Waterhouse et al., 2002:

"There are 23 islands in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park that operate resorts, residential properties, campgrounds and their associated sewage treatment plants (STP). Twenty-eight islands were reviewed in a study in 2002, consisting of 34 STPs as some islands have multiple resorts and facilities.  Other than the six (6) island resorts with sewage outfalls in the GBRMP the other islands are reusing 100% of effluent generated or have composting toilets. It is illegal to discharge sewage into the marine park without a permit from the GBRMPA. Under GBRMPA's 2002 Sewage Discharge Policy all STP discharging into the Marine Park are required to achieve Tertiary Standard (nutrient removal)."
 

Island based sewage treatment facilities

 

From Waterhouse et al., 2002 and the Queensland Government's State Coastal Management Plan:

33 of the 42 major coastal STP adjacent to the Marine Park discharge all or a portion of their treated effluent into waterways that drain into the Marine Park. 

Thirteen STPs incorporate some degree of land irrigation.

There are also many smaller coastal communities that still use septic tank systems with absorption or evaporative trenches adjacent to the GBRWHA.

Under Queensland State Coastal Management Plan, local governments are required to impose coastal STP to nutrient removal standards by 2010.

Both the Australian and Queensland governments have provided financial assistance to assist communities to upgrade their sewage systems.

The extent that these communities with septic systems may pose a risk to the health of the inshore GBR has not been fully assessed, and while their contribution to total loads is generally small, their impacts at a local level could be significant and this merits further investigation.

Sewage treatment facilities adjacent to the Marine Park

 Data sourced the National Pollution Inventory, an increasing proportion of the catchment's sewage is tertiary treated.

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Citation and/or URL

Department of Environment, Water Heritage and the Arts, 2007, National Pollution Inventory 2006/07, Commonwealth Government of Australia.

Queensland State Coastal Management Plan 2002 http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/environmental_management/coast_and_oceans/coastal_management/state_coastal_management_plan/

Waterhouse, J. and Johnson, J. (2002).  Sewage Discharges in the Great Barrier Reef Region.  Water 29(5) August 2002 pp. 43-49.

 

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Spatial Coverage

1.  Queensland

2.  Great Barrier Reef catchment

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Temporal Coverage

1.  2006 - 2007

2.  2002 - 2002

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Update Frequency

 

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Other Information

None