Extent and rate of change of freshwater wetland systems
Key Finding
More than 94% of the pre-European settlement extent of freshwater wetlands in Queensland remained in 2017. Changes in the extent of freshwater wetlands have been monitored in Queensland since 2001. The rate of freshwater wetland loss reduced to 0.05% during 2005–2009 and 0.02% in 2009–2013. Between 2013 and 2017 that rate has increased to 0.13% due to agricultural expansion and infrastructure development.
Of the 3 freshwater wetland systems — lacustrine, palustrine, riverine — the greatest ongoing losses have occurred in riverine and palustrine systems in the Gulf and North East Coast Drainage (Great Barrier Reef) divisions.
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Queensland
At a statewide scale, an estimated 94% of pre-clear extent of freshwater wetland remains. Estimated historical loss of wetlands is unevenly distributed across drainage divisions and basins:
- 48% remaining in the North East Coast (non-Great Barrier Reef) division
- 82% remaining in the North East Coast (Great Barrier Reef) division
- 81% remaining in the Murray Darling division
- close to 100% remaining in other divisions.
Ongoing loss between 2001–2017 periods continued. The overall loss during the 2013–2017 period was 8,068ha, a rate of 2,017ha/yr. This equates to 0.13% of 2017 extent.
Divisions with highest ongoing loss were:
- Gulf division (4,591ha, 0.3%)
- North East Coast (Great Barrier Reef) division (1,944ha, 0.2%).
The estimated historical and current loss of wetlands has mainly occurred due to drainage, clearing or levelling of lowland parts of catchments associated with intensive agriculture and urbanisation. The greatest losses have occurred in the palustrine and riverine systems.
- Loss of palustrine wetlands between 2001 and 2017 has decreased from 2,877ha (2001–2005) to 1,010ha (2013–2017).
- Loss of riverine wetlands increased from 4,829ha (2001–2005) to about 7,125ha (2013–2017).
The greatest riverine loss is believed to have been associated with agricultural expansion in the Gulf (Gilbert River region). Other losses were associated with agricultural expansion in the Murray Darling and North East Coast (Great Barrier Reef) divisions as well as urban and infrastructure development on the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Moreton Bay council areas.
In addition to the drainage divisions, the ‘other’ category represented in the data includes islands within Queensland waters as well as discrepancies in catchment coverages and coastline.
Disclaimer: The State of the Environment report 2020 (SoE2020) wetlands statistics are not comparable with previous SoE report figures. The SoE2020 statistics are based on the most recently available wetlands and other updated data. The different versions of the wetlands mapping (e.g. 2017 – v4; 2020 – v5) and other datasets are not comparable due to a number of factors such as updated source data, improved data capture methods. Therefore differences between SoE reports do not reflect an actual wetland extent change on-ground and only statistics within each SoE report should be compared.
Bulloo
Historical loss of freshwater wetland extent in the Bulloo drainage division has been minimal, with close to 100% (of pre-clear extent) remaining.
Loss of palustrine wetlands has been ongoing over the 2001–2005, 2005–2009, and 2009–2013 periods and remained constant between 15–20ha over each period (a rate of 4–5ha/yr). There was no loss between 2013–2017.
Disclaimer: The State of the Environment report 2020 (SoE2020) wetlands statistics are not comparable with previous SoE report figures. The SoE2020 statistics are based on the most recently available wetlands and other updated data. The different versions of the wetlands mapping (e.g. 2017 – v4; 2020 – v5) and other datasets are not comparable due to a number of factors such as updated source data, improved data capture methods. Therefore differences between SoE reports do not reflect an actual wetland extent change on-ground and only statistics within each SoE report should be compared.
Gulf
Historical loss of freshwater wetland extent in the Gulf drainage division has been minimal, with close to 100% (of pre-clear extent) remaining. Historical loss is evenly distributed across catchments with more than 97% remaining in all basins.
Change in extent over the 2001–2017 periods has been variable and difficult to quantify due to natural change caused by meandering river systems on flat plains.
Overall loss for the Gulf drainage division during the 2009–2017 period was 4,591ha (0.03%) — a rate of 1,148ha/yr. The greatest riverine loss is believed to have been associated with agricultural expansion in the Gilbert River region.
Disclaimer: The State of the Environment report 2020 (SoE2020) wetlands statistics are not comparable with previous SoE report figures. The SoE2020 statistics are based on the most recently available wetlands and other updated data. The different versions of the wetlands mapping (e.g. 2017 – v4; 2020 – v5) and other datasets are not comparable due to a number of factors such as updated source data, improved data capture methods. Therefore differences between SoE reports do not reflect an actual wetland extent change on-ground and only statistics within each SoE report should be compared.
Lake Eyre
Historical loss of freshwater wetland extent in the Queensland Lake Eyre drainage division has been minimal, with close to 100% (of pre-clear extent) remaining.
Ongoing loss over the 2001–2005, 2005–2009 and 2009–2013 periods includes palustrine wetlands, which decreased from 45ha in 2001–2005 to 19ha in the 2013–2017 reporting period.
Disclaimer: The State of the Environment report 2020 (SoE2020) wetlands statistics are not comparable with previous SoE report figures. The SoE2020 statistics are based on the most recently available wetlands and other updated data. The different versions of the wetlands mapping (e.g. 2017 – v4; 2020 – v5) and other datasets are not comparable due to a number of factors such as updated source data, improved data capture methods. Therefore differences between SoE reports do not reflect an actual wetland extent change on-ground and only statistics within each SoE report should be compared.
Murray Darling
Historical loss of freshwater wetland extent in the Queensland Murray Darling Basin division is unevenly distributed. The Condamine and Balonne sub-basins have less than 50% of palustrine wetlands remaining. Historical loss of palustrine wetlands in the Moonie and Macintyre Brook has resulted in less than 25% remaining.
Ongoing net loss of wetlands over the 2001–2005, 2005–2009, 2009–2013 and 2013–2017 periods has continued to decrease from an initial high rate of more than 1,459ha to 901ha — a rate of 225ha/yr. There were an additional 53ha lost in 2013–2017 than during the 2009–2013 period. The loss of wetlands from 2001–2005 would have been higher but the figures also display a significant amount of modified wetlands which was converted from riverine to lacustrine, through bunding.
Most of the loss was due to broad acre land clearing of riverine and palustrine wetlands, primarily in the Warrego basin.
Disclaimer: The State of the Environment report 2020 (SoE2020) wetlands statistics are not comparable with previous SoE report figures. The SoE2020 statistics are based on the most recently available wetlands and other updated data. The different versions of the wetlands mapping (e.g. 2017 – v4; 2020 – v5) and other datasets are not comparable due to a number of factors such as updated source data, improved data capture methods. Therefore differences between SoE reports do not reflect an actual wetland extent change on-ground and only statistics within each SoE report should be compared.
North East Coast (GBR)
While over 80% of (pre-clear extent) freshwater wetland remains in North East Coast Great Barrier Reef (GBR) drainage division, historical loss is unevenly distributed across basins. Many of the sub-basins in Cape York Peninsula have close to 100% remaining whereas the Boyne and Auburn, Kolan, Upper Burnett, Mossman, Mulgrave, Murray and Tully sub-basins have about 50% remaining.
Historical loss of palustrine wetlands has resulted in less than 25% remaining in the Boyne and Auburn, Upper and Lower Burnett, Calliope, Kolan and North Johnstone basins.
The Styx, Shoalwater, Ross and Barratta sub-basin along the east coast have more than 100% (of pre-clearing) extent of palustrine wetlands remaining. This is usually associated with the conversion of estuarine plains to freshwater wetlands by bunding, a common practice in many coastal basins. Increases in extent due to bunding may affect net results by division or totals for each basin.
Ongoing loss over 2001–2017 has occurred to riverine and palustrine wetlands.
Net loss for the North East Coast GBR drainage division for 2013–2017 was 1,944ha (0.2% of 2017 extent), a rate of 486ha/yr.
Net loss of palustrine wetlands for the North East Coast (GBR) drainage division for 2013–2017 was 327ha, at a rate of 82ha/year (0.03% of 2017 extent).
Sub-basins recording loss of palustrine wetlands of more than 10ha over the 2013–2017 period were:
- Baffle (89ha)
- Barratta (19ha)
- Burrum (12ha)
- Fitzroy (32ha)
- Herbert (31ha)
- Mackenzie (69ha)
- Murray (32ha)
- Styx (13ha).
Sub-basins recording loss of riverine wetlands of more than 10ha over the 2013–2017 period were:
- Baffle (38ha)
- Boyne & Auburn (45ha)
- Comet (49ha)
- Dawson (229ha)
- Don (11ha)
- Fitzroy (52ha)
- Isaac (171ha)
- Isis (23ha)
- Kolan (29ha)
- Lower Burdekin (86ha)
- Lower Burnett (14ha)
- Lower Mary (29ha)
- Mackenzie (160ha)
- Nogoa (66ha)
- Proserpine (31ha)
- Suttor (378ha)
- Upper Burdekin (16ha)
- Upper Burnett (131ha)
- Upper Mary (22ha)
- Waterpark Creek (24ha).
Disclaimer: The State of the Environment report 2020 (SoE2020) wetlands statistics are not comparable with previous SoE report figures. The SoE2020 statistics are based on the most recently available wetlands and other updated data. The different versions of the wetlands mapping (e.g. 2017 – v4; 2020 – v5) and other datasets are not comparable due to a number of factors such as updated source data, improved data capture methods. Therefore differences between SoE reports do not reflect an actual wetland extent change on-ground and only statistics within each SoE report should be compared.
North East Coast (Non GBR)
Historical loss of freshwater wetland extent in the North East Coast non-Great Barrier Reef (GBR) drainage division is unevenly distributed across basins. While just under 50% of the pre-clear extent remains for the division, only 3 sub-basins — Lockyer, Noosa and Brisbane — have more than 50%: Coomera and Nerang, North Pine and South Pine River sub-basins have less than 25% remaining.
Ongoing loss over the 2001–2017 period has been mostly to palustrine and riverine wetlands. Overall loss for the division during 2013–2017 period was 349ha or 87ha/yr.
Sub-basins with highest ongoing loss (2001–2017) were:
- Maroochy (529ha)
- Noosa (360ha).
Loss of palustrine wetland over the 2013–2017 period continued to decrease from 617ha in 2001–2005 to 293ha in 2013–2017. Sub-basins with loss of palustrine wetlands greater than 10ha between 2013–2017 are:
- Bremer (15ha)
- Caboolture (39ha)
- Coomera and Nerang (53ha)
- Maroochy (71ha)
- Noosa (24ha)
- North Pine (45ha)
- South Pine (26ha).
Sub-basins recording loss of riverine wetland of more than 10ha over the 2013–2017 period were:
- Lockyer (19ha)
- Maroochy (15ha)
- Noosa (13ha).
Disclaimer: The State of the Environment report 2020 (SoE2020) wetlands statistics are not comparable with previous SoE report figures. The SoE2020 statistics are based on the most recently available wetlands and other updated data. The different versions of the wetlands mapping (e.g. 2017 – v4; 2020 – v5) and other datasets are not comparable due to a number of factors such as updated source data, improved data capture methods. Therefore differences between SoE reports do not reflect an actual wetland extent change on-ground and only statistics within each SoE report should be compared.
More information:
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Metadata
Comparison between pre-clear (pre-European settlement extent) and remnant (current extent) freshwater wetland mapping. Categories by broad wetland system definition classes: lacustrine, riverine, palustrine. Data is based on the latest Queensland Wetland Mapping (version 5).
Change (loss or gain) in wetland extent as a result of clearing. Categories by broad wetland system definition classes: lacustrine, riverine, palustrine. Data is based on the latest Queensland Wetland Mapping (version 5).