Greg Bruce Manager Environmental Management Evolution of Total Water Cycle Management in Townsville City an infrastructure based approach from Creek to Coral Tuesday, 28 th February 2006

» Welcome to Townsville » Townsville is Queenslands largest regional City, and together with the neighbouring City of Thuringowa is home to over 158,500 people and covering a combined area of c km 2 (TCC – 1800 km2 )

Image from NASA WorldWind Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area Townsville City Wet Tropics WHA RAMSAR Wetlands

and proximity to Great Barrier Reef & World Heritage Areas Townsville

» A Distinctive Queensland Experience » Townsville is where the Tropical Savannas meet the coast and is the southern gateway to the Wet Tropics and at the Citys Strand foreshore abuts the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area

Townsville Citiwater Biogas Project Grid-connected cogeneration, renewable

» Water Governance Challenges: » Proximity to Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area » Impost of additional financial and environmental regulations » Lack of knowledge of tropical ecosystems and impacts » Defining management actions and lacking expertise » Fragmentation of jurisdictions, planning, regulation, and failure to understand inherent interconnectiveness of water cycle » Lack of ownership by people of problems and solutions – belongs to government not us

As expressed by AWA: the separation of the urban water supply and wastewater system from the stormwater system and does not reflect the theoretical water cycle (2002 Senate Inquiry into Australias Urban Water Management)

The major threats to the health, productivity and biodiversity of coastal and marine environments result from human activities on land. In many cases water resources in streams, rivers and groundwater reservoirs transport pathogens, nutrients, sediments, heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants and litter large distances from the hilltops to the oceans. Hilltops2Oceans (H2O) Partnership Initiative, 2004

There is no solution that can be successful from the top down. We must build social capital at the grass roots – empowering communities Ismail Serageldin of the World Bank, (in Hatziolos, Hooten, Fodor, 1997).

» Process to Total Water Cycle Management : » Drivers for Change » Acting Locally – Commencing the Journey » From Stormwater to Total Water – Citiworks and Citiwater » Integrating with and acknowledge community » Evolving to Creek to Coral (connecting land, water and marine environment) » Integrating total water with Sustainability and urban development

» Our Councils total water mgt approach shows: » Changes in culture and management in TCC » Evolving an approach linking water utility management with Wetlands, Waterways, Ecosystems, Community & overall Sustainability » Community acknowledgement and involvement » Consideration of the marine environment » Partnership with the City of Thuringowa (COT) & EPA » Removing fragmentation, Jurisdiction, planning and regulation, environment and industry on the infrastructure-based and community involvement project Creek to Coral.

»Commitment to Fostering Partnerships »Adaptability (adaptive management) »Ownership of the Water Cycle »Within a framework of co-learning and community development »In model of scarce resources and requiring innovation »Involving Engineers, Environment Officers, NGO (CVA), Volunteers, Students (School / University) and Community Groups »Framework of 4Cs Catchment Tours, Curriculum, Creekwatch, & Coast-Marine »Knowledge & Communication Networks – Sustainable Education Network & Centre for Excellence in Tropical Design (CETD – Sustainability & Innovation) More specifically: Involving Key Aspects

Councils approach in integrated water management evolved from conflict into partnership »Commencing with our drainage engineers and conflict with mangrove and drains and flood management »Water management initially focused on stormwater and water quality »The Urban Stormwater Quality Management Plan (1998) allowed TCC to acquire funding to implement integrated stormwater improvement »This led to partnership between TCC Environmental Management Services and Citiworks, creating sustainable engineering solutions to stormwater management issues

Key outcomes of the NHT Clean Seas and USI projects are: Infrastructure to capture pollutants Opportunity to monitor urban water quality Results indicating high nutrient levels (Sadler, 2003) Councils capacity to provide integrated solutions to water: (eg. stormwater and fish habitat) And The newly-forged Engineering–Environmental partnership became, the catalyst for managing the Total Water Cycle Rainfall to Outfall

A National Report on Urban Water stated that: One clear lesson from the project (TCCs Clean Seas & Urban Stormwater Initiative) is the benefit of protection of the whole system – including land and water use policies for contiguous and surround sites – rather than simply addressing components of it, such as the construction of end of pipe wetlands prior to discharge. The Value of Water - Urban Water Management Inquiry (2002) and yet: This National Water report still did not address the roles of natural & ecological systems in water management, and Made no attempt to link urban water with the impacts of land-based activities on the marine environment,

FROM STORMWATER TO TOTAL WATER ENTER CITIWATER Commence … holy grail triple bottom line concepts of sustainability, including: Rainfall to Outfall; Traditional Waterwise; Methane capture. Since then: A movement towards managing water resources as a whole; An adaptive learning journey. remembering that Value of Water maintains the compartmentalised approach is the norm

Integrating Total Water Cycle Management with Sustainability and Urban Development Councils Sustainable Townsville programme World Class Water Recycling Commitment 90% Dry Weather reuse by 2008 Increased energy requirements = CO2e emissions up Linking energy and water (carbon neutral) (see

Accelerated Sustainability intensive planning (AtKisson Accelerator) May 2004, Water - a key natural system A locally global or city-wide Energy-water (see

Nature Systems Maps Catchment Management Waterway stormwater Homes / water conservation Industry / Parks water conservation Wastewater efficiency TBL Regulatory effectiveness / appropriate Energy Management opportunities Nature Systems – Water Cycle Management

Carbon Neutral Water Recycling Project

Creek to Coral incorporates four key responses and working groups: Infrastructure (water, wastewater, dams, drains & waterways) Community Involvement and Partnership, Integrated Monitoring & Research, and Environmental Emergency Response (Creek to Coral Business Plan, 2004).

Creek to Coral is a different approach. Demonstrates a change in culture and a willingness to partner. In sync with three of four International Coral Reef Initiatives (ICRI) themes: Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), Capacity Building, Research and Monitoring (ICRI Renewed Call to Action, 1998).

Natural Resources Management of Waterways & Catchments Creek to coral NaREF Infrastructure Base Community Based approach Sewage Stormwater quality Water Supply Grondwater regulation Ports Natural Heritage Trust & Regional Arrangements Creekwatch Landcare Bushcare Seagrass Watch Reef Check BCTB (Budekin Dry Tropics Board) NaREF (Natural Resources &Management Forum) Community Aspirations & Involvement Townsville City Council in partnership with CoT & EPA Sustainable Management of Water Management Infrastructure, waterways, & wetlands

Local - TownsvilleGlobally and nationally Sustain – Youth Environment Network World Ocean Network network of educators and communicators Creek to Coral - an infrastructure based approach networked UN Hilltops2Oceans & FreshCo / ICRI / Global Water Partnership ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability Centre of Excellence in Tropical Design (Sustainability & Innovation) Queensland Water Directorate Sustainable Townsville a cluster networks and sustainability

»Community education has been an integral component of the shift in transformation of cultures and paradigms within TCC concerning water management over the last 10 years »To be effective requires an on-going commitment to partnering-networks, and community capacity building is crucial to foster and engender city-wide ownership of catchment programs & water quality management Community-Based Education & Involvement (CBEI) »This commitment provides a basis for a co- learning environment guided by the principles of Community Development, And is reflective of both local, regional, national and international policy development shifts and needs.

»In 2004 over 2000 students were involved in local learn-scape tours visiting Townsvilles wetlands, waterways, coastal scapes and catchments from: Hilltops and Summits, Lakes & Waterways, Water Treatment Facilities, Wastewater/Water Recycling Treatment Plants, Creeks & Pollution Control systems, Strand Wind Turbine (renewable energy education), and Marine Environment »Eco-catchment tours are an excellent way to celebrate annual environmental events and activities such as: - World Wetlands Day - World Water Day - World Ocean Day

»Eco-catchment tours now underpin the community framework for fostering city-wide catchment education and involvement by simply showing the community the environment that we live in »The tours have facilitated and are building capacity for enhanced community participation in environmental activities and on-going, long- term ownership of local environments and habitats as well as generating interest, awareness and appreciation for the local environment

Creekwatch »Creekwatch is setup to empower community ownership and participation where it is otherwise missing or resources are poor »Provides an appropriate framework of support, flexible, teambuilding & diversity of activities for participants »There are three locally active Creekwatch community groups within the Townsville region: - Louisa Creekwatch - Sachs Creekwatch - Mundy Creekwatch

Coast & Marine Community Groups supported by Creek to Coral and Townsville City Council Reef Check - Townsville Seagrass Watch

From Victorian Sustainable School Programme, 2002

» Reporting back and providing information to community on environment & water mgt - Townsvilles NAD & SOE Has included development of the Councils innovative and dynamic web- based Townsville Regional Natural Assets Database (NAD) and State of Environment Report (SOE)

Thank you