Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) The Integrated Catchment Management approach recognises that all changes in land use within a catchment affect its waterways and associated aquatic and marine habitats. Oxley Creek is an important tributary of the Brisbane River which empties into Moreton Bay. The western part of Moreton Bay is seriously degraded and our fishing and tourism industries are under threat because of our imperfect catchment management practices. To improve our methods all residents of the catchment including members of the community, officers from local and state government, and members of the business community, must join together to ensure protection of the natural resources for future generations. Oxley Creek catchment provides a good example of the need for ICM in south east Queensland. The land area and waterways of the catchment come under numerous jurisdictions including four local government areas, parts of five federal electorates, ten council ward areas, and parts of six state electorates. There are over 100 000 people living in the catchment. One of the major industrial areas of Brisbane - Acacia Ridge - is located in the catchment. Major extractive industry sites are located alongside core conservation areas. By integrating management of the land of the catchment, the ICM approach aims for more effective coordination of activities and resources.
	click to see a larger map of the Oxley Creek Catchment Management Plan.		The Catchment Management Plan (CMP) for Oxley Creek. A Catchment Management Plan provides a blueprint for future planning and action. This CMP produced in 1999, built on the knowledge gained from the State of the Catchment Report (Kinhill 1996), and other technical studies that have been undertaken. The Oxley Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee (O4C) together with many other members of the community, government and industry began the consultation and planning for the CMP early in 1998 and Mary Maher and Associates were given the task of drawing the document together. The O4C is most grateful for the financial and technical support provided by the Environmental Protection Agency through the Brisbane River Management Group, and the local authorities of Brisbane City Council, Beaudesert Shire Council and Logan City Council. During the process of evolving this CMP, the following vision for the catchment was proposed: "Using community action and multi-agency cooperation, revitalise the catchment and its waterways to support healthy ecosystems, and to ensure a resource that is available for the sustainable use and enjoyment of all." Four parameters, water quality, waterway conditions, catchment conditions and access and amenity were examined. Water Quality is a measurement of how clean the water is. It is not acceptable in the lower, more northerly part of the catchment and also some of the reaches upstream are degraded. There is some evidence that suggests that the poor water quality conditions of 1988-1990 have shown an improvement, however the levels of suspended solids, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and faecal coliforms were found to be unsatisfactory. These unsatisfactory measurements are due to stormwater run-off, land development, sewage effluent, sand extraction and sewer overflows in extreme rainfall and power outage events. Waterway Conditions describe the degree of integrity of the bed and banks of the creek and its tributaries, and of the riparian vegetation, together with the potential for flooding. Bed and banks were found to be particularly degraded in the middle reaches, and extensive areas of riparian vegetation and wetlands in the whole of the catchment need management and buffering. In addition, it was found that flooding is a problem in the lower catchment and could be exacerbated as development increases. Catchment conditions examine whether the rocks and soils in the catchment are erodible and the degree of vegetation cover and biodiversity. The catchment was found to have extensive areas of moderate to very high soil erosion risk across large areas, primarily associated with soil type and to a lesser extent, slope. Vegetation with high biodiversity exists in core areas such as Spring Mountain to rural Beaudesert uplands and the Greenbank Military Training Area. These are identified as Critical Conservation Areas. There are major remnants such as Parkinson bushland north and south of the Logan Motorway, and Toohey Forest (partially outside the catchment). Major linkages exist providing for ecological movements and maintenance of species diversity. These join Flinders Peak, Spring Mountain, Greenbank Military Training Area, Karawatha Forest and Bulimba Creek. There is potential for a "Flinders Peak to Bay Islands Corridor". The access to the creek and tributaries and the amenity it offers describes the ease with which residents can gain access to public open space along the creek. The access to waterways in the lower catchment is discontinuous and focused around small local parks. Reduced opportunities for recreation exist. However, opportunities for extension of the waterway corridor recreation spaces in the middle and upper catchment as waterway and environmental corridors become more accepted, do exist. This Catchment Management Plan was not able to address Cultural Heritage issues. To achieve the previously stated vision for the catchment, the following must occur: Community learning about the Creek is necessary to increase the level of community ownership of what is needed for its health and vitality. Immediate remedial actions need to be achieved by using effective 'quick fix' solutions to some of the most urgent environmental problems and pressures. Effective management and authority should be a goal for all to build a framework for long term coordination and co-management between stakeholders with a planning and regulatory framework for creek sustainability. Adequate resourcing needs to occur with public and private sector partnerships, and sustainability should be built into existing government programs and sector plans. To make the implementation of the CMP over an area of approximately 260 square kilometres a little easier, it was decided to break the area into Catchment Management Units (CMUs). Each of these CMUs was then given a set of prioritised actions to follow. It is hoped that a performance reporting method will be devised to show the progress of the implementation process. For greater detail on the CMP, please refer to the original document, 1999 Oxley Creek Catchment Management Plan, available from the Oxley Creek Catchment Association Inc. Contact details: Telephone 07 3278 2899; email occa@flatrate.net.au; PO Box 217 Sherwood 4075 As part of their examination of the catchment, the Oxley Creek Catchment Association commissioned a "State of the Catchment Report (1996)". This provided a snapshot of the catchment at that time.

			State of Oxley Creek Catchment Report (1996) This report was the first ever compiled for Oxley Creek. Among other things this report:
			contains the most accurate and timely information available in 1996 about the condition of the biological, physical and social environment of Oxley Creek catchment; identifies the major pressures on environmental resources in the catchment; identifies the major environmental changes which have occured in the catchment; reviews the significant programs, activities and achievements aimed at enhancing the catchment environment.
			Water and Land Use Impact and Management Analysis (1996) This is a more detailed assessment of land use and catchment management Among other things this report:
			contains information on the resources of Oxley Creek catchment suitable for management planning as well as water, and land use modelling; references reports within the catchment relevant to management planning; identifies priority studies to fill information gaps in the catchment; established a register of federal, state and local government officers and their legislative and administrative responsibilities, along with a list of community groups which are active within the catchment.
			This report was prepared by Kinhill Cameron McNamara for the Brisbane River Management Group and the Oxley Creek Catchment Association Inc. The report is available from the Oxley Creek Catchment Association PO Box 217 Sherwood 4075 Check with your local library for a reference copy.

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