A major $7.8 million investment through the Natural Resource Management Expansion Program (NRMEP) is enabling one of the Mackay Whitsunday Isaac region’s most targeted biodiversity restoration efforts to date. Backed by Queensland Government funding, Reef Catchments and local Landcare partners will deliver an ambitious program to improve the condition and extent of high value Threatened Ecological Communities (TECs) across the region.
The $2.49 million project will focus on two nationally significant ecosystems: Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia (Beach Scrub) and Broad Leaf Tea Tree (Melaleuca viridiflora) Woodlands in high rainfall coastal north Queensland (Broad Leaf Tea Tree Woodlands). Listing of TECs recognises that key natural assets are under tremendous pressure and a ‘whole of system’ or landscape approach to environmental protection is necessary. Historically, clearing for agriculture and farming in the Wet Tropics and Central Mackay Coast bioregions occurred in grasslands and more fertile areas containing rainforest and eucalypt woodlands. However, as fertile land became more scarce; areas containing these TECs have been lost to various land uses including agriculture and urban development. The majority of these areas were cleared prior to the mid-1990s.
Beach Scrub is influenced by its proximity to the sea. The canopy, which protects less tolerant species and smaller vegetation in the understorey from salt laden winds, can range from patchy to closed. There may be emergent species as well as numerous fallen trees due to ongoing natural disturbance, which provide habitat. It is now a Critically Endangered ecological community, facing an extremely high risk of loss from natural areas in the immediate future. Its extent across the Queensland coastline has been significantly reduced and the main threats to Beach Scrub include clearing, coastal development, visitor disturbance, weed invasion, fire and the effects of fragmentation.
Broad Leaf Tea Tree Woodlands (BLTT Woodlands) occur in high rainfall floodplain areas in the Wet Tropics and Central Mackay Coast bioregions of Queensland. Whilst most Broad Leaf Tea Tree Woodlands occur within 20 km of the coastline, some can be found further inland. Broad leaf tea trees flowers provide an abundance of nectar for birds, invertebrates (notably butterflies) and mammals and the sandy or clay soils provide habitat for many frog and reptile species. Classified as Endangered, representative patches of Broad Leaf Tea Tree Woodlands are at very high risk of being lost in the near future. The main threat to this ecological community has been land clearing and degradation from weed invasion and grazing by introduced animals such as cattle, horses and pigs. Inappropriate fire regimes, exotic species, wildlife harvesting and changes in hydrological regimes have also affected this TEC.
These TECs provide habitat for an extraordinary array of species, from migratory and coastal shorebirds to nectar feeding mammals, frogs, reptiles and butterflies. Beach Scrub supports over 70 species, providing food, nesting habitat and essential coastal corridors. Local Broad Leaf Tea Tree Woodlands are equally rich, supporting at least 60 bird species, 36 butterflies, 14 reptiles, 10 frogs and 8 mammals – including the greater glider, one of Australia’s most iconic arboreal marsupials.
“Protecting these ecological communities is critical to the long-term health of our region’s biodiversity,” Reef Catchments Land and Water Program Director, Bernie Cockayne, said “With this funding, we can take targeted action to restore and protect vital habitats that support threatened species, strengthen landscape resilience, and safeguard our coastlines from erosion and storm impacts. Importantly, this project enables us to work in partnership with the community to deliver lasting environmental outcomes.”
The project brings together the Central Queensland Coast Landcare Network, comprised of Whitsunday Catchment Landcare (WCL), Pioneer Catchment & Landcare Group (PCL) and Sarina Landcare Catchment Management Association (SLCMA), uniting decades of community driven knowledge with strong on-ground delivery capability. Working alongside Reef Catchments, this partnership model ensures that restoration efforts are locally informed, collaborative and coordinated across the region.
“The local Landcare groups are enthusiastic about partnering with the regional NRM body to deliver this important project. Landcare has been actively caring for the Central Queensland coastline for over 30 years, and this funding represents a valuable investment to continue and strengthen this critical work into the future. Investing in the restoration of these endangered communities supports biodiversity conservation, strengthens natural coastal defences, and delivers long-term environmental benefits for both local landscapes and the broader reef catchment.” said Nancy Pratt, Operations Manager for Pioneer Catchment and Landcare Group.