Sandy met with Unitywater to discuss a number of items including that if the Burgess Creek Integrated Catchment Management Plan (ICMP) identities needed infrastructure, would they consider contributing funding. Following this meeting, they provided the following in italics, which outlines consideration on future water or wastewater infrastructure upgrades required would be based on the outcomes of the plan.

Unitywater are supportive of the ICMP for Burgess Creek, having provided the initial $50,000 in funding to support the scoping work for this plan. We are continuing to work closely with Council throughout the development of the plan and will consider any future water or wastewater infrastructure upgrades required based on the outcomes of this plan.

We will continue to monitor this as the ICMP is being developed. As mentioned in our July 2025 Noosa 360 update, the Minister for Environment also responded to Sandy in Queensland Parliament that further funding options would be considered following the development of the plan.

Water quality

In response to enquiries regarding potential contaminants and the water quality of Burgess Creek, we requested up to date information from Unitywater, with the following in italics being received. In summary, water quality monitoring shows that the water in Burgess Creek upstream of the treatment plant is of poorer quality, because of the stormwater discharge from development and sports fields nearby.

We can confirm Unitywater has an on-going water quality monitoring program for the discharge of wastewater from the Noosa Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the entirety of Burgess Creek, including groundwater bores recently installed in partnership with Noosa Council.

The result of this water quality monitoring shows that the water in Burgess Creek upstream of the treatment plant is of poorer quality, because of the stormwater discharge from development and sports fields nearby.

The licenced discharge point at the Noosa Wastewater Treatment Plant is of a higher quality than the rest of the Burgess Catchment due to the thorough treatment and disinfection process the wastewater goes through before it is released to the creek.

The continual flow of the treated wastewater returned to the creek also helps to improve water quality by contributing to the prevention of stagnation and the growth of algae, bacteria blooms, and mosquitos during periods of dry weather.  

The Burgess Creek catchment covers approximately 545 hectares, with water draining into the creek from a range of sources throughout the surrounding landscape, which all contribute to the quality of the water in the creek.

This includes stormwater runoff from the following sources:

  • Housing and industrial estates: Stormwater can wash sediments, rubbish and pollutants into the creek. This can include compost, petrol, hydrocarbons, litter, plastics, detergents and droppings from pets.
  • Historical land uses including landfill sites: Old landfills potentially leak leachate into the catchment. Leachate is water that drains through and from a landfill. This leachate can contain pollutants which impact water quality. This is the main driver for installing the groundwater monitoring bores, as these will help Noosa Council and Unitywater understand the quality of the groundwater in the catchment area, in relation to historic local landfill sites.
  • Sports and recreational fields: Grass clippings and nutrients from fertiliser can be carried by stormwater, adding to the vegetation and nutrient loads in the creek.
  • Local vegetation including Noosa National Park: Leaves, weeds and soil can also impact a waterway’s ecological balance. Changes to water flow or runoff can damage vegetation causing them to die and release the nutrients they contain.
  • Droppings from native fauna including bats also effect the recreational water quality of the creek.

Considering this, Sandy asked for a graph of readings over the last ten year as well proper identification of levels as in ‘higher’, ‘lower’ and what benchmarks were used, with the below information in italics sent in as a response.

Water in the creek upstream of the Noosa Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) release point is considered poorer quality than water downstream of the WWTP.  The water upstream of the WWTP is highlighted for poor water quality conditions, with low pH, low dissolved oxygen, and high ammonia concentrations due to the ephemeral nature of the creek and lack of flow. The presence of elevated E.coli levels upstream of the WWTP also suggests lower water quality. Microbiological indicator levels (such as E.coli and enterococci) are lower immediately downstream of the WWTP outfall compared to upstream levels, indicating improvement in water quality due to the treated wastewater released from WWTP.

Unitywater are working closely with Noosa Council on the development of the ICMP for Burgess Creek. While this plan is still in its early stages, one possible outcome could be developing ways to make water quality information more accessible to the community, including through graphs and timelines, and we will note this suggestion to ICMP Working Group.

We have responded requesting the standard used whether it be state, federal or international. Sandy would appreciate any feedback on the above information to inform our ongoing advocacy via noosa@parliament.qld.gov.au.

Further Information

To contact the Queensland Minister for Environment, email environment@ministerial.qld.gov.au. Please copy our office in via noosa@parliament.qld.gov.au and forward us any response you receive.

To contact Noosa Council, who has jurisdiction over the Burgess Creek catchment, email mail@noosa.qld.gov.au, with information for the Mayor and Councillors available at www.noosa.qld.gov.au/About-Council/Councillors-and-meetings/Mayor-and-councillors.

To contact Unitywater, visit www.unitywater.com/about-us/contact-us. They are a statutory authority with three shareholders – Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Noosa Council – and is governed by an independent board. Matters relating to Unitywater do not come under the jurisdiction of State Government.

For our previous updates on Burgess Creek, please head to www.sandybolton.com/?s=Burgess+Creek