A Wetland Working Group was formed in 2014 to promote the sustainable use and management of natural and constructed wetlands in the Mackay Whitsunday Isaac NRM region.
The group includes representatives from Reef Catchments, DAFF (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry), GBRMPA, Mackay Regional Council, Whitsunday Regional Council, Isaac Regional Council and the regional Landcare groups (Pioneer, Sarina and Whitsunday).
The aim of the group is to develop and share information about current and future wetland activities that are happening locally, as well as identifying partnerships to add value to these projects. The group will also work together to develop and promote communication and awareness raising products (videos) and events (wetland field days).
More information about wetlands
Wetlands (areas of the land where water covers the soil) are some of the most diverse and important environmental assets in the region.
Wetlands can be both natural or constructed and deliver a realm of benefits, including:
- Provide protection from the marine environment to the land and shore and reduce the impacts of floods
- Provide critical sites for biodiversity, providing habitat for plants and animals, including many migratory, juveniles native fish species and some regionally iconic species such as the rare Black Necked Stork
Wetland types are diverse and can include rivers, swamps, lakes, lagoons, mudflats, mangroves and even coral reefs.
Two key projects being overseen by the Wetland Working Group include the rehabilitation of De Moleyns Lagoon, a natural wetland located in the Pioneer Valley near Mirani, and a constructed wetland located at Blacks Beach, north of Mackay.
View Stage 1 Activity Videos for these projects below.
De Moleyns Lagoon
De Moleyns Lagoon is a natural wetland located in the Pioneer Valley near Mirani. Through seed funding in 2012-13 from the Queensland Wetlands program, DAFF (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) partnered with Reef Catchments and Mackay Regional Council to initiate on-ground works to rehabilitate the wetland and surrounding buffer. This partnership approach was highly effective in planning and identifying priority activities. From here, the group collaborated further to focus on water quality, tackle rubbish and weed problems and coordinate rehabilitation, including planting 900 native trees along the northern edge of the wetland. This video has been developed to highlight the Stage 1 activities.
Blacks Beach Constructed Wetland
Constructed wetlands, designed correctly, provide a unique ability to improve the water quality of run-off that they capture. This video has been developed by DAFF and Reef Catchments to highlight the key design characteristics of a constructed wetland built in an urban development at Blacks Beach, north of Mackay. These design features are critical for wetlands constructed in both urban and agricultural settings to achieve the desired water quality improvements.
Reef Catchments is also working on an ABCD management framework for constructed wetlands to highlight further activities, including maintenance, required for the wetland to work effectively.
This is a current project.