Fraser Coast Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy

The Lenthall Dam tailwater area will be permanently closed to keep the community safe.

Fraser Coast Regional Councillor Zane O’Keefe said Lake Lenthall was a fantastic recreational facility for those who enjoy camping, boating, fishing and kayaking, but it was important everyone stayed away from the tailwater area below the spillway.

“Lake Lenthall is stocked with barramundi and Australian bass so is a popular spot for recreational fishing, but a growing number of fishers have been accessing an area immediately downstream of the dam,” he said.

“This area can be dangerous as large volumes of water can be released rapidly when the dam gates operate.

“Council has signs installed highlighting that the area is a no-go zone but unfortunately, some members of the public continue to ignore public safety advice and are willing to risk their lives just to go fishing.

“This reckless behaviour is not on. Council has resolved to permanently close the area below Lenthalls Dam spillway to public access under our local laws so that people who repeatedly enter this area can be issued with fines.

“The closure of a 5.7 hectare section of the area downstream of Lenthalls Dam aligns with what occurs in State Government controlled public waterways, which are generally closed to fishing up to 600 metres downstream of water infrastructure such as dams, weirs and barrages.”

More information about Lake Lenthall, including the rules around camping, boating and fishing in the area, is available here - https://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/lake-lenthall

Fraser Coast Regional Council has adopted a new strategy to support and guide how the region’s drinking water catchments are managed over the next decade.

Cr Darren Everard said three separate catchments supplied the Fraser Coast with drinking water.

“Drinking water catchments are areas where the natural landscape collects rainwater which eventually flows via creeks, rivers and underground systems into drinking water storages, such as dams, weirs and barrages,” he said.

“The Fraser Coast’s drinking water catchment areas are along the Burrum River, the Mary River and Tinana Creek, and maintaining these catchments is vital for ensuring a safe water supply for our community.

“These catchments don’t just provide drinking water though. They also support various land uses, including agriculture, grazing, forestry and residential properties.

“In addition, our drinking water catchments are home to a range of species of plants and animals, provide opportunities for recreation such as boating, fishing and kayaking, and include culturally significant areas like the Wongi Waterholes.”

Cr Everard said the strategy was developed following extensive stakeholder and community consultation, with the community asked what land and water values were most important to them.

“We thank the community for providing feedback, which enabled Council to finalise the strategy and the five key principles to guide how our drinking water catchments will be managed,” he said.

The five principles of the Fraser Coast Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy are:

• Prioritise through long-term planning and investment;
• Protect through Council and key stakeholder programs and projects;
• Understand and apply through sampling, monitoring, surveillance and research;
• Educate and collaborate through sharing knowledge, resources and projects with the community and key stakeholders;
• Value beyond providing safe and reliable drinking water, focusing on environmental, cultural, social and economic values.

A copy of the Fraser Coast Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy is available on this engagmeent project page here: https://frasercoast.engagementhub.com.au/drinking-water-catchment in the Document Library, can be dowloaded immediately here: https://frasercoast.engagementhub.com.au/projects/download/15550/ProjectDocument or on the Coucnil's main website at https://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/publications.

Thank you for telling us what is important to you about the Fraser Coast's drinking water catchments

We received hundreds of feedback responses and comments, and are currently reviewing these as we draft our Fraser Coast Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy.

We hope to have a draft strategy ready for review by our key stakeholders later this year or early 2023.

Fraser Coast residents are being encouraged to have their say on what they would prefer to see happen in and around the region’s drinking water catchments.

Cr David Lee said there were three separate catchments that supplied the Fraser Coast with drinking water, and Council was looking to determine the community’s priorities around how Council should help manage these catchments.

“Drinking water catchments are areas where rainwater is collected by the natural landscape and eventually flows via creeks, rivers and underground systems into drinking water storages, such as dams, weirs and barrages,” he said.

“The Fraser Coast’s drinking water catchment areas are located along the Burrum River, the Mary River and Tinana Creek.

“These catchments don’t just provide drinking water though. They also support a wide range of land uses, including agriculture, grazing, forestry and residential properties.

“In addition, our drinking water catchments are home to a range of species of plants and animals, provide opportunities for recreation such as boating, fishing and kayaking, and include culturally significant areas like the Wongi Waterholes.

“Maintaining healthy catchments with good quality water is vital for the community and it’s vital for the environment.”

Cr Lee said Council had developed a series of catchment management guiding principles and was asking community members their views on these principles, as well as what land and water values were most important to them.

The five draft principles for the Fraser Coast Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy are:

• Council will prioritise drinking water catchment management actions through long-term planning and investment.
• Council will protect our drinking water catchments through Council run and key stakeholder led programs and projects.
• Council will seek to understand and then apply this understanding of our drinking water catchments through targeted sampling, monitoring, surveillance, and actions.
• Council will educate and collaborate with the community and key stakeholders about drinking water catchment knowledge, resources and projects.
• Council will value our drinking water catchments beyond the provision of safe and reliable drinking water focusing on environmental, cultural, social, and economic values.

Council has developed a Drinking Water Catchment Management page on its Engagement Hub website - https://frasercoast.engagementhub.com.au/drinking-water-catchment - which includes a range of fact sheets and a short online survey.

Council officers will also have copies of the survey to fill out at selected markets throughout the region in coming weeks.