Has a superfood become an enviro-vandal?

by Robin Osborne Atherton Tablelands down to The fruit commonly associated with Coffs Harbour is the banana, But the local industry is the one plantations of which have covered that – so far, anyway - has attracted the steep hillsides fringing the attention, with Coffs Harbour North Coast town for decades. City Council commissioning SCU So celebrated was the crop that it to investigate the environmental spawned one of Australia’s roadside impacts of the industry. attractions known as the ‘Big A 2018 study had found levels Things’. of nitrogen soared after rains as

Now, changing times and tastes fertiliser from farms washed into have created a market for a more rivers, reaching 695 times that of valuable fruit, the blueberry, a drier conditions – native of North America, and netted ‘‘These [nitrogen oxide] loads plantations have rapidly taken over National Marine Science Centre researchers Shane White (left) were amongst the highest reported much of the land previously under and Praktan Wadnekar. Photo: SCU for catchments on the east coast of bananas. Australia, and similar to loads in The industry, like its banana forebear, is dominated by industrious farmers of Sikh Indian background – Woolgoolga hosts the of the blueberry market and the soil is so contaminated that nothing else will grow there.” rivers throughout China, Europe and India with strong agricultural or urban influences” biggest Sikh temple on the east coast, and The market is already under threat, Shane White, a PhD researcher at SCU’s the State MP is of Sikh heritage. according to farmer Iqbal Singh Grewal, National Marine Science Centre, said, It is hard to imagine the construction of a ‘Big Blueberry’, especially as the Big Banana Fun Park has been upgraded in who told the paper that while the industry is improving run-offs its finances are turning sour. “These waterways remove nearly all the nitrogen during dry conditions, but lose the ability during rain events when large recent times, but the popularity of the “His farm switched to blueberries amounts of nitrogen in creeks can escape to ‘superfood’ continues to grow. about five years ago after banana profits the coast.” While the ‘anti-inflammatory’ berry may indeed lower our risk of heart disease and cancer it appears that its impact on the environment – depending on the growing dwindled,” the paper reported, but “It costs Mr Grewal’s farm about $20 to produce a 1.5 kilogram tray of blueberries that he can sell for $21.50 if he’s lucky.” Hearnes Lake, between Coffs Harbour and Woolgoolga to the north, is the last naturally-occurring filtration defence before catchment run-off enters the iconic site – may be less than healthy. This is the The farmer added, “Everybody’s growing Solitary Islands Marine Park. initial conclusion of research by Southern blueberries around Australia,’’ from the “About 50% of the nitrogen is sourced Cross University scientists who are working from fertilisers, and the rest from treated with the NSW Government’s Clean Coastal sewage in the Hearnes Lake catchment. Catchments initiative and in collaboration Management of both sources is necessary,” with Monash University. Mr White said.

The study’s focus is on local water quality and the impact of blueberry cultivation on steep slopes experiencing high rainfall and it has put the industry under an environmental cloud because of nitrogen runoff into creeks that drain to the famed Solitary Islands Marine Park.

Concerned Coffs locals have begun buying into the issue, with a resident telling The Sydney Morning Herald, “Blueberry farmers have walked roughshod over us, their neighbours, for years, spraying chemicals that run off into creeks, setting off loud noises to scare birds and operating deafening wind turbines so the frost won’t settle on the fruit. Tasmania.

“Treated sewage is released to the farms to irrigate the crops and is relatively easier to manage but fertilisers are more widespread and complicated to manage.”

Praktan Wadnekar, also a PhD researcher at the NMSC, was the lead author of one of the latest reports.

“Nearly all creeks with agriculture and urban land use had water quality issues. Hearnes Lake, Woolgooga Creek and Coffs Creek are the main areas of concern,” said Mr Wadnerkar.

“We are working with farmers, industry and government to improve on-farm practices and provide a framework to protect the waterways from harm,” Shane White said.

continued on P16

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