appreciate it, and as custodians we recognise
that we carry an even greater responsibility than most communities.
It is a responsibility we take seriously as a community.
It
is also a responsibility, which the Townsville City Council takes
very seriously. In the past decade, the Council has worked hard
to reduce the impact of the existing city on its environment, and
to enhance local environmental values in harmony with other social
and economic aspirations of the city’s residents. This has involved
among other things:
- delivering
on our commitment to plant a million trees by 2000;
- effectively
drought-proofing the city;
- investing
heavily in better sewage treatment facilities;
- improving
the eco-efficiency of council operations,
- working
with local businesses to improve environmental performance
-
supporting a wide range of community-based on-ground environmental
repair projects;
-
subsidising public transport to reduce environmental impacts;
-
building a bike path network connecting the city;
-
rehabilitating our main beaches, Castle Hill, Serpentine Lagoon
and other sensitive areas;
-
supporting environmental research and monitoring;
-
raising environmental awareness in the community;
In
these and many other ways, the Townsville City Council has one of
the proudest records on the Environment in Local Government. At
the heart of the city’s approach is a desire to build a sustainable
development culture in the community, which encourages residents
to support projects, which enhance the environmental values of our
region into the future.
Over
the next 20 years it is anticipated that the Townsville region’s
population will grow by some 50,000. By 2050, the region may be
sustaining a population of 320,000. This growth brings with it substantial
environmental policy challenges in controlling atmospheric pollution,
in preventing land degradation, in protecting local biodiversity,
in preserving river catchments, and in looking after sensitive coastal
habitats.
The
City is preparing to meet these challenges by incorporating economic,
social and environmental aspirations into an integrated plan for
sustainable development. This is a complex task requiring us to
take close account of major environmental corridors, river catchments,
wetlands, marine habitats, conservation reserves, remnant habitats,
refuge areas, endangered and threatened flora and fauna, wilderness
areas, sites of geological significance, and cultural heritage.
At
the same time TCC has to consider needs for future residential and
business expansion, major infrastructure changes like the gas pipeline
and highway by-pass, port and airport expansion, and the development
of natural resources.
The
Regional Structure
Plan for the city is an important component of that work and
provides a good indication of the extent of the planning task.
Townsville
City Council views this State of the Environment Report as an important
development for the city. It builds on the city’s successful record
in environment policy, and it will contribute to a community culture
in support of sustainable development. Such a culture is essential
if the community is to continue to successfully integrate the environmental,
social and economic aspirations of this community as the city prepares
for significant growth in the years ahead.
This
SOE Report provides the most comprehensive picture to date of the
condition of the local environment, the pressures upon it, and the
response of the local community – particularly the Townsville City
Council. The report builds on the leadership, initiative and creativity
shown to date by Townsville in addressing environmental challenges
in the region, particularly over the past decade.
The
Link between Knowledge and Good Environment Policy:
The
concept of State of the Environment (SOE) reporting is based on
an important assumption – that environment policy is more likely
to achieve effective results when policymakers are able to measure
their progress against a reliable assessment of the benchmark condition
of the environment. This requires a clear focus on a wide range
of important “indicators” which together provide a meaningful assessment
of environmental quality in six main categories: the Atmosphere,
Biodiversity, the Land, Human Settlements, Inland Waters, and Coast
and Marine.
Click
image to enlarge - Deciduous bark of the poplar gum
State
of Environment (SOE) reporting (click here for United Nations Environment
Program SOE and International
SoE Cookbook) is increasingly a routine part of environmental
policy administration by Australian Governments. It is a statutory
requirement for the Queensland Government and in some states
for local government. In New South Wales (NSW), for example, all
local authorities must produce SOE reports biannually. The Queensland
State Government is in the process of drafting its second SOE. This
will be a more streamlined version of the first (2001) and is due
to be released in mid 2003. Click here for Queensland SOE and
here for Australia SOE.
Whilst
it is not mandatory in Queensland, a number of Local Governments
have put their hand to State of Environment reporting. These include
Gold Coast City Council, Brisbane City Council, Maroochy Shire Council,
Noosa Shire Council, and Johnstone Shire Council. The format followed
by each council varies according to their own circumstances - click
on the following links to see their reports:
Gold Coast City State of Environment Report
Brisbane City Council State
of Environment Report (temp.
unavailable)
Maroochy Shire
State of Environment Report
Noosa State of Environment
Report
Johnstone Shire
Council SOE Report
Information
for this report has been compiled over the past 4 years and is both
qualitative and quantitative. It is important to note that in many
areas of Townsville’s environment there is little or no quantitative
information available either locally or regionally on water quality;
land degradation; flora and fauna; and ecosystem health/services.
Recognising
the need for reliable environmental data if policy measures are
to achieve real progress, TCC has in recent years implemented programs
as part of its environmental management policy to acquire data and
information in a cost effective manner (Natural Assets Register
and Environmental Audit). It will always be beyond the capacity
of local government to collect or collate all of the environmental
data we would like because of constrained resources. Despite this,
TCC is still able to recognise and provide measured responses to
changing environmental conditions. As stated, quantitatively these
changing conditions often remain unmeasured although qualitative
changes do not go unnoticed.
Townsville’s
Dilemma – Plenty of Policy & Commitment, Not Much Information:
It
is sometimes the case that local communities can have plenty of
information about their local environment but little in terms of
meaningful policies and programs, which make a real difference in
terms of improving sustainability. In Townsville where a wide range
of effective programs operate, the opposite situation applies. The
Council alone has some 30 major environment-related plans and policies
either in place, being implemented already or now being developed. However,
the quality of information on the quality of the environment in
Townsville remains generally poor despite recent investments by
the Council and others. This is partly because data collection and
analysis is very expensive. Another reason is that scientific, academic
and broader community interests tends to lie north in the vulnerable
Wet Tropics areas, West in the Rangelands, and east to the Great
Barrier Reef.
Click image to enlarge - Grassland moth in the savanna colour and
texture
Gradually
this appears to be changing as interest in Townsville's tropical
savannas and wetlands
grows and the local communities develop deeper awareness of their
local environments.
| The
3 Broad Townsville Environments |
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Consistency
with the Local, Regional & State Environment Policy Context:
While
this report is intended to be an important local community resource
in its own right it has been designed to take the wider policy context
into account – including local, regional, state and national legislative
frameworks, policies, and strategies.
In
regard to the local, regional and state context, readers are encouraged
to read this report in conjunction with the Queensland
State of Environment Report (1999) and the National
State of Environment Report (2001)
Locally,
it is desirable that this report is read in conjunction with the
recently completed
1.
"Community Plan for Natural
Resources Management in Townsville-Thuringowa" (.pdf
772kb) (Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare Inc./Natural
Resources and Environmental Forum 2002)
2.
"State
of the Bay Report" (.pdf
8MB!) (Cleveland Bay
Consortium 2002)
3.
"Townsville Thuringowa
Strategy Plan" and Draft Policy Papers (Department of Local
Government/TCC/CoT 1999).
Natural
Resources & Environment Forum
A
Community Plan for Natural Resource Management in Townsville-Thuringowa
Produced
by Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare Inc
Download
the whole Document
(.pdf
775kb)
or
download the separates sections (also
in .pdf)
A Whole of Catchment Approach (.pdf
165kb)
Land, Vegetation and Wildlife (.pdf
90kb)
Water, Wetlands and Waterways (.pdf
60kb)
Coastal and Marine Environments (.pdf
65kb)
Environmental Quality (.pdf
50kb)
Community Involvement and Education (.pdf
65kb)
Produced
by Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare Inc.
The
community's NRM Plan was prepared by the Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare
Inc., in collaboration with a wide variety of community groups,
local government (Townsville and Thuringowa Councils), industry/business
and State representatives. The plan presents a detailed, capable
and distinctive community view of Townsville's environment, including:
qualitative condition, considered pressures, and current/desired
responses).
The
Community NRM Plan is implemented by individuals, community groups
and government across Townsville-Thuringowa Sub-Region (of the Burdekin
Dry Tropics Region) and faciliated and communicated by local subregional
network of the Natural
Resources & Environment Forum Townsville-Thuringowa (NaREF).
Status
Report for the Cleveland Bay 2002
(.pdf
8MB!)
The
Cleveland Bay Consortium is an informal industry/research forum
for the discussion of the sustainable use of the environments of
Cleveland Bay. Industry and regulatory agencies in the Cleveland
Bay region have identified a need for comprehensive information
about water, sediment, flora and fauna of the Bay for environmental
license applications and future planning for sustainable use of
the region. Information from past research is often difficult to
find, of variable quality, and is sometimes difficult to apply to
current problems and applications. Business, industry, regulatory
authorities, and research agencies identified a need for a focus
or forum to exchange information, priorities, information needs,
and expertise.
Regional
Strategy Plan for Townsville and Thuringowa
The
State and Local Government Association (LGA) Townsville Thuringowa
Strategy Plan (TTSP 2000) and associated Draft Policy Papers on
the other hand present a distinctively State Agency view. These
documents offer limited quantitative environmental data produced
mainly on maps, and with some input from Local Government Councillors,
staff and community workshops. The various Policy Papers (Environmental
Quality; Natural Resources Management; Nature Conservation; Water
Resources etc) produced give qualitative SOE information on environmental
condition and provide recommendations and objectives for addressing
environmental issues.
| The
Townsville Thuringowa Strategy Plan |
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Though
not formally associated with the Townsville State of the Environment
Report 2002, the information available in these policy documents
are nonetheless highly relevant supporting material. They reflect
a community-wide desire to respond to existing environmental pressures
and those associated with future population growth and development.
Across the many strategies and policy documents produced in recent
years which address environmental challenges, there is a strong
degree of agreement as to what needs to be done. These documents
are referred to in this SOE as they comprise a very important part
of our response to environmental pressures as a community. However,
in the main, the material is not reproduced here with links provided
instead so that readers can access the detail themselves.
Translating
these policy frameworks and papers and Council’s own election commitments
into meaningful and measurable improvement in the environmental
values of Townsville is of course the real test of success. With
that in mind, there is a deliberate emphasis in this SOE Report
on activities, which go beyond planning and are making a real difference
to our environment locally.
Consistency
with the National Environment Policy Context:
Notwithstanding
this local ‘on-ground’ focus, the report has been prepared in line
with the National State of Environment Reporting guidelines produced
by Environment Australia and especially the Australian and New Zealand
Environment & Conservation Council. In line with these guidelines,
information is presented in a way which highlights three distinct
areas of concern: pressure, condition and response. However due
to issues with scale and available data the core indicators have
been used as a guide only.
The
Graph below indicates the linkages between Pressure, Condition and
Response (click the graph below for a link to the national
SOE reporting Framework website).
Pressure-state-response
model Source: Adapted from OECD (1993, p.10)
- Pressures
refer to human activities that affect the environment. Pressures
do not necessarily imply harm, especially if the activity is appropriately
managed.
- Condition
refers to the quality of the environment and how well important
environmental processes are functioning; and
- Response
incorporates all human efforts to address environmental issues
– at the level of government, industry, or the wider community.
By
way of example, SOE information on vegetation issues might be framed
in the following terms:
- Pressure
- Native Vegetation Clearing;
- Condition
- Extent and condition of remnant native vegetation;
- Response:
Measures to reduce clearing, and incentives to manage native vegetation
(conservation, restoration, regeneration).
State
of the Environment Reports can be heavy reading for non-technical
audiences. By using this Pressure-Condition-Response format, the
Report aims to make the material easier to use as well as consistent
with state and national SOE approaches.
In
order to make the SOE a “living” document, the Townsville City Council
is using an innovative internet based presentation and consistent
colour-coding throughout. This both greatly enhances user-friendliness
as well as enhancing the material with quick access to other relevant
information links.
Click image to enlarge - Capparis flower and leaf
In
its sophistication and coverage, this SOE does not endeavour to
emulate the State and Commonwealth versions. The scientific and
financial resources at the disposal of Local Government is much
more modest.
This
SOE does not purport to cover all sustainability initiatives – past,
present, and future – which have been led by others in the community.
While this SOE focusses heavily on the Townsville City Council’s
role – often in conjunction with others in the community - we also
acknowledge up front the vital work being done by so many in our
community in this regard.
We
also acknowledge the intricate environmental linkages which Townsville
has with other neighbouring local authorities. While this SOE does
not endeavour to establish the State of the Environment in these
areas, TCC strongly acknowledges the importance of co-operative
work towards positive environmental outcomes between local government
authorities in the region - particularly Townsville and Thuringowa.
To this end there are already many integrated programs between the
Councils.
For
purposes of manageability and because cultural heritage imperatives
are addressed through a wide range of other Council initiatives,
this SOE is restricted in its coverage to natural heritage issues.
Nonetheless,
this report is an important step by the city. It provides a yardstick
against which the community will be able to measure improvement
and progress towards sustainable development in the Townsville region.
The Townsville City Council hopes that the Report will serve as
a vehicle to involve all levels of the community in activities,
which will make a real difference and ensure an environmentally
sustainable city in the years ahead.
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