Rehab: It's a process (#51)
Joanne M Burton
1
,
James Grove
2
,
Marijke Heenan
3
,
Cathy Ellis
3
,
Natasha Jones
3
,
Remy Usher
3
,
Rachel Miller
3
,
Trent Munns
3
,
Michael Newham
3
,
Mike Ronan
3
- Council of Mayors SEQ, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland Government, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
- Triggers for river rehabilitation are often related to one threat, for one stake holder, or due to processes occurring at a single site. Consequently funding, planning and implementation of river rehabilitation often take a narrow approach creating the potential for inefficient and ineffective investment. River rehabilitation works planned without consideration of the broader biophysical and social context and the value system of stakeholders can have unintended outcomes.
- The Queensland Aquatic Ecosystem Rehabilitation Process (AERP) was developed to provide a comprehensive and integrated, whole-of-system, values-based approach to decision making. The process ensures that management decisions are informed by linking an understanding of the biophysical components and processes of the aquatic ecosystem, at multiple scales, and its intrinsic values with the goals and values of stakeholders and beneficiaries of the provided ecosystem services. Extensive research and stakeholder engagement were used to create a consistent and transparent approach, guiding users on how to develop a well-scoped rehabilitation plan.
- The AERP emphasises the need to place management sites in the context of a whole of catchment understanding and to also include a monitoring and maintenance program after implementation. These are major gaps in many current funding arrangements.Â
- A clear process, applicable to a range of practitioners, was needed to guide the decision-making processes for rehabilitation of Queensland’s rivers and aquatic ecosystems. This will produce optimised benefits from investment. The AERP has been adopted by the Queensland Government and is being adopted by local councils, NRM groups and other stakeholders carrying out rehabilitation projects across Queensland, including the Resilient Rivers Initiative.
- Department of Environment and Science 2022, Queensland River Rehabilitation Management Guideline, Version 1.0, DES, Brisbane,
Queensland.
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