Coastal Saltmarsh Field Day

Conservation of Coastal Saltmarsh Field Day

Left to Right: Helen Morgan (TLC), Mike Thomson, Regional NRM Manager, Anna Wind, Environment Project Coordinator, Sue Jennings, (CHLC), Gail Dennett (CLT), Fiona Marshall, Agriculture Project Coordinator.

Forty participants attended this full and enlightening event organised by Conservation Landholders Tasmania, in collaboration with CCA in March.

The participants included landholders with existing covenants as well as local landholders with conservation properties. Various professionals working in and amongst the extensive north-west saltmarshes attended, as did interested members of the public.

CCA’s Mike and Fiona both spoke on the day about our projects and about the current threats to saltmarsh. Helen Morgan, ecologist from Tasmanian Land Conservancy, followed with an informative session on conservation covenants and the important part they play in bringing about perpetual conservation on private land. Anna Wind from CCA and Sue Jennings from the Circular Head Landcare Group gave a lively session on managing Rice Grass.

Eric Woehler from Birdlife Tasmania spoke about the importance of a healthy saltmarsh on the lives of migratory and local shorebirds and warned that the overall bird count across a number of species is in decline.

John Thompson and John Dennett finished with an update on CLT’s activities concerning the current roll out of the new Tasmanian Planning Scheme, which through the new Landscape Conservation Zone (LCZ) can now offer full and complete protection against mining and extractive industries – a first for Tasmania. Those activities include making submissions on behalf of covenanted landholders, attending each Commission hearing and making representations as well as meeting with the Minister.

A very successful day finished with a drive to the saltmarshes where Sue Jennings donned her gumboots and stood in the mud to lead a spirited discussion and demonstration of her Landcare group’s great work over the years.

Article provided by John Dennett, Co-Chair Conservation Landholders Tasmania.

The Circular Head coastal area is special because Robbins Passage – Boullanger Bay has the largest wetland complex in Tasmania (28,000 ha) and is the shorebird capital of Tasmania. More than 20 species of transcontinental migratory waders fly to this significant feeding habitat every year. Coastal Saltmarsh, a threatened ecological community, covers 1300 ha of this coastal area. It also provides habitat for our threatened resident shorebird, the Hooded Plover.

Cradle Coast Authority's NRM team are working on a Regional Landcare Partnerships project to protect coastal saltmarsh by controlling Rice Grass, in partnership with Circular Head Landcare and establishing Conservation Covenants, in partnership with Tasmanian Land Conservancy. You can learn more about the Coastal Saltmarsh Recovery in Robbins Passage and Surrounds project here: www.cradlecoast.com/cca/natural-resourcemanagement/our-projects/

2021 Rice Grass statistics

Circular Head

Circular Head Landcare successfully coordinated Rice Grass control at Circular Head this season and treated 833 ha. Volunteers walked 77 kms of coastline to search for and spray isolated Rice Grass plants and tallied 254 volunteer hours. Contractors sprayed large Rice Grass clumps and meadows.

This season, Rice Grass follow-up treatment was done at Narawntapu NP. Initial treatment began at North East Arm, Squeaking Point, Thompson’s Creek and Panatana Rivulet. The total area treated was 424 ha.

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