The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) regulates structures and the discharge of treated sewage within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Marine Park) and any land-based facilities on Commonwealth Islands within the Marine Park.

Environmental effects

The environmental impacts of sewage discharges on the marine environment vary depending on effluent volume, pre-treatment, dispersal characteristics and location of the discharge point but have the potential to cause:

• Eutrophication of coastal waters due to chronic inputs of nutrients and organic matter
• Impacts associated with the accumulation of toxicants such as heavy metals in marine organisms and sediments
• Changes to the species composition of marine communities to higher abundances of species that are tolerant to pollution
• Long-term degradation of sensitive environments such as coral communities and seagrass meadows by chronic exposure.

Reuse

• The GBRMPA recognises that the appropriate use of reclaimed water and nutrient reduction treatment technologies can significantly reduce the load of nutrients released to the Marine Park. In cooperation with the Queensland Government, the GBRMPA seeks to ensure that all effluent reuse is conducted in an ecologically sustainable manner, and in accordance with the Queensland Water Recycling Strategy and the Queensland Guidelines for the Safe Use of Recycled Water.
• The GBRMPA supports and encourages initiatives where sewage treatment plants (STP) within and adjacent to the Marine Park are upgraded in accordance with the Wastewater Discharges to Coastal Waters Policy for nutrient removal in the State Coastal Management Plan – Queensland’s Coastal Policy.
• The GBRMPA encourages the use of non-chemical disinfection methods for treated sewage discharges prior to its release via marine outfalls to the Marine Park.

Current load-based policy

• Applications for permission to operate a marine outfall and/or to discharge treated sewage into the Marine Park will be assessed using a nutrient load-based approach
• Load-based permissions will contain:
  • A maximum load of Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus that can be discharged into the Marine Park in a given time period (eg annual or month) (assessed on a case-by-case basis)
  • Maximum concentration limits to address acute impacts (assessed on a case-by-case basis)
  • A requirement to monitor and report on the load of nutrients and the volume of sewage discharged into the Marine Park
  • Load-based permissions will require application of an Environmental Management Charge as set out in the Regulations.

Marine outfalls should not be constructed:

• Within 50 metres of a permitted mooring or anchorage
• Within 1000 metres of aquaculture operations, or an area regularly used for swimming or other water-based activities, unless it can be demonstrated that there will be no adverse impacts on the operation or activities
• Within 1000 metres of sensitive environments, unless it can be demonstrated that there will be no adverse impacts on the protection of aquatic ecosystems.

For a marine outfall to be approved the GBRMPA will require:

• The outfall structure design optimises diffusion and dispersal
• The design of the system includes consideration of water depth (deep water is preferred - that is, greater than 10 metres), current velocity, tidal range and proximity to reefs or other sensitive environments.

Permission matters

• The sewage treatment plant must be under the control of a qualified operator
• All permittees must provide an Environmental Impact Management Plan for the operation and management of the sewage treatment plant, including monitoring and contingency arrangements - it will be a condition on the permission that the sewage treatment plant is operated in accordance with its Environmental Impact Management Plan
• In the event of contingencies outside of permitted activities, such as operational failures or the discharge of sewage via an existing marine outfall during wet weather conditions that preclude effluent reuse, the operator must comply with their Environmental Impact Management Plan and notify the GBRMPA of the incident within 24 hours
• Where practicable, the monitoring and reporting requirements specified in the permit conditions will be complementary with the Queensland Government to avoid duplication of effort by operators
• If the removal of an existing marine outfall is not a condition of a current marine outfall permit, then this requires a separate permission for works in the Marine Park.

Further information

The complete policies on sewage are:

• For Outfall [ Acrobat Format 107.26KB ]
• For Vessels