The Bugle - 01 February 2008
Tomorrow is World Wetlands Day. It is celebrated each year on 2 February, and marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971.
The international theme for World Wetlands Day 2008 is Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People.
Check out the Australian Government's World Wetlands Day website for events happening in your region.
In news this week
- Celebrate World Wetlands Day at Mackay's Wetlands Walkabout
- Wetlands targeted under new project
- Lockyer landholders can help rainforest recovery
- Riparian and wetland protection in the lower Burdekin
- Combating hymenachne a collective effort
- Traditional Owners recording own stories
- Wet season spelling the secret to healthy pastures
Government updates
- Wetlands to be protected in Halifax Bay
- Wetland maps released for Cape York and Murray-Darling areas
- Bondi Beach honoured as heritage icon
- Have your say on the future of Queensland's coast
Reef updates
Wetlands updates
- Updated wetland maps for the Great Barrier Reef catchment
- Boondall Wetlands Festival 2008: Wetland Paddle and Pedal challenge
- Wonderful wetlands websites
Natural resources news
Regional NRM group stories
Celebrate World Wetlands Day at Mackay's Wetlands Walkabout
Saturday 2 February is World Wetlands Day, recognising the valuable role the wetlands play on our natural environment. To celebrate World Wetlands Day the Mackay Whitsunday NRM and Wetland Walkabout are holding a public information day and guided walks at Wetland Walkabout, a privately owned wetland sanctuary on Keeleys Road in Andergrove.
Over the past seven years Wetlands Walkabout have been restoring and rehabilitating the wetlands by re-introducing tidal flows for fish habitat and eradicating weeds. Native plants and animals are thriving on the property as habitats are restored and the wetlands are also improving water quality entering the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.
"Wetland Walkabout provides a great model for landowners interested in rehabilitating native ecosystems. The wetlands provide breeding habitat for brolgas and are an excellent nursery for fish such as barramundi," said Matt Bloor, Mackay Whitsunday NRM's coast and marine coordinator.
Mackay Whitsunday NRM is leading 10 wetland protection projects with funding from the Australian Government. Wetland Walkabout is one project in the McCreadys Creek catchment that has received funds to eradicate broad-leaved pepper tree, lantana and paragrass which had seriously degraded the wetland system.
The World Wetlands Day activities include two guided walks at 10:30am and 1:30pm and a lunchtime BBQ. Come and learn about local wetland ecology from experts from Mackay Whitsunday NRM and hear about all the other wetland projects being undertaken in the region. There will be displays from local Landcare and community groups on various aspects of wetland life. This event is open to all members of the public and free of charge.
For further information contact Matt on 0400 256 803.
Wetlands targeted under new project
For too long, wetlands have been regarded by many as swampy "wastelands" and breeding grounds for mosquitoes. They have been drained, flooded, cleared, ploughed, grazed, or used as a dumping ground for effluent and rubbish.
However attitudes are changing, and under a new project funded by the Burnett Mary Regional Group, the values of the region's remaining wetlands are being investigated.
WetlandCare Australia has commenced a $130 000 project to prioritise wetlands in the Burnett Mary region with support from the State and Federal environment departments.
Project officer Rebecca Burnett said that while some wetlands have already been mapped, almost nothing is known about their ecology, threats or the prioritisation of their remediation, restoration and protection.
"We will be ground-truthing the wetlands, undertaking an inventory, and then working out which ones are a priority for on-ground works," Ms Burnett said.
Ms Burnett said that wetlands played an extremely important role in the Burnett Mary region and it was essential to have the right information to determine the best way to care for them.
"Wetlands reduce sediment, pesticide and nutrient loads entering freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems," she said. "They improve the quality of surface water run-off and are critical to the function of their catchment."
Ms Burnett said that much more needs to be done to promote the values of wetlands, and ways in which human activities can be undertaken to benefit both wetlands and people.
"They are like the cleansing 'kidneys' within the river systems, enhancing water quality, mitigating floods, provide refuges for wildlife in dry seasons, and sustaining grazing long after floods have receded," she said. "We simply can't do without them."
To find out more about the wetlands project, contact Rebecca on 4121 1933.
Lockyer landholders can help rainforest recovery
Rainforest landholders in the Lockyer Valley can now access funding enabling them to reduce threats to endangered remnant rainforests, stabilise the rainforests and manage them into the future.
Land clearing following European settlement in the valley has reduced the rainforest areas, but the remainder are about to get a helping hand from landowners with assistance from SEQ Catchments, WWF-Australia, and the Australian Government.
The Lockyer Valley rainforests are mostly in small, scrubby patches sited in gullies and hilltops and on private land in an area between Toowoomba, Laidley and south from the highway to the top of the ranges.
SEQ Catchment's Environment Sector Partnerships manager, Liz Gould, said the Southern Lockyer Rainforest Recovery Project had been welcomed by farmers and landowners with further expressions of interest being sought.
Gould said funding was available to improve the condition and extent of the remnant rainforests which were under stress from invasion by exotic weeds, fire and grazing practices.
The project is focused on improving the condition and extent of endangered vine forest, brigalow softwood scrubs and semi-evergreen vine thickets in the area.
Threatened plant and animal species known to inhabit these rainforest ecosystems include the black-breasted button-quail, Bailey's Cyprus pine, and Gorge laurel.
Gould said grants would be provided to landholders to encourage protection of rainforest vegetation, and field days will be held on best practice management of rainforest ecosystems, many of which are valued places for recreation, tourism and education.
She said the response so far was "exceptional" and expected work to be carried out that would result in the recovery of many of these threatened areas.
For more information contact SEQ Catchments on 3211 4404.
Riparian and wetland protection in the lower Burdekin
Tropical wetland works continue!
WetlandCare Australia has been contracted to develop and implement rehabilitation plans for five to 10 priority wetlands identified in the Burdekin River floodplain around Ayr.
Funding for the project is being provided by Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM. The rehabilitation action plans will recommend on-ground works to improve the condition of the region's wetlands. Works may include:
- weed control
- fencing
- controlled grazing
- revegetation
- controlled burns
- removal/modification of fish passage barriers.
For more information contact Amber Webster, WetlandCare Australia project officer, on 4721 3543.
Combating hymenachne a collective effort
A group of landholders along Hedlow Creek in Central Queensland have shown that working together can help keep hymenachne under control.
Murray Bullock, field officer with Fitzroy River and Coastal Catchments (FRCC), said a group of landholders along the creek had been managing the weed since 2005.
"FRCC, together with the Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA), helped a group of neighbouring property owners bordering Hedlow Creek to get funding," Mr Bullock said.
"This enabled herbicide to be purchased and Rockhampton City Council offered great support through the availability of their Quickspray Unit, meaning landholders could spray the weed in a coordinated and targeted way to achieve maximum impact."
Mr Bullock said the project has reduced the initial severe outbreak to isolated patches of weed within the creek.
Annika Barrett, who helps run the 5500 acre 'Henderson Park' with father David, said they were dealing with a four kilometre stretch of creek affected by hymenachne.
"By tackling the bulk of the hymenachne through this project, it will be easier to control in the future and we can just focus on small areas at a time," Ms Barrett said.
Ms Barrett said weed control was an ongoing issue for all landholders and an everyday aspect of property management.
"The main stumbling block is getting people involved and getting the funding to make an impact. That's why the work that FRCC and FBA do in raising awareness and on-ground support by field officers is fantastic."
Traditional Owners recording own stories
Recording and Applying Traditional Owner Knowledge as it applies to caring for country is a project hosted by Desert Channels Queensland in Longreach. James Newman, traditional knowledge support officer, assists, trains and supports Traditional Owners in the use of recording equipment.
The project will help ensure that traditional knowledge, information and concerns about caring for country are recorded for future generations. It will also support innovative approaches to managing natural resources. An extension for the project to June 2008 has been approved which will ensure the project completes its targets.
For more information on this project, contact James Newman, Desert Channels Queensland, on 4658 0600.
Wet season spelling the secret to healthy pastures
Jeff Edgar, a grazier on the Fitzroy River near Rockhampton, has been amazed by the positive impact fencing to land type and wet season spelling has had on the condition of his pasture.
In 2006 Mr Edgar received help from the Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA) and Fitzroy River and Coastal Catchments (FRCC) to fence the hills from the lower creek flats on his Morinish property 'Mountain Hut'.
Following soaking rains in the last wet season, Mr Edgar used the new fence to move his herd into the hills to give the pasture along the creek flats a rest for three months of the growing season.
"The difference along the creek flats is amazing after only one wet season's spelling. We've already seen a big improvement in ground cover and general pasture condition," Mr Edgar said.
FRCC field officer Darcy Murray said Mr Edgar's story was a timely example of the benefits of wet season spelling of pastures.
"The results speak for themselves, wet season spelling is the cheapest and most effective pasture renovation option available," Mr Murray said.
Ground cover monitoring being conducted by FRCC had recorded an improvement in pasture cover of up to 27 per cent in Mr Edgar's 9-Mile Creek paddock.
"If we can do this for a few years in a row, that'll really cover up the bare patches. We are aiming at 75 per cent cover over the whole area which will make a huge difference production wise," Mr Edgar said.
"During the recent rain it was great to see the improved grass coverage helping to retain topsoil and nutrients and the dams filling so well. You've got to keep that water and soil on the land and not washing down into the creeks."
Mr Edgar's success in improving ground cover is now the subject of a case study brochure by the FBA, available online or by phoning 4999 2800.
Government updates
Wetlands to be protected in Halifax Bay
Fifteen kilometres of state land containing spectacular coastal wetlands in Halifax Bay south-east of Ingham will become national park, thanks to the Queensland Wetlands Programme.
The Queensland Wetlands Programme facilitated the transfer of the land from the Department of Natural Resources and Water to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Environmental Protection Agency will gazette the land following consultation and discussions with key stakeholders during the year.
The Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation Andrew McNamara announced the transfer in Townsville on Wednesday, describing it as an excellent outcome for the environment and the Hinchinbrook Shire community.
Minister McNamara celebrated the transfer by cutting the cake with Phil Rist, a representative of the Nywaigi people, the traditional owners of the land.
The wetlands are significant because of the role they play in maintaining water quality on the Great Barrier Reef, as well as the habitat they provide for a number of rare and threatened plants, animals and ecosystems.
For more information about the Halifax Bay wetlands project, please contact Angela Reed on 3006 4621.
Wetland maps released for Cape York and Murray-Darling areas
The Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change, and Innovation Andrew McNamara today released new wetland maps for Cape York and the Murray-Darling areas.
The maps, developed by the Queensland Wetlands Programme (QWP), show the location, size, type, salinity, vegetation, and frequency of inundation of wetlands in these regions.
The maps are available in a range of formats on WetlandInfo.
With the completion of this mapping, the QWP has now mapped more than 13.6 million hectares of land - 3.5 times the size of Victoria - and 59 519 individual wetlands.
Coinciding with the release of the maps is the introduction of Wetland Information Capture, a new system for uploading wetland data to the Environmental Protection Agency's central database. The on-line system is on WetlandInfo.
The Queensland Wetlands Programme is a joint initiative of the Australian and Queensland governments to protect wetlands throughout Queensland. For more information about the QWP and its mapping project contact Angela Reed on 3006 4621.
Bondi Beach honoured as heritage icon
On the eve of Australia Day, the nation's most recognised beach – Bondi – was elevated to the National Heritage List, Australia's highest heritage honour. The listing recognises Bondi's role in developing Australias beach culture, and its central place in Australia's world famous surf lifesaving movement.
Australian Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett, celebrated the listing with lifesavers, locals and members of the world-famous winter swimming group the Bondi Icebergs.
"You can't get more Aussie than Bondi," Mr Garrett said.
"This one and a half kilometres of sand and sea is the quintessential Australian beach, a symbol of Australia around the world.
"Bondi embodies a powerful sense of place and a wonderful way of life. I've had quite a few waves here over the years, it is really special.
"Australians are surrounded by more than 11 000 beaches and a culture that enables people to freely enjoy them. The beach and surfing have played a major role in shaping our way of life and leisure, and nourishing our sense of national identity.
"Bondi became home to Australia's first formally-documented surf lifesaving club in 1907. At the time, restrictions on public sea bathing were starting to relax and Bondi Beach was becoming a popular place for swimming and family picnics.
"Like Australian bushmen and diggers, our surf lifesavers - proud volunteers in their red and yellow caps - became a symbol of what was great about being Australian," Mr Garrett said.
Bondi Beach is also home to the famous Bondi Icebergs swimming club, established in 1929. These winter swimming enthusiasts have been fondly regarded over the years as fun-loving but disciplined larrikins who swim in the chilly Bondi Baths on winter Sundays.
Bondi Beach is the third most visited site in Sydney after the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, which are both included on the National Heritage List.
The listed area at Bondi includes around 65 hectares of land and water, comprising the beach, surf lifesaving clubs, pavilion, parks, promenades, cliffs and ocean waters between Ben Buckler and Mackenzie's Point.
Have your say on the future of Queensland's coast
Queenslanders are invited to have say in the future management of the 9500 km Queensland coastline. Andrew McNamara, Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change, and Innovation, last week announced the review of the State Coastal Management Plan.
"The coastal management plan, which commenced more than five years ago, is the framework for managing our sensitive coastline," Mr McNamara said.
"This review will ensure the plan continues to address the major challenge of protecting our coastline.
"With more than 85 percent of the state's population living on the coast, impacts such as urban development and new threats like climate change need to be addressed. It is important that we continue to develop smart and sustainable strategies to cope with these demands.
"At the same time, we must maintain a balance to ensure that Queenslanders can continue to enjoy the lifestyle our coast offers," Mr McNamara said.
Submissions are invited until 31 March can be made directly on the Environmental Protection Agency website. Submission forms can be collected from any EPA regional office.
Reef updates
Predicted cooler sea temperatures good news for corals
Lower than average sea temperatures predicted for the summer could provide a reprieve for corals on the Great Barrier Reef.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) climate change group director Dr Paul Marshall said the best weather and climate information currently available indicated that it was unlikely the Reef would suffer this year from the type of widespread bleaching experienced in 1998 and 2002, the two hottest summers on record.
The risk of sea temperatures increasing to levels which are stressful for corals depends on a complex interaction of regional water temperatures, local air temperatures, cloud cover, winds, and rainfall.
While the threat of mass bleaching this year is low, GBRMPA will continue to closely monitor sea surface temperatures and weather conditions using state-of-the-art technology including climate models, Reef-based weather stations, and a satellite-based monitoring tool called ReefTemp designed to assess the risk of bleaching on a daily basis.
Coral bleaching is also monitored throughout the summer by a network of observers participating in the GBRMPA's community-based 'BleachWatch' program where volunteers report signs of coral bleaching.
"BleachWatch is an integral part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's coral bleaching early warning system," Dr Marshall said.
"We have 120 participants this summer including tourism operators, commercial fishers, scientists, community groups like ReefCheck, and other visitors to the marine park."
If you have seen bleaching on the Reef you can download and submit a BleachWatch monitoring form.
Read the full media statement on the GBRMPA website.
Taboos 'help stop pirate fishing'
Reinforcing traditional management of coral reefs and fisheries may help tackle the root causes of 'pirate' fishing in Australian and other countries' waters, a leading coral researcher has said.
Dr Josh Cinner of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University said that research in small communities around the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean shows that 'customary management' or taboos by local people is often effective at preventing overexploitation and destruction of marine resources.
But these traditional controls are facing intense pressure from the encroachment of the modern world, the high prices paid for increasingly scarce seafood and the spread of urban society, and need help to keep them in place.
"Our research in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and east Africa indicates that in many communities where customary management still applies, coral reefs and fish populations are in good condition," Dr Cinner said.
"However our recent work shows these customary rules break down the closer you get to markets and major population centres, the larger the local population or when traditional authority erodes."
Customary management varies from village to village, but typically might limit fishing pressure by banning fishing on certain days, at certain times of year, in particular places, or with particular gear. Poison, explosives, and other destructive fishing methods are almost always banned.
Dr Cinner said closed marine protected areas, like those adopted in Australia, seldom work in developing countries because their boundaries can impose difficult burdens on individuals and families and they take away from locals the responsibility for looking after their own resource and their say over its future use.
"We need to find additional ways to help protect the worlds' coral reefs, which support 500 million people, from overexploitation, which are locally and culturally appropriate. The most promising in a great many communities seems to be the one that had worked for centuries," Dr Cinner said. "However we also need to help these systems evolve so they can continue to work despite the pressures of the modern world."
Wetlands updates
Updated wetland maps for the Great Barrier Reef catchment
The Queensland Wetlands Programme has developed updated wetland maps for the Great Barrier Reef catchment.
The maps, which cover wetlands between the Wet Tropics and Wide Bay, incorporate feedback provided by users.
The maps are available on WetlandInfo or by emailing the Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information about the QWP and its mapping project contact Angela Reed on 3006 4621.
Boondall Wetlands Festival 2008: Wetland Paddle and Pedal challenge
To celebrate World Wetlands Day, Brisbane City Council will present the 'Wetland Paddle and Pedal' to promote the environmental, social, economic, and health benefits that wetlands provide.
Bring your bike or canoe (a limited number of canoes will be supplied) for a leisurely paddle or pedal through the beautiful Boondall wetlands to the World Wetlands Day Festival 2008 at Nudgee Beach.
All participants will receive a free breakfast and free massages.
When: Sunday 3 February, 9am-1pm
Where: Boondall wetlands and Nudgee Beach
For more information, to register for the Paddle and Pedal, or to book a spot in a canoe visit the the Our Brisbane website or phone the council on 3403 8888.
Wonderful wetland websites
Want to find out more about wetlands but not sure where to start? The following websites will help ...
WetlandInfo Queensland was developed by the Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with the Australian Government. This website provides facts and figures, maps and data, monitoring and assessment, science and research, policy and legislation relating to wetlands, and how to manage wetlands.
WetlandCare Australia is a not-for-profit, registered charitable organisation that carries out practical work for long-term benefits for wetlands. The WetlandCare Australia website provides links to wetland news, fact sheets, information on restoring wetlands, and updates on the group's latest projects.
Looking for a declared wetland in Australia? The Australian Wetlands Database, hosted by the Australian Government, can be searched for Australia's Ramsar wetlands, and the nationally important wetlands listed in the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia.
Natural resources news
Pittsworth Landcare surveys landholders
At the end of last year, Pittsworth Landcare group conducted a survey of landholders in the Pittsworth Shire. Their objective was to gain insight into current interests and issues relating to landholders and in particular to new peri-urban residents.
The results were presented at Pittsworth Landcare's final meeting for 2007 in December, and are set for further discussion and analysis at the next meeting to be held on Wednesday 6 February.
In a snapshot of the shire, the survey found that grazing and cropping remained the two main agricultural industries in the area, with 42 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. Nature conservation and preservation also rated high in the area with 8 per cent.
The main concerns found for landholders were weed control and management (11 per cent) and soil health and soil erosion (9 per cent and 7 per cent). With this result reflecting issues relating to the primary land uses for the shire.
The second priority for landholders was recorded as plant identification, regeneration and management of native vegetation and pasture deterioration (all 8 per cent).
Of medium interest (rating between 4 and 7 per cent) was bore water quality, local wildlife, feral cat / pig / mynah bird and wild dog control, alternative crops and organic farming, and machinery modification.
Issues of low interest (less than 2 per cent) were recorded to include salinity, spray drift, efficient use of irrigation water, chemical use and safety, riparian health, urban encroachment, dead animal disposal, and effluent disposal.
Issues such as carbon trading, planting to encourage koalas, sparrow control and practical renewable energy options were also of particular interest to landholders, as a mix of both old and new conservation and sustainability measures.
For more information contact Paula Hadford, Pittsworth Landcare.
Winning the weed war
Winning the war against weeds is a long-term campaign because the real 'enemy', the seed, lies hidden in the soil. This is one of the messages of a national project funded by the CRC for Australian Weed Management.
To win the war, growers need to target the weed seedbank beneath the ground, as well as the weeds growing above it. At a direct cost to Australian farmers of $1.5 billion per year, with lost agricultural production estimated at more than $2 billion per year, its a war worth winning.
Results of a Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)-supported study by the Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA) demonstrated that a wild radish seedbank can be eroded by 95 per cent over four to five years of complete or almost complete seed control. This equates to approximately 50 per cent decline of the seedbank each year.
For more information visit the GRDC website.
Get a job in NRM!
Are you interested in working with Queensland's regional natural resource management bodies? Then head to the Regional Groups' Collective website where current job opportunities are now available. Be sure to check back regularly to ensure you don't miss out on the job of a lifetime!
Here's a sample of what's on offer:
Regional body: Fitzroy Basin Association
Title: Personal assistant
Tenure: Full-time to June 2013, with possibility of extension
Salary: $43 272 to $46 432
Location: Rockhampton
The purpose of this position is to provide adminstrative support to the CEO and senior management team of the FBA.
Potential applicants should have experience with the Microsoft Office suite of programs, possess a current Queensland drivers' licence, and be willing to travel to attend meetings, conferences, and training.
For more information or to download the full position description visit the FBA website.
Closing date: COB Monday 4 February
Thought for the week
Civilization began around wetlands; today's civilization has every reason to leave them wet and wild.
Edward Maltby, Waterlogged Wealth, 1986
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The Bugle is a weekly newsletter published by Community Partnerships, the Department of Natural Resources and Water, highlighting regional NRM activities around Queensland.
Last updated 22 January 2009