Archives for February 2015

Mackay Sugar and Reef Catchments restore wetland at Racecourse Mill

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Water quality is the major focus of the wetland restoration works near Racecourse Mill.
Water quality is the major focus of the wetland restoration works near Racecourse Mill.
Work at Racecourse Mill will see the reinstatement of a functioning wetland.
The works will see the reinstatement of a functioning wetland.
This Racecourse Mill project is a joint initiative of Reef Catchments and Mackay Sugar, through co-funding from Mackay Sugar and the Australian Government Reef Programme.
This project is a joint initiative of Reef Catchments and Mackay Sugar, through co-funding from Mackay Sugar and the Australian Government Reef Programme.

Mackay Sugar and Reef Catchments have joined forces to help restore a heavily degraded wetland on Horse and Jockey Road, near Mackay Sugar’s Racecourse Mill.

People using the road will have noticed foundation works beginning, with earth being moved and plants revegetated in sparse sections of the former wetland area. Catchment Solutions have been engaged as a contractor to carry out the on-ground site works.

Matt Moore, project contractor from Catchment Solutions, said currently water draining off the bagasse pad ran into a dam.

“The dam will be incorporated into the wetland system and enlarged to created a first flush sediment dentention basin with water plants. The system will effectively ‘clean’ the water as it moves through, removing nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen,” Mr Moore said.

Mackay Sugar will also benefit from the improvements, with access to cleaner water and a larger water storage area for the mill to utilise.

“Improved quality of land and water delivers benefits for everyone in the immediate area. Activities on the site will improve the quality of water flowing to the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens locally, as well as more widely to the Pioneer River Estuary and the Great Barrier Reef,” Mr Moore said. “The wetland will strengthen the natural landscape of the Mackay region and build resilience to support multiple uses for the long-term future.”

Mackay Sugar’s Health, Safety and Environment Manager Carissa Mansfield said Mackay Sugar was extremely proud to partner with Reef Catchments to restore approximately four hectares of land adjacent to its Racecourse Mill.

“This project benefits the environment, our Racecourse Mill operations and provides the community a picturesque viewpoint along Horse and Jockey Road.

“The joint partnership between Mackay Sugar and Reef Catchments is a real testament of our commitment towards environmental sustainability,” Ms Mansfield said.

Works on the site will continue to June 2016, with Stage 1 works expected to be completed by June 2015.

This project is a joint initiative of Reef Catchments and Mackay Sugar, through co-funding from Mackay Sugar and the Australian Government Reef Programme.   

 

Funding Announcement: New program to improve land management and condition

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Photograph of tree
Funding activities under this program will focus on good land management practices that also reduce threats to land health and condition, such as: weed control, revegetation, fire and feral animal management. Photo: Steve and Alison Pearson.

Reef Catchments has a new funding opportunity for property owners.

The grants assist property owners to increase productivity, make property management easier and at the same time improve the condition and health of the land. Supported through the Australian Government, incentives are available to help property owners implement a range of management activities on their land.

Activities covered under this program will focus on good land management practices that also reduce threats to land health and condition such as weed control, revegetation, fire and feral animal management. Maintaining riparian corridors is also a high priority, as they play a key role in landscape health and improved water quality. Funding is also available for fencing vegetation types which helps better manage pastures, stock and reduce erosion risk as well as having beneficial environmental outcomes.

Reef Catchments and Whitsunday Regional Council join forces to reduce pollution flow to reef

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Three gross pollutant traps installed in the Cannonvale Botanic Gardens precinct will actively help reduce the gross pollutant load entering local waterways and the Great Barrier Reef.
Three gross pollutant traps installed in the Cannonvale Botanic Gardens precinct will actively help reduce the gross pollutant load entering local waterways and the Great Barrier Reef.

Through the Australian Governments Reef Programme, Whitsunday Regional Council in partnership with Reef Catchments have installed three gross pollutant traps within the Cannonvale Botanic Gardens precinct to reduce the gross pollutant load entering Pioneer Bay and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Jenny Whitney said Council is pleased to be involved in this great initiative which is helping to protect the Great Barrier Reef from pollution.

“The traps will stop rubbish and heavy metals contained in run off entering Pioneer Bay at Cannonvale Beach, improving the water quality flowing into the Great Barrier Reef,” she said.

“This initiative builds on Council’s commitment to reducing nutrients and sediment entering the marine park and follows Council’s recently completed upgrade of the Cannonvale Sewage Treatment Plant, which now meets the strictest environmental standards for outfall.

“Council has been working alongside Reef Catchments to install these three traps in the Cannonvale Botanic Gardens over the last couple of weeks and is pleased they will reduce gross pollutants by 93%,” she said.

Reef Catchments has provided funding for the project through the Australian Government’s Reef Programme, as well as on-ground support to facilitate the construction of the traps.

The gross pollutant traps are developed by Ecosol Waste Water Filtration Systems and are designed to reduce Gross Pollutants (up to 93%of materials sized >600um); Total Suspended Solids, Phosphorus; Nitrogen and Heavy Metals entering the receiving environment.

Launch of new Natural Resource Management Plan for Mackay Whitsunday Isaac

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Signing onto the new Mackay Whitsunday Isaac NRM Plan are (from left): Alice Spencer NRM Plan Coordinator from Reef Catchments; Gert Nel, Manager Environmental Services from Isaac Regional Council; Gerard Carlyon, Director Community & Client Services from Mackay Regional Council; Royce Bishop, Chair of Reef Catchments, and Dan Staley, Director of Planning and Development from Whitsunday Regional Council.
Signing onto the new Mackay Whitsunday Isaac NRM Plan are (from left): Alice Spencer NRM Plan Coordinator from Reef Catchments; Gert Nel, Manager Environmental Services from Isaac Regional Council; Gerard Carlyon, Director Community & Client Services from Mackay Regional Council; Royce Bishop, Chair of Reef Catchments, and Dan Staley, Director of Planning and Development from Whitsunday Regional Council.

This February saw the launch of a new plan to help set the bar for local natural resource management. Reef Catchments joined a wide range of stakeholders at the MECC to formally launch the Mackay, Whitsunday and Isaac (MWI) Natural Resource Management Plan 2014-2024.

The launch included the formal sign-on of NRM Plan signatories by diverse stakeholders who are actively committed to working together to improve future management of our region’s vital natural resources.

The MWI region joins 56 areas across Australia involved in a major move to update and develop new, locally relevant NRM Plans.

Plan development locally was coordinated by Reef Catchments in collaboration with government, industry and community groups, including the Mackay, Whitsunday and Isaac local governments and Traditional Owners.

NRM Plan co-ordinator Alice Spencer said the NRM Plan represented the views and aspirations of the Mackay, Whitsunday and Isaac community and would help make sure future on-ground NRM activity addressed the community’s priorities.

“We have tried to do the best possible job of capturing the community’s values and visions for the future of the region via extensive consultation over the last 18 months. We hope that this document helps set direction for everyone involved in managing our natural resources, so we can continue to enjoy the benefits that these resources provide us.

“The launch is an opportunity to celebrate a collaboration between stakeholders in arriving at a shared vision for the region, providing a path that will help the environment, production and development exist together in a balanced way.”

The NRM Plan sets a regional context by considering environmental, social, economic and political factors, while also identifying what the community would like to see the region look like in the future. To achieve this, a series of goals, outcomes and management actions are proposed.

“These actions were developed by stakeholders and subject to several rounds of consultation with the community,” Ms Spencer said.

By including a diverse range of people in the plan’s development, it is hoped that some collaborative and creative solutions to regional issues and challenges will emerge.

Official signatories to the plan include:

  • Reef Catchments
  • Traditional Owners (Gia, Koinjmal, Ngaro and Yuwi-bara)
  • Queensland Government (DAFF)
  • Mackay Regional Council
  • Whitsunday Regional Council
  • Isaac Regional Council
  • Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
  • Canegrowers Mackay
  • AgForce
  • CQUniversity
  • Regional Development Australia
  • Sarina Catchment Management Landcare Association
  • Whitsunday Catchment Landcare
  • Mackay and District Turtle Watch Association
  • Whitsunday Marketing and Development
  • Mackay Tourism

New Mackay Whitsunday waterway report card set to check the health of our rivers and reef

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Official signatories the at the launch of the new Mackay Whitsunday Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership.
Official signatories the at the launch of the new Mackay Whitsunday Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership.
Geat Barrier Reef waterways.
The partnership, comprising of 27 signatories, will produce an annual report card on the health of regional waterways, identifying potential impacts on the Great Barrier Reef.

A new report card, due for release in October 2015, will highlight the health of waterways in the Mackay­ Whitsunday region – and in particular identify local impacts on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR).

Developed by the Mackay­ Whitsunday Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership (“The Partnership”), the report card will help the local community to understand more about the condition of the area’s freshwater rivers, wetlands, estuaries, coastal and marine environments.

The Partnership includes the catchments of the Don, O’Connell, Proserpine, Pioneer and Plane basins, the urban area of Mackay, the ports of Abbot Point, Mackay and Hay Point, marinas and other coastal areas. It brings together representatives from tourism, fisheries, agriculture, science, resources, industry, Natural Resource Management, conservation, Indigenous groups and all levels of government.

Report cards are a great way to demonstrate the health of a region’s waterways (including the GBR and associated catchments) based on some key indicators – and report progress towards goals and targets. They have been successfully used in South­East Queensland, Gladstone and Fitzroy to present complex scientific information in a clear way.

A multitude of factors can affect waterway health and these vary from region to region, therefore, the report card will be tailored to address the specific pressures facing the Mackay­Whitsunday area, and will be based on the best available science. It will feature a grading system, ranging from ‘very good’ to ‘very poor’ that will look at a range of indicators including water quality, and the health of seagrass meadows and coral reefs.

The Partnership has engaged the GBR Reef Plan Independent Scientific Panel to review the work to ensure the report card will be robust and accurate. Specific areas requiring remedial action will be identified, along with guidance on how these challenges should be addressed to deliver lasting improvements.

The Partnership is currently hard at work on a range of tasks, including developing a suitable report card format and determining the most effective scoring methodologies to use, that are consistent with other regions.

BACKGROUND

The Partnership was launched on 1 October 2014, and comprises 27 partners:

  • Central Queensland University
  • Conservation Volunteers
  • Australia CSIRO
  • Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Growcom
  • Isaac Regional Council CANEGROWERS Mackay
  • Mackay Conservation Group
  • Mackay Recreational Fishers Alliance Mackay Regional Council
  • Mackay Sugar
  • Mackay Tourism Limited
  • North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation Ltd NQ Dry Tropics Ltd
  • Pioneer Catchment & Landcare Inc Queensland Farmers’ Federation Queensland Resources Council Ltd Reef Catchments
  • Regional Development Australia Mackay-Isaac-Whitsunday Inc Resource Industry Network
  • Sarina Landcare Catchment Management Association Inc
  • State of Queensland acting through the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection Whitsunday Catchment Landcare Ltd
  • Whitsunday Charter Boat Industry Association Whitsunday Regional Council
  • Whitsunday Regional Organisation of Councils (ROC) Whitsundays Marketing and Development Ltd

New Climate Change projections for our region

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Mackay canefields at night
In the Mackay Whitsunday region, new climate projections a very high confidence in continued increases in mean, maximum and minimum temperatures, as well as in the frequency of hot days and duration of warm spells.

The CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology have released new climate projections for Australia as a part of the national NRM Planning for Climate Change program funded by the Australian Government.

At a national scale average annual temperatures are likely to be 1.3o C warmer by 2030 than the 1995 baseline period.

Future projections about the climate are dependent on greenhouse gas emissions into the future with the IPCC and international research community establishing Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP’s). These RCP’s focus on concentrations of greenhouse gases, emissions trajectories and radiative forcing (energy absorbed and retained in the lower atmosphere). The current trajectory for greenhouse emissions is RCP8.5, which is the worst case or Business as Usual scenario. The latest report indicates that Australia could have an average temperature increase of up to 5.1 o C by 2090, as the worst case scenario. Implications for the local region are discussed in the ‘Wet Tropics Cluster report’ that can be found on the Climate Change in Australia website http://www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au/en/.

Temperature increases by the end of the century may be of little consequence to some; however the implications of other changes within the climate system are having and will continue to have effects on the natural environment and society into the future.

Climate projections for the future are based on a number of global circulation models. The degree to which change will happen in a component of the system is given with confidence levels due to the agreement between models and level of certainty in expert opinion.

For the local region there is very high confidence in:

  • Continued increases in mean, maximum and minimum temperatures
  • Increases in temperature on the hottest days, frequency of hot days and duration of warm spells
  • Ongoing sea level rise
  • Continued increases in sea surface temperature

For further information visit: http://www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au/en/.

Hardwood farm forestry trial established at Bloomsbury

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Reef Catchments Chris Dench and Peter Muller with cane grower Max McFarlane examining soils at the farm forestry site at Bloomsbury.
Reef Catchments Chris Dench and Peter Muller with cane grower Max McFarlane examining soils at the farm forestry site at Bloomsbury.

A small trial is being established at Max McFarlanes property at Bloomsbury on the O’Connell River as part of Reef Catchments Sustainable Agriculture program.

The trial site is too stoney for growing cane but will provide information on alternative crops (in particular fence posts and poles) that can be grown in those small areas on many farms in the district that are marginal for cane.

Farm forestry in the region has to date been limited. The Managed Investment Schemes saw cane land taken out of production and ultimately failing, partly due to inappropriate species. Farm forestry has also been a bitter pill for many tree growers also with Cyclone Ului damaging many trees throughout the region.

There have been some lessons learnt with species planted – one being that the trees may look good for the first couple of years, but two years to make judgement is too short; particularly with the variability in climate that can happen within the region.

Over at least the last 20 years there has been a number of schemes that have encouraged small-scale farm forestry. To date, there has been insufficient monitoring of the performance of most of these trials, however a report produced in 2009 by the Queensland government details some of the better performing taxa. This and other reports have been utilised in determining the potential best performers for the site.

The trial has been designed as a fully replicated experimental trial and includes six hardwood species. These are: Black ironbox (Eucalytpus raveretiana), two provenances of Gympie messmate (E. cloeziana), grey gum (E. longistrata) and two species of spotted gum (Corymbia citriodora ssp. citriodora and C. citriodora ssp. variegata). It is intended to monitor survival initially with the trial and with time to monitor growth (height and diameter). Other parameters that will need to be monitored include form and susceptibilities (insect damage and pathogen attack).

This trial is part of Reef Catchments Sustainable Agriculture program, with funding from the Queensland Government.

For more information contact Dr Robyn Bell on robyn.bell@reefcatchments.com