The document summarizes the role and work of Environment and Resource Sciences (ERS) which provides scientific support to the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) and Queensland Government. ERS conducts applied science using innovative techniques across areas such as water quality, ecosystems, coal seam gas impacts, vegetation management, air quality, and more. Key current projects include monitoring floods/cyclones, land management impacts on the Great Barrier Reef, remote sensing of vegetation, interactions of land condition and water quality, and monitoring of iconic species. Future work focuses on developing evidence for policy using integrated and innovative approaches across landscapes.

1. Environment and Resource Sciences (ERS)
Delivering the science to support the policy, planning and
management decisions of DERM and the Queensland
Government.
Provides a broad range of sciences for the management of
natural resources (land, water, vegetation, air) and protection
of the natural environment.
Predominantly applied science using innovative techniques.

2. Key policy issues that drive DERM Environment
and Resource Science
Great Barrier Reef Water Quality
Freshwater and Marine Ecosystems
Coal Seam Gas impacts on water
National Water Initiatives and Reform
Compliance and Investigations (water, air and land)
Protection of Biodiversity and threatened species
Rural Leasehold Land (Delbessie)
Protection of Strategic Cropping Land
Vegetation Management and Carbon sequestration
Air quality issues
Response to Incidents and Emergent Issues e.g.
Marine oil spills, recent flooding and cyclonic events

3. Current DERM Science
Associate Director-
General OER
Terry Wall
Assistant Director-
General
Christine Williams
Water Quality & Science
Water Planning andscape Sciences Biodiversity & Air Quality Sciences
Aquatic Co-ordination
Sciences Ecosystem Sciences
Ecosystem Health & Information
South West
Aquatic Threatened Remote Sensing Modelling &
Queensland Ecological Sciences QScape
Species Assessment
Hydrology
Aquatic Ecosystem North & Central West
Soil Process Plant Systematics Monitoring Environmental
Risk Queensland
& Herbarium Information Systems
& Decision Support Hydrology
South East Environmental
Land Resource Biodiversity Sciences
Urban Water Cycle Queensland Reporting
Assessment
Hydrology
Aquatic Ecosystem
Hydrographic Regional Ecosystem Science Strategy
Health Chemistry Centre
Support Unit Survey & Mapping & Integration
Water Planning
Ecology

4. Current Science Highlights
Monitoring and assessment of the impact of recent floods and
cyclones
“Paddock to Reef” monitoring and modelling program – a
major investment in understanding land management practice
impacts on Reef water quality
Statewide remote sensing of vegetation resources, including
monitoring of clearing
Interactions between land condition and water quality
Air quality monitoring programs for priority industrial and
mining areas
Emergent water quality monitoring programs for Fitzroy Basin
– impacts of mining on river water quality
Monitoring of iconic marine species e.g. turtles, dugong

5. Highlights continued…
Murray Darling Basin Water Resource Planning
Water quality and aquatic ecosystems health processes
modelling in streams, estuaries and groundwater for
water resource plans
Support for leasehold land assessment by satellite
mapping of ground cover
Queensland Herbarium collections and data bases
(including the Australian Tropical Herbarium)
Statewide mapping of regional ecosystems and wetlands

6. The Future
Continue to develop the evidence base for policy, planning
and management, using innovative approaches
Whole of landscape – integrated view
Complexity of policy decisions – multiple assessment
criteria and trade offs
Ecology of threatened species e.g. turtles and dugongs
Developing comprehensive inventories of landscape
features and land use through remote sensing
Urban water science including design options for flood
prone areas and water sensitive cities
New initiatives in earth science e.g. including
geochemistry and geomorphology
Restoration ecology and future rural landscape design