Harbour Health and Water Sampling
Media Releases | Water Quality Improvements | Types of Water Testing in 2011 | Types of Water Testing 2010 | Beach Water Quality Testing
Darwin Harbour plays an important ecological and economical role for Territorians and it is important to protect this valuable asset. The Territory Government oversees a number of monitoring and research programs and have in place management strategies to ensure the health of the Harbour. This will ensure the protection of its environmental, cultural and heritage values.
Darwin Harbour Beach Water Quality Taskforce – Initial Report Released
A taskforce established to investigate the sources and pathways of bacteria affecting water quality on Darwin beaches and waterways has released its Initial Report to the Territory Government.
The Darwin Harbour Beach Water Quality Taskforce Initial Report makes several recommendations to the Territory Government and includes measures already being implemented and the continuation of the beach monitoring program, which has been underway since May 2010.
Significantly, the report reveals the beach water quality monitoring program undertaken so far has been best practice, but there does not appear to be a single source of bacterial contamination of Darwin beaches and waterways.
The taskforce, established by the Territory Government in August 2011 following the ongoing closures of Darwin beaches, is chaired by Charles Darwin University Professor Andrew Campbell. Prof Campbell has played influential roles in policy as a senior executive in the Australian Government and in research management as the CEO of Land and Water Australia from 2000 to 2006.
The taskforce also includes senior officers from the Department of Health, the Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport, the Power Water Corporation, the Darwin City Council and the Palmerston City Council.
View December 2011 media release
View August 2011 media release
Testing in 2011
The Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport (NRETAS), conducts a number of monitoring programs in Darwin Harbour, monitoring a range of water quality and biological indicators. Some of these programs have been established to monitor ambient conditions in the Harbour, while other programs have been initiated in response to a specific incident or discharge.
In 2009 and 2010, NRETAS produced a suite of Darwin Harbour Report Cards, which provided a snapshot of the water quality and health of aquatic ecosystems across the Harbour and its catchment. The Report Cards summarised water quality and biological health data collected by the NRETAS Aquatic Health Unit between 2001 to 2010, from 40 freshwater and 30 estuarine monitoring sites in Darwin Harbour.
Routine sampling of the waterways will continue in 2011 and will include:
Data and results obtained from all 2010 and 2011 testing and analysis are now available on this website and will continue to be updated regularly.
Testing in 2010
In early June 2010, high counts of E. coli and Enterococci bacteria were detected at beaches around Darwin in levels above public health safety guidelines. The Department of Health (DoH) was forced to close beaches in the Darwin area to swimming and fishing.
Shortly after in mid June 2010, an algal bloom (Lyngbya majuscula) outbreak was detected at various beaches which needed to be cleaned up.
In response, the DoH, NRETAS, the Power and Water Corporation (PWC) and Darwin City Council (DCC) conducted a extensive monitoring regime to restore and maintain the health and protection of the waterways and to ensure the water was safe for recreational use with a focus on beaches, tidal creeks and mixing zones.
Between August and November 2010, NRETAS and PWC conducted additional fortnightly monitoring in the mixing zones associated with wastewater discharge points and offshore from Fannie Bay, in order to determine whether there were any links between high levels of bacteria at beaches. No links were found and as such, Mixing Zone Testing and Ambient Offshore Testing at Fannie Bay were discontinued in 2011.
Government funding
The Territory Government announced in December 2010, it would increase monitoring and research in Darwin Harbour, providing additional funding of $0.8 million per year for high priority monitoring and research activities. Enhanced monitoring of Darwin Harbour will include:
- additional water quality monitoring to provide additional data for the Darwin Harbour Region Report Cards;
- enhanced monitoring of dolphin and dugong populations in Darwin Harbour and in Bynoe Harbour;
- a comprehensive fish monitoring program at over 30 sites in Darwin Harbour and in Bynoe Harbour;
- new monitoring of critical habitats such as coral reefs and seagrass beds to detect any long term changes in health;
- monitoring to detect bioaccumulation of pollutants;
- monitoring of flood plumes and stormwater flows into the Harbour; and
- improved modelling of water flows and currents in the Harbour.
In addition, the Territory Government will contribute $0.5 million over two years to the development of comprehensive maps to describe the seabed habitats of Darwin Harbour.
Other Initiatives to Protect and Improve Harbour Health
Other initiatives to protect and improve Harbour health and enhance monitoring efforts include:
- the Larrakeyah Outfall Closure Plan by the Power and Water Corporation, which is part of their broader Darwin Region Sewerage Strategy.
- The East Point outfall tidal study by the Power and Water Corporation, aimed at improving understanding of tides and currents in this area of the harbour to help predict the dispersion of treated wastewater discharged into Darwin Harbour.
- Enhanced monitoring efforts by the Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport, establishing additional monitoring sites, urban tidal creek testing, ambient offshore water testing and the production of Darwin Harbour Region Report Cards.
- The development of the Darwin Harbour Strategy, a comprehensive guide for the responsible stewardship and sustainable development of the Darwin Harbour region, prepared by the Darwin Harbour Advisory Committee (DHAC) and endorsed by the Territory Government in June 2010.
- The development of the Darwin Harbour Integrated Monitoring and Research Program that will draw together existing monitoring and research programs undertaken by various stakeholders into an integrated program to improve understanding of the health of the Harbour and to provide a tool for environmental planning and decision making.