Submission on Proposed Amendments to the Queensland Regional Planning Interests Act 2014 in relation to the Queensland portion of the Lake Eyre Basin

There is widespread evidence that the ecological health of the Lake Eyre Basin rivers is in good condition, reflected in the recent assessment of basin condition and other assessments . In addition, long- 4 term surveys of more than 50 waterbird species over three decades indicate that the waterbird community is highly variable but with few trends, apart from migratory shorebirds and fish communities are also in good condition, contrasting other river systems in Australia. In addition, there are relatively few major development pressures although they are increasing, particularly in relation to mining. To this extent, the Lake Eyre Basin Agreement has been highly successful. This was also reflected in the winning of the National River Prize in 2014 and the international river prize in 2015, the first time that these prizes have been awarded to river protection, rather than river rehabilitation. There has been a long period of development of protections for the flows of the Lake Eyre Basin Rivers, including the Lake Eyre Basin Agreement to which the Queensland Government is a signatory. It is critical that this well established ecological and cultural health and condition of the Lake Eyre Basin rivers in Queensland and elsewhere are maintained.

See the full submission in PDF form below.