Wells urges community effort to improve Nerang River water quality

Environment Minister Dean Wells today urged Gold Coast businesses and residents to make every effort to "maintain and improve" the health of the Nerang River.

Mr Wells said the Nerang River supplied a precious water resource as well as playing a crucial environmental role. Additionally, it provided a scenic amenity and the setting for a host of social, sporting and recreational uses.

Mr Wells inspected a section of the Nerang River today.

"Not enough people understand and appreciate the enormous importance of the Nerang River," said Mr Wells.

"The more we realise its value and significance, then the more we will do to protect its health and well-being."

Mr Wells said the Nerang River exhibited good water quality. In the 2003 Healthy Waterways Report Card the river's freshwater reaches were rated as fair, and the estuary and Broadwater sections were rated as good.

The report card was prepared on the basis of water quality monitoring by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Mr Wells said the South East Queensland Healthy Waterways monitoring program was extended last year to include Gold Coast waterways.

"There are very substantial impacts and pressures on rivers like the Nerang River", Mr Wells said.

"We have to manage impacts and pressures in a way that we can achieve sustainable use of the river and the water resource it provides."

"While the current water quality rating is good, there is still a lot of room for improvement. It's a job for the whole community."

Mr Wells said he hoped Gold Coast businesses and residents would respond positively and tangibly to the challenge of achieving sustainable use of the Nerang River, beginning by working to improve the B minus rating for the estuary and Broadwater sections, and the C plus rating for the river's freshwater reaches.

Media contact: Annastacia Palaszczuk (07) 3225 1819 or 0419 679 354