Urban Water
Stewardship
Townsville's urban water is managed by our local council, in collaboration with experts and specialists.
Our towns and developments affect waterways
in ways that are actively managed.
Stormwater runoff, sediment runoff from building sites, household sewage, and sewer pipe leaks are all examples of ‘urban water’ that has an impact on our local waterways, and ultimately, the Great Barrier Reef.
The Urban Water Stewardship Framework is a tool developed by the Queensland Department of Environment, Science, and Innovation (DESI) as part of the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan.​
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The Framework supports councils, and the development and construction industry located in Reef catchments, to evaluate their urban water management practices and identify opportunities for improvement.
How does Townsville City Council score?
In 2025 Townsville City Council received a ‘B: Achieving Best Practice’ score for its urban water management practices against the independent framework. This poses a low to moderate risk to urban water quality.
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The score increased slightly since the last review in 2023, however the grade of 'best practice' stewardship remained the same.
Improvements were seen in the planning and design of stormwater infrastructure, as well as in the monitoring and responding to runoff impacts in ‘Developing Urban’ — managing erosion during construction and development. Progress was also made in reducing environmental impacts through monitoring and reporting, as part of ‘Point Source’ (operating and managing wastewater), resulting in an ‘A: Above Best Practice.’ The Council maintained its ‘A’ for collaboration and capacity building with industry and community in how it manages pollutants in established urban areas, under ‘Established Urban.’​​​
​​Why is the Urban Water Stewardship Framework important?
While the amount of nutrients and sediment entering the Great Barrier Reef from urban areas is relatively small compared to runoff from agricultural land, it may represent a significant impact locally if not managed effectively, especially in densely populated areas.
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Assessing the effectiveness of land use management in urban areas within the Great Barrier Reef catchments, helps generate collaboration between councils and land developers in terms of how they can work together towards better water quality outcomes.
How does it work?
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Data is collected on each council in Reef report card regions through a series of workshops. The Healthy Waterways Partnership facilitates independent workshops in the Townsville Dry Tropics region for Townsville City Council.
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Workshops are attended by experts in land use planning, compliance, catchment management, development approval, civil engineering, asset management and wastewater treatment. At each workshop, personnel from council provide information and cite evidence on their practices and activities as they relate to three main areas:
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Developing Urban: erosion and sediment control during the construction phase.
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Established Urban: stormwater infrastructure in already developed areas.
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Point Source: operation and management of wastewater treatment facilities and linked sewer networks.
Initial ratings for each component are discussed as a group until consensus is reached, with both the initial and final ratings recorded.
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The most recent round of the Urban Water Stewardship Framework workshops were undertaken in 2025.
Urban water projects in flight
