About PCIMP
(Port Curtis Integrated Monitoring Program)

Port Curtis Integrated Monitoring Program (PCIMP) is the first collaborative holistic monitoring program to be undertaken for the whole of Port Curtis. PCIMP was established in 2001 as a consortium of members from 16 bodies representing industry, government (both local and state), research institutions and other stakeholders to develop a cooperative, monitoring program for assessing the ecosystem health of Port Curtis, and to ensure the environmental sustainability of the Port of Gladstone.

PCIMP adopted the following vision:

“To foster coordination of monitoring activities among stakeholders of Port Curtis and to share and disseminate information to improve our capacity to manage our natural resources in a sustainable and balanced way for the prosperity of our communities and the health of our natural environment.”

In 2006, PCIMP took a big step forward to achieving this vision with the appointment of a Coordinator, Dr Leonie Andersen, initially funded by the Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA). This enabled a series of annual monitoring programs to be designed, and with funding from members the monitoring programs could be initiated. From 2006 onwards, funding for the monitoring programs has exceeded $600,000 annually.

With the involvement of researchers from Vision Environment (QLD), where Dr Andersen is based, and a number of research institutions from across the country including CQ University, Griffith University, CSIRO and others, PCIMP is able to adopt the latest techniques and emerging technologies to assess the health of the harbour within several main research themes; Water Quality (which includes Biomonitoring and Ecological Indicators), Intertidal Health (which includes an Oil Spill Assessment) and Seagrass Health.

The data from each research theme is analysed, collated, interpreted and presented in the form of a Port Curtis Ecosystem Health Report Card. The first report card was released in early 2008, and can be downloaded from this website. The Ecosystem Health Report Card was distributed to PCIMP members and the community via print media, and through an official launch in March 2008.

The Ecosystem Health Report Card allows the community access to information on the health of the harbour, in an easy-to-read rating format.