Call for decisive action on soil run-off to improve the health of Moreton Bay

Peak horticulture body Growcom today urged decisive action in the Moreton Bay catchment to tackle declining water quality and to ensure Brisbane’s water supply is not under threat every time there is a major storm event.

According to a report released by Healthy Waterways yesterday, the environmental health of Moreton Bay has declined again because of increased soil run-off.

Growcom’s Chief Advocate Rachel Mackenzie said that the monitoring work of Healthy Waterways was excellent but it was time to stop hand wringing and start acting.

“Growcom has been working on horticultural farms in Great Barrier Reef catchments along the Queensland coastline for a number of years and has assisted growers to achieve excellent results in improving farm practices to improve water quality through the federal Reef Rescue program,” said Ms Mackenzie.

“We are proposing a similar approach in the Moreton Bay catchment to accelerate improved sediment management on farm and deliver measureable results for the Bay,” she said.

“The best thing about this approach is that it represents real value for money. Working at the source of the problem will deliver a return on investment of nearly 7:1 when you compare it to other expensive approaches such as replacing water infrastructure.”

Growcom, is working in an alliance with SEQ Catchments, the Queensland Farmers’ Federation and the Queensland Conservation Council who have put forward a detailed proposal for both the Federal and State governments to tackle soil run-off in the Moreton Bay Catchment and are hoping for a favourable response.

“We recognise that times are tight but this is definitely a case of spending a relatively modest amount now to prevent the need for massive investment at a crisis point,” said Ms Mackenzie.

“It is definitely a case of spend a penny to save a pound.”

For more information:
Rachel Mackenzie
Tel: +61 7 3620 3844