Reef and Rivers

reef rivers First Edition

and

YOUR WET TROPICS WATERWAYS LIFESTYLE & ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE

fish for the future Protecting our fish stocks from emerging threats

Page 22

Great Barrier Reef What are we doing to protect it?

Page 28

Page 14

Page 20

The Wrap on Plastic

Mangroves

Waterside Camping

What you need to know

Why they’re worth protecting

Best spots with a water vista

W O R K I N G TO G E T H E R TO E N H A N C E O U R WAT E R WAY S

wettropicswaterways.org.au

36 HOOKED! Five of the region’s best fishing spots

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welcome

Sea Changers The underwater reef helpers

Welcome to the first edition of Reef and Rivers Magazine.

The Wet Tropics is one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world. It is home to over 600 coral species, 1625 types of marine fish, over 4000 land plants, half of Australia’s bird species and one third of its mammals.

We’re lucky to live here, and to be custodians of one of the planet’s most precious ecosystems—the Great Barrier Reef.

Over the last five to six years, Wet Tropics Waterways has built up a partnership of 50+ organisations who

16 Generation Restoration Creating wildlife habitat

are working to help preserve the reef for future generations. It’s an initiative of the Reef 2050 Plan.

There are many projects around our region and many passionate individuals who are doing incredible work.

This magazine showcases some of these stories and highlights the progress being made.

We all rely on healthy waterways—for drinking water, industry and agriculture, tourism and lifestyle. Outdoor pastimes like camping, fishing and diving, which revolve around water, are central to our way of life.

Cover photo: Chris Munro by Thomas Ragh Design & layout: Trina Jensen (www.euality.com.au)

We hope this magazine helps inspire everyone to play a

Writers: Monica Haynes, Elaine Seager, Julie Lightfoot, Skye Orsmond, Doon McColl

role in keeping our waterways healthy.

Contributors: Warren Entsch MP

Enjoy,

Images: R Abom, F Adame, P Curtis, J Dryden, E Fisher, J Heffernan, P Laycock, T Ragh, D Tracey, ABGC, Cairns Regional Council, Douglas Shire Council, GBRMPA, Kuranda Envirocare, Rolex/Franck Gazzola, Tangaroa Blue, TTNQ, Setter.

Professor Steve Turton READ: wettropicswaterways.org.au FOLLOW: Facebook Wet Tropics Waterways

Copyright: Wet Tropics Waterways, 63 Anderson Street, Cairns, QLD 4870.

Disclaimer: Reef and Rivers Magazine is published by Wet Tropics Waterways.

Views and comments expressed by individuals do not necessarily represent those of Wet Tropics Waterways and no legal responsibility can be accepted for the result of the use by readers of information or advice of whatever kind given in this publication, either in editorial or advertisements.

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LISTEN: Reef & Rivers Podcast

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we

EMAIL: info@wettropicswaterways.org.au

live and work, and pay our respect to elders past, present and future. wettropicswaterways.org.au

3

reef speak Gareth Philips

Nicole Nash Last Straw on the Great Barrier Reef

people who live and

Reef Teach & Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators

breathe the Great

Marine biologist, owner and director

A marine biologist and diver, Nicole is

Barrier Reef, to find

of Reef Teach, and the CEO of AMPTO.

also the founder of a campaign that is

In 10 years, Gareth has notched up

eradicating single-use plastic straws in

3000 days on the ocean, more time

venues operating on and around the

seen and what we

than on land.

reef.

need to know.

Why are tourism operators so important?

What has been a highlight of this role?

“Apart from making the reef accessible

“To prove that anyone can drive

to everyone, tourism operators play a

change! As just one person I’ve helped

really important role in monitoring,

reduce millions of single-use plastic

surveying and reporting back to

items from being used, and driven

the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

legislative changes in Queensland.”

We caught up with

out what they’ve

Authority, who use that data to fill science gaps.”

What changes have you seen over the years on the reef?

“I’ve noticed both subtle and dramatic changes. When I first came there were seasonal changes. Now with large marine events like bleaching I notice the complexity of the ecosystem more.

Some areas struggle and others are really doing well. We can’t the give the whole reef a single diagnosis.”

What’s the thing you love most about the ocean?

“Of all the things in the ocean, it’s the weird stuff that I get excited about.

Have you ever seen a sailor’s eyeball?

reefinterviews

2016, many business owners didn’t want to know about alternatives to plastic straws—now they’re going above and beyond eliminating other plastic items on their own. In terms of changes underwater, I’ve been diving the Great Barrier Reef since 2013. I witnessed the mass coral bleaching events reduce coral cover in some of my favourite dive spots—this is what spurred me on to help the reef by promoting plastic free initiatives.”

Hopes for the future?

“That the single-use plastic ban will be

and it’s amazing!”

expanded to include more items.”

If you had one message…

If you had one message…

“The reef is resilient, but is having a

“I have two! If you don’t like something,

tough time. We all have a responsibility

change it! And, there’s no excuse for

and can do things to help. An important

single use!”

for yourself and be inspired.” reefandrivers

“When I first started the campaign in

It’s the world’s largest single cell algae

action is to visit the reef—see its beauty

4

What changes have you seen over the years?

reefseries

Emma Camp Coral Nurture Coral biologist Dr Camp is the Research Co-Lead for a research and tourism

Jennie Gilbert & Paul Barnes Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre

Pete Faulkner Reef Check Australia A dive instructor and volunteer for Reef Check Australia for 15 years.

What’s a highlight of this role?

Jennie, a veterinarian and Paul, a marine biologist, founded the Centre together in 2000. Since it opened its doors over 170 turtles have been rehabilitated and released.

“Being able to conduct research that’s

Why are sea turtles important?

“Getting out to places like Osprey Reef

having a positive impact on the reef

“They are a keystone species and an important part in the marine ecosystem. They’re an indicator of ocean health too—healthy oceans need healthy sea turtles.”

to do surveys. I’ve trained a couple of

partnership that is planting 100,000 healthy corals on reefs in the Cairns and Port Douglas region.

and bringing stakeholders together for a bigger cause.”

What changes have you seen over the years on the reef?

“I moved to Australia during the 2016 bleaching event. I saw reefs that bleached, but I also saw a shift in reef policy, attitude, science and management. It went from ‘leave nature alone and it will survive’, to recognising the need for urgency.”

Hopes for the future?

What changes have you seen over the years?

“Lots more marine debris; fewer nesting areas around the Cairns region because of development; and increasing sand temperatures as a result of climate change means we’re seeing more females born, which is a problem for the natural gender ratio.”

When Pete’s not diving and collecting data or training new volunteers, he’s writing the training manuals.

What’s a highlight of this role?

hundred volunteer surveyors over the years. Watching their levels of excitement grow about every little thing under the water—down to the tiny invertebrates and little bits of algae—is a real highlight.”

What changes have you seen over the years on the reef?

“I’ve been diving for 40 years. There’s no doubt there has been a significant decline in reefs all over the world. We monitor the same sites regularly up and down the Great Barrier Reef. There

“There are more boats on the water these days and because there’s increased awareness, people recognise when a turtle is in distress. The sooner a turtle comes to us the higher our success rate.”

are sites with clear deterioration, sites

the reef.”

What’s a highlight of this role?

move faster and take serious action.”

If you had one message…

“We’re rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing turtles that otherwise wouldn’t have made it. I still cry every time we release one.”

If you had one message…

alive, and the science is telling us that

If you had one message…

make decisions, and it can lead to

we shouldn’t lose hope.”

“Think about your choices at home.

Everything impacts the reef – from where we build our houses to what we put down the sink or drains, to how we dispose of our rubbish.”

bigger change. Both individually and

“That we have functioning coral reefs that can support ecosystem services.

That we all think about our actions and understand that every single thing from when we get up in the morning has an effect in nature and in turn

“I’m often asked ‘Is the reef dead?’ It’s important to remember that the reef is the size of Italy. It is struggling but it’s

with limited deterioration and a few sites with improvement.”

Hopes for the future?

“For governments and agencies to

“Don’t underestimate the power of getting people into citizen science.

Get people helping to gather data and

collectively we have the power to make change for a healthier reef.”

wettropicswaterways.org.au

5

fish for the future We snorkel amongst them, we spend hours trying to catch them and we love them ‘plated up’ for dinner. All this aside, fish have incredibly important roles to play in our ecosystems. Strong fish populations, including a high diversity of fish species, are an indication that our waterways are healthy.

So what are we doing to protect our fish for the future?

Words: Elaine Seager

6

reefandrivers

fishnews

O

ver-fishing, the introduction

Once the survey work is completed,

Many community environmental

of pest fish and changes to

barriers will be prioritised for potential

groups are planting thousands of trees

fish habitat are key issues that have

solutions, ranging from engineered fish

every year along waterways. These

threatened our fish stocks. And all of

ladders and passageways to activities

trees serve many purposes, from

these are things we can help to change.

like managing weeds and modifying

providing shade and wildlife habitat to

crossings.

stabilising riverbanks and helping to

Creating fishing zones

slow the flow of water during floods.

One of the ways we are protecting

Dealing with pest fish

our fish stocks from over-fishing on

‘Pest fish’ compete with native fish

the reef is by establishing fishing

for food, resources and habitat and,

zones, managed by the Great Barrier

in some cases, they even prey on

Reef Marine Park Authority. These

them. Some of the pest species that

zones designate where fishing is

have made it into our rivers include

• The Wet Tropics has 80+ freshwater

allowed, with some areas designated

tilapia, gambusia, platys, guppies and

fish species (the highest diversity in

as ‘no-take’ or ‘green zones’ to protect

swordtails.

Australia).

Tilapia is a particularly noxious

• Tilapia is a pest fish. Two species

nursery and spawning areas, increase the abundance of fish and boost the

Wetland areas are also being restored.

FISHY FACTS

species because it can reproduce so

have naturalised populations in the

prolifically that it displaces whole fish

Wet Tropics—Mozambique and

Our rivers and estuaries have less

communities. Tilapia was first reported

Spotted Tilapia.

restrictions, although a net-free fishing

in the Wet Tropics in the 1970s in the

zone was established in Trinity Inlet

Barron River and there are now two

in 2015 to prevent commercial netting

species that have become naturalised

and increase tourism and recreational

in this catchment—the Mozambique

fishing opportunities. Douglas Shire

Tilapia and the Spotted Tilapia. Tilapia

• The Barron River catchment has the

Council is also developing a sustainable

have now been recorded in most of our

most modified fish fauna in Australia.

fishing strategy.

Wet Tropics catchments.

Removing fish barriers

Once tilapia have been introduced

number of species.

Many freshwater fish in the Wet Tropics need to move within and between freshwater, estuarine and marine environments to complete their life cycle. For some species such as barramundi, this means that adults spawn in the estuary and the juveniles

to a river, they are impossible to eradicate so the focus is on preventing their spread to other catchments. One well-known way is through tilapia fishing competitions that help to raise

is lots of food and fewer predators. So

Wet Tropics. If you catch any non-

this means we need good connectivity

native fish, take a photograph and

between our waterways—just imagine

report it to Biosecurity Queensland on

a fish the size of Nemo trying to

13 25 23.

adventure past barriers like weirs,

Healthy habitat

several thousand. Currently, there are projects in the Lower Murray, Herbert, Daintree, Mossman and Lower Barron river catchments to identify potential fish barriers. So we will have more detailed information about these catchments later this year.

• Translocated fish—introduced Australian species that are not naturally occurring.

from overseas.

species from being introduced to the

but initial estimates suggest there are

FISHY DEFINITIONS

invasive fish species and their impacts.

freshwater environments where there

barriers there are in the Wet Tropics

translocated and exotic pest species.

• Exotic fish—introduced pest fish

The focus is also on preventing other

We don’t know exactly how many fish

Wet Tropics have a low presence of

awareness in communities about

move back upstream to grow in

causeways and aquatic weeds.

• Most freshwater basins in the

There have been a lot of changes to our coastal ecosystems and waterways over the years since European settlement that have impacted our fish species. Wetlands have been drained for agriculture, trees have been cleared along riverbanks, ports and urban infrastructure have been built. While some of these can’t be reversed, there are a lot of things we can do. wettropicswaterways.org.au

7

Sea Changers

COTS CONTROL

Offshore projects helping the reef.

Words: Monica Haynes

T

he reef is experiencing the fourth

observation, we dive, with the objective

major outbreak of crown-of-

of getting the COTS numbers down to a

thorns starfish (COTS) since the 1960s but a unique program is expanding efforts to control the starfish and reduce coral mortality from outbreaks.

“Consistent monitoring and surveying

regularly can help by downloading the Eye on the Reef app and using it to

Crown-of-thorns Control Program.

report COTS sightings.”

“What people might not know is that

The COTS Control Program is funded

COTS are native to the area and they

by the partnership between the

have an ecological function. When the

Australian Government’s Reef Trust

ecosystem is in balance, they control

and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation

fast growing coral.

(GBRF), and is being delivered in

reefandrivers

• 700.7km surveyed

• 2996 diver cull hours

operated vessel that is part of the

COTS are in the area. If we make an

• 29 reefs (northern region)

• 1380 hectares controlled

supervisor on Venus II, an INLOC-

COTS or scarring, which indicates

• 12,407 COTS culled

don’t know. Citizen science programs really help—divers who go to the reef

tenders and manta-tows and look for

2018-2020 (*Source: GBRMPA)

is critical because there’s still a lot we

Dive master Nathan Crane is the dive

“We survey priority reef sites with

8

sustainable limit.

COTS Stats for northern reefs

partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC).

reefseries

DIVING DEEP FOR DATA When COVID hit in 2020, it didn’t just hit the tourism industry, it also had an impact on reef monitoring programs.

Tourism operators play a significant role in collecting data that is fed back to the GBRMPA. The intimate knowledge they gather from regular visits to the same specific sites every day is invaluable for tracking the recovery of corals after bleaching and severe weather events, which helps provide information to organisations undertaking management activities.

However, when COVID arrived, dive boats started spending more time in the marina and data gaps started to appear in the monitoring. In early 2021, the Australian Government provided $3.2 million in funding for the Tourism Industry Activation and Reef Protection Initiative which is supporting dive tourism employees to continue working on conservation activities at high-value tourism sites along the reef.

RISING FROM THE RUBBLE One of the stewardship projects benefitting from the Tourism Industry Activation and Reef Protection Initiative is Reef Magic’s Reef Stars program.

Biology manager Eric Fisher and his team of marine biologists at GBR Biology, fix steel structures called ‘Reef Stars’ into coral rubble beds to stabilise them so they eventually become a permanent part of a new reef. Coral fragments are collected and attached to the reef star structures to start the process of growing a new reef. Rubble patches are caused by destructive cyclones, and can’t support new coral growth.

Eric said 248 reef stars have been bedded in so far, out of a total 500.

“Since our first build a year ago, 98 per cent of the planted corals are alive and well. We only collect pieces of coral that have broken off from parent colonies without human intervention and we’ve got 33 species of coral on the stars— with such a high diversity and low mortality rate, it’s looking great.”

The project will run for eight years and will contribute to a growing knowledge bank about reef recovery and resilience.

SEAGRASS RESTORATION TRIALS SHOW PROMISE In 2009—2011, seagrass meadows along the Wet Tropics coast were heavily impacted by cyclones and flooding and despite recovering well in some areas, overall seagrass condition in our estuaries is still struggling.

The Moresby Estuary, where Mourilyan Harbour is located, is particularly impacted with a complete loss of the large growing high value Zostera muelleri. There has been no recovery of this species in 11 years.

However, seagrass scientists at JCU’s Seagrass Ecology Lab (TropWater) identified Mourilyan Harbour for potential assisted restoration and undertook a small-scale trial with OzFish volunteers in 2020. Early success showed the techniques used are viable, scalable and safe to implement in the Moresby River estuary.

Seagrass transplants from Cairns Harbour were fixed on frames and subsequent monitoring, using drones at low tide, found many of the transplanted shoots survived the wet season and were continuing to grow nine months later. A second-round trial using biodegradable planting frames made from potato starch is planned for later in 2021, with the team looking for investment to scale up the restoration up to full meadow in 2022.

For more information contact JCU’s A/Professor Michael Rasheed michael.rasheed@jcu.edu.au or Dr Paul York paul.york@jcu.edu.au

WHAT IS SEAGRASS GOOD FOR? • Habitat for juvenile fish and prawns • Food for turtles and dugongs • Removes nutrients and sediment from water column • Stabilises the sea floor • Sequesters and stores carbon.

wettropicswaterways.org.au

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Top tips to help our waterways 1

2

3

Pick up litter on the streets

Don’t dump your pet fish or aquatic plants

Wash cars on the lawn

Litter on the streets gets

Exotic fish, including guppies, are a threat

Prevents detergents from

flushed away with stormwater.

to native fish species. Pond plants can turn

entering stormwater drains.

into aquatic weeds and clog waterways.

4

5

Use less garden Chemicals

Compost Garden Waste

Keep Ground Cover in your yard

Pesticides and herbicides can poison

Leaves and grass clippings can

Bare soil causes more

fish and aquatic life. Fertilisers can

cause algal growth in waterways

sediment runoff.

cause excess algal growth.

and deprive fish of oxygen.

7

8

Slow the Flow Absorbing stormwater through water tanks and grass (instead of concrete) helps prevent pollutant runoff and erosion.

10

6

reefandrivers

9

Take toxic waste to waste depots

Pick up after your pet

Paints, solvents and oils poison

Pet poo contains bacteria

fish and waterways.

and parasites.

reef envoy As the Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef, I’ve made a habit of regularly meeting with and taking advice from scientists. I’ve listened to them and I’ve learned from their expertise, they’ve helped to formulate my own view and informed my advocacy work in the Parliament.

W

hile there are many issues that

in the right direction. Crown-of-thorns

discounted or preferred, but therein

contribute to the reef’s overall

starfish outbreaks are being addressed

lies the challenge of climate change—

health—both on a micro and macro

and continue to receive appropriate

measurements, framing and optics all

scale, what is evident is that the single

focus as and when they occur.

cloud the totality of circumstances.

Where we face the real challenge is in

What is clear however, is that Australia

addressing climate change. It’s a global

stands to gain the most from reduced

problem that requires unprecedented

warming in the long-term, but the

levels of global cooperation to correct.

inverse is also true. Taking action

The good news is that this year and

on climate change is in our national

last, has seen some of the greatest leaps

interest, it’s a down payment on our

forward in global commitments to

future, not just for the Great Barrier

reducing emissions.

Reef and our broader environment but

greatest long-term threat to the Reef is from unmitigated climate change. As average temperatures continue to rise, periods of reprieve for corals become shorter and less frequent, providing reduced opportunities for recovery from acute stressors.

At present the reef remains a vibrant ecological wonder and the crown jewel of our tourism industry, but if growing pressures are not adequately addressed the reef’s health will continue to decline in the decades ahead.

The global landscape is changing fast, much faster than Australian policy welcome news for the reef’s outlook, but also requires serious introspection and forethought to guide a nation

that are directly and solely within

heavily reliant on emissions intensive

our control, we are doing a relatively

exports for its prosperity.

and the best management practices in the world. There’s no faulting the scientists, researchers, marine park managers, catchment stakeholders and tourism operators—who all share a love and passion for the reef.

There’s always more that can be done, but on a whole, local and regionalbased management efforts are working well. For instance, we’re addressing water quality challenges, metrics are still above guideline values, but levels are either stable or the trend is heading

in an increasingly decarbonised world.

makers have expected. Which is

With respect to the reef’s challenges

good job—we’ve got the best people

also for our economic competitiveness

Internationally, it’s very hard for Australia to mount a compelling case, in defence of the reef, when we as the custodians aren’t making the same level of effort on emissions that other nations already are, and that the science necessitates in order to safeguard the reef’s future.

While our own domestic contribution to global emissions is relatively small by global standards, on a per capita basis it’s one of the highest in the world. Neither metric should be

Warren Entsch The Hon Warren Entsch MP Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef Federal Member or Leichhardt

wettropicswaterways.org.au

11

Farmer Innovation Everything we do on the land affects the water quality flowing into the reef lagoon and farmers like Mark Savina, who farms over 800 hectares on the Barron Delta, are very conscious of the impact they have on the sensitive environment they operate within.

Words: Elaine Seager

M

ark is one of several hundred farmers who have been actively engaged in government-funded reef water quality programs that have been supporting farmers to make land management practice changes since 2008. Since then, the Australian and Queensland Governments have invested millions of dollars to reduce the runoff of sediment, nutrients and pesticides from farmland with more than $200 million spent in the Wet Tropics region alone.

The first phase of programs between 2008 and 2014 provided over $60 million in grants to Wet Tropics farmers to enable them to invest in new machinery and equipment.

This was matched by the farmers who co-contributed approximately $1.32 for every dollar invested by the government. These grants programs were the low-hanging fruit, a relatively easy way to make change. Instilling long-term behaviour change is more complex so recent programs have begun to focus on agricultural extension (training and education) to help farmers to keep fine-tuning their farming systems.

12

reefandrivers

farmingnews

Listening to Mark Savina reel off all the

Gavin has turned heads with the

different trials he has undertaken over

earthworks happening on his farm,

the years highlights the complexity

located beside the Bruce Highway just

of implementing sustainable practice

south of Innisfail. He says that water

changes. Farmers are running

quality was front of mind when he

businesses, so any changes they make

redesigned and converted a 65-acre

need to be economically viable as

cane paddock he bought from his

well as environmentally sustainable.

neighbours.

He has engaged a number of advisors

“When we bought this land we knew

and scientists and says he is always

we’d need to make major changes

looking for ways to streamline and

because it’s a wet farm and no farmer

refine his farming to keep his business

wants to lose their topsoil and fertiliser

sustainable.

to the reef,” he said.

“I’m using technology that enables me

He has since transformed the property

to micro-manage my paddocks, so I am

into a role model banana farm with

only applying what the crop actually

a combination of best management

needs, and I’m also revisiting and

practice and innovative drainage

improving older farming practices like

solutions, including a two-acre in-

fallow management, to improve soil

drain wetland. With help from Will

health,” he said.

Darveniza, a drain specialist on the

Water quality science

MIP team, designs from urban water

Given all the pressure put on farmers,

on Gavin’s property to see if they would

it’s not surprising they have questioned

work in an agricultural setting.

the science behind regulatory decisions

treatment systems have been trialled

being made. To overcome this, more

Fostering innovation

recent programs have begun to include

Modelling has shown that even if

local-scale water quality monitoring to

we implement all known changes on

give data to farmers about the water

farms in the Wet Tropics, we still won’t

quality flowing off their paddocks.

meet our reef water quality targets

This has been a transformational

that are contained in the Reef 2050

shift because it has engaged farmers

Water Quality Improvement Plan.

as problem solvers. We’ve learnt

Unleashing the ingenuity of people

that when we give people insight,

like Mark and Gavin, and supporting

knowledge and data that’s relevant

them to innovate, is the only pathway

to them they can come up with

towards meeting our reef targets and

astonishing solutions.

also ensuring the sustainability of our

Two projects in the Wet Tropics have pioneered this approach: Project 25 worked with cane farmers in the Mulgrave catchment and the Wet Tropics Major Integrated Project (MIP) worked with farmers in the Johnstone and Tully catchments.

agricultural industries.

Long-term lag The framework of reef report cards that is tracking progress towards Australia’s

“We’ve learnt that when

water quality targets is starting to show

we give people insight,

some positive results through the land

knowledge and data

management changes occurring across

Gavin Devaney, from Bartle Frere

our region. However, there is likely to be

that’s relevant to them

Bananas in Moresby, is one of the

a time lag of several decades before we

farmers engaged in the MIP, which

they can come up with

see significant improvements in water

is funded by the Queensland

quality due to the scale of the geographic

astonishing solutions.”

Government through the Queensland

area and the complexity of the work

Reef Water Quality Program.

involved in change. wettropicswaterways.org.au

13

the truth about mangroves

M

angroves play a vital role in our coastal ecosystems, acting as a

coastline buffer against storm surges, flooding and cyclones and as a filter for water running off the land.

However, there is worldwide die-back of mangroves due to climate change.

If you’ve ever caught or eaten a coastal fish, chances are you can thank the mangroves for it! They provide a home for fish to live, feed and breed in, and they nurture about 75 per cent of all coastal fish catches.

Words: Monica Haynes

Locally they are also affected by things like urban development, rubbish, pollution and weeds. Our population is growing in the Wet Tropics and that puts pressure on the environment, including mangroves, particularly those closest to urban centres like Cairns and Port Douglas.

So how do we know how our mangroves are faring?

MangroveWatch The annual Wet Tropics Waterway Health Report Card includes an assessment of changes to the extent of mangroves. And data collected by ‘citizen scientists’ through the MangroveWatch program is helping to build a more comprehensive picture of mangrove condition.

Mangrove watchers in the Wet Tropics have been collecting data in the Trinity Inlet and Barron River since 2017, 14

reefandrivers

and at Dickson Inlet and the Endeavour, Starke, Mulgrave and Russell rivers since 2019. The Herbert River and Hinchinbrook Channel will be included in the 2021 monitoring season.

Community volunteers and scientists head out by boat to use video, photographs, GPS and observer notes to record geotagged visual data of mangrove shorelines. The data is uploaded for scientists to map mangrove condition and health, section by section, and identify areas of concern. Once priority areas are identified, community groups can begin lobbying for investment in rehabilitation and management.

Community passion and local knowledge are being harnessed to document and interpret changes in mangrove habitat over time, to help science answer important questions about the areas we live in.

Get involved Citizen Science programs like MangroveWatch provide critical information to help us track and preserve mangroves into the future.

If you would like to become a MangroveWatcher, go to: cafnec.org.au/mangrovewatch. No prior skills are needed.

Fast Facts • The Wet Tropics has the highest diversity of mangroves in Australia.

• There are 80 species of mangroves in the world, with 38 species recorded in the Wet Tropics.

• Mangroves absorb up to five times more carbon from the atmosphere than

MangroveWatch Cairns & FNQ is funded by the partnership between the Australian

other trees.

Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. CAFNEC partners

• Mangroves are difficult to plant—it’s better to rehabilitate than replant.

with Great Barrier Reef Legacy, South Cape York Catchments, Dawul Wuru Aboriginal Corporation and MangroveWatch Ltd to work with citizen scientists to monitor target estuaries along the Queensland coast. wettropicswaterways.org.au

15

Generation Restoration Landcare has evolved to become one of the largest volunteer movements in Australia.

Across the Wet Tropics there is a diverse network of people and groups focused on protecting, enhancing and restoring the local environment.

Words: Monica Haynes

C

ommunity group Kuranda Envirocare has been operating for

over 20 years. Volunteers are currently working at Cain Creek to create wildlife corridors and habitat for the critically endangered Kuranda tree frog.

President Cathy Retter says an amateur interest in plants kickstarted her involvement with the group back in 2005.

“I was semi-retired and wanted to work in a nursery so I joined Kuranda Envirocare’s nursery. I didn’t know much about the bigger picture, I just knew the rainforest was beautiful!

“The more involved I got, the more I understood how precious our environment is.

“One of the biggest challenges we’ve seen over the last 15 years is the reduction in the amount of funding that comes to landcare, to restore habitat.

This is especially alarming when you look at deforestation rates—it means we’re already behind the eight-ball when it comes to planting.

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reefandrivers

landcareseries

“Say we plant 5000 trees in a year - that might only be two hectares. We need to take a good look at where people are clearing and if there’s any way we can reduce that, then we should be trying.

“The challenge is finding a balance between a growing population that needs more and more space for people to live in, and keeping space for the other creatures that are here. I remember crying when I learnt that of all the mammals on Earth, 96 per cent are livestock and humans and only 4 per cent are wild.

“In Kuranda, a lot of freehold land has the same values as world-heritage-listed rainforest but it’s not protected in the same way. We help landowners to apply for voluntary declarations—which are agreements under the State Government’s Vegetation Management Act that protect areas of privatelyowned native vegetation.

“Kuranda is at a bottleneck in the World Heritage Area, with just a narrow corridor connecting the northern and southern parts. Every piece of habitat counts. Every tree counts.

“It tends to be older people in landcare groups, and we’ve been a bit in despair about this over the last decade but we’re starting to see more young people getting involved. COVID has meant that people stop and think about what matters to them. We’re definitely seeing more young people since COVID. “There’s some very special young people doing this.

Holloways Beach Coastcare’s coordinator, Sarah, has been doing a stellar job at getting other younger people putting trees in the ground. We have to make sure we’re nurturing our next generation of landcare leaders.

“Landcare is a brilliant way of connecting with likeminded people. I guarantee if you’re out planting, or at our nursery, you’ll be chatting and laughing and having a great time.”

REasons to love riparian trees • Cools the water temperature (which is great for fish habitat) • Stabilises soil and streambanks • Mitigates flooding and erosion • Shades out weeds and deters pest species

LANDCARE PROJECTS Every year landcare groups, councils and other environment organisations plant over 100,000 trees around the Wet Tropics community. Planting trees on the banks of rivers and creeks is especially important. Here’s a snapshot of some of the riparian planting action around the region:

Johnstone Landcare and Johnstone River Catchment Management Association are planting 80,000 trees along riverbanks in the Tully, Johnstone and Russell catchments this year as part of the Queensland Government’s Reef Assist Program.

An all-local team of 15 is employed as part of this project.

Jaragun Ecoservices is stabilising streambanks on Babinda Creek and McPaul Creek and improving wildlife corridors that link Bellenden Ker Range in the World Heritage Area with the coast. 10,000 native plants are being propagated in Jaragun’s nursery, and are all set to be planted out at revegetation sites.

The project has created eight jobs. This work is also funded by the Reef Assist Program.

14,000 native trees are being planted along Thomatis Creek to mitigate extensive erosion and re-establish an important habitat corridor that connects the coast to the rainforest. The revegetation project is the work of many dedicated volunteers, and the result of partnerships between the land managers, community organisations and government agencies.

Get involved! Find a landcare group near you: wettropicswaterways.org.au/contacts/landcare

like rats (which is great for cane farmers!) wettropicswaterways.org.au

17

Reef Guardian Councils Beyond rates, roads and rubbish—how Wet Tropics councils are helping protect the reef.

Words: Doon McColl

iving beside the Great Barrier Reef

L

“This program is about linking

to provide council staff with the

has many benefits, but it also brings

communities to the reef and building

resources and skills they need.

great responsibilities, and councils are

awareness of the interconnectedness

leading the way in taking action.

of land and sea ecosystems. It’s also

The eight local governments across the Wet Tropics have joined forces to become Reef Guardians—a stewardship program partnering with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to reduce threats to the Reef. It includes 19 councils covering 300,000 square kilometres between Bundaberg and Cape York.

The Authority’s CEO Josh Thomas

18

about changing practices so the reef will endure and transfer across generations.”

“Perhaps this is true stewardship in its finest form—people caring for something they don’t own.”

Chair of the executive committee, Cassowary Coast Councillor Jeff Baines, said the councils had benefited hugely from the opportunities to network and learn from each other.

“I think people like being part of something bigger, something positive, rather than working in isolation, and by working together we can achieve so much more. Each local government is very different in terms of our physical size, rate base, local issues and even

said the Reef Guardian Councils

With direction from an executive

cultures. But we share a common

are inspiring and supporting their

committee of mayors, CEOs and senior

commitment to the reef. The reef may

communities, representing over a

staff from the Authority, in the past

help drive our local economies, but it

quarter of a million people, to look

year the program has focused on

also defines who we are, and we are

after the reef.

specialist training and collaboration

intensely proud of it.”

reefandrivers

reefseries

The Reef Guardians program involves each council developing an action plan of projects to address the greatest threats to the reef: climate change, coastal development, land-based run-off and direct use of the reef.

The actions vary depending on each council’s capacity but cover everything from the big picture of new planning schemes to the detail of installing new pipes in creek causeways to improve fish breeding. The action plans are a powerful tool for councils to share their Reef management actions with their local community.

Council’s beaches aren’t ‘loved to death’.

elevated walkways that link existing

Proposed activities include defining

jungle and river walking trails through

beach access paths and revegetating

cassowary and Kuranda tree frog

dunes to help to retain the coastline’s

habitat.

natural character and reduce the impacts of coastal development—one of the major threats to the reef.

The dirt on gravel Cassowary Coast Regional Council has more than 525km of unsealed roads, which are a risk for sediment runoff to the reef. Council has designed and developed a new modelling tool that uses heat maps to pinpoint hot spots

“We want the world to know that our communities care about the reef and

on gravel roads where damage occurs

we are stepping up to do our bit,” Cr

effective treatment methods.

Baines said.

CREATING CHANGE: ON-GROUND ACTIONS

most often and to identify the most

Growing business A nursery run by Tablelands Regional Council is supplying seedlings to landowners to earn carbon credits. In partnership with local company Native

Roadside rubbish curbed

Conifers Carbon Sink and supported

Wujal Wujal opened its new recycling

Land Restoration Fund, the scheme has

centre last year in time for the seasonal surge of travellers passing through the town. The container deposit facility has already received thousands of items that could have washed into coastal creeks and out to the reef. A state-of-the-art glass crushing machine to convert bottles into construction material is also being installed.

Gone fishy Cairns Regional Council is installing ‘fish friendly’ rock weirs and baffles at sites such as Swallow Street in Mooroobool, which will help fish species that need to move up and down waterways to feed and breed. All future major culvert constructions and replacements will be fish friendly. Fish

by the Queensland Government’s already planted 10,000 seedlings and is aiming to have 35,000 trees in the ground in the next five years.

Little litter heroes Hinchinbrook Shire Council has teamed up with local waste company MAMS Group at the Tasman Parkfest in Ingham and met a whole new generation of litter heroes. These superstars grabbed some litter pickers and helped council clean up Hinchinbrook and demonstrated proper waste disposal methods at the council’s make-shift ocean display.

New Barron Falls walk Mareeba Shire Council has just

surveys are also being funded in the

opened a new trail through World

Russell-Mulgrave river catchments and

Heritage-listed rainforest in Kuranda

at Saltwater Creek.

to the Barron Falls so visitors can

Where rainforest meets the reef

access the lookout without transport.

Built with environmentally sensitive

Management plans are being put in

construction methods, the 2.5km

place to ensure five of Douglas Shire

moderate intensity track includes wettropicswaterways.org.au

19

Waterside Camping

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reefandrivers

lifestyleseries

With hundreds of rivers and creeks meandering

ISLAND CAMPING

Danbulla National Park & State Forest Pick from a range of camping areas

through the landscape,

Fitzroy Island

and more islands than we

Wake up in an island paradise at

suit anyone’s camping tastes. From

know what to do with,

this campground just a 45 minute

secluded bush camping to large

Far North Queensland

ferry ride from Cairns! When the

open areas with excellent facilities,

day visitors catch the ferry back, you

all camping areas are a great base

is overflowing with

and resort guests will have the island

for water activities on the dam or

gorgeous waterside

to yourselves. The campground has

exploring the surrounding area. Book

a beachfront barbecue and basic

online through Queensland Parks &

amenities block. Book online through

Wildlife Service.

camping spots. Here’s some that we love.

Fitzroy Island Resort.

Russell and High Islands

STATION CAMPING

Part of the Frankland Island group,

RESPONSIBLE CAMPING

camping is allowed on the beautiful Russell and High Islands. You’ll need

Emu Creek Outback Holiday Station

around the banks of Tinaroo Dam to

your own boat (or a mate with a boat!), or you can arrange a camping transfer (Russell Island only) with a

Soaps, detergents, medication, sunscreen and repellents contain chemicals that can interfere with aquatic plants and animals’

A remote-feeling bush camping

private operator. The islands are about

experience on a working cattle station.

10km offshore but you’ll feel a million

reproduction and development.

Just two hours drive from Cairns,

miles away. Book online through

the turnoff for the station is 23km

Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service.

• At camping spots without toilets,

from Dimbulah. The creek is long and

bury toilet waste at least 15cm

wide with shallow sandbar sections

Wheeler Island

deep and at least 100 metres

and deeper areas that are perfect for

Again, you’ll need a boat (or a mate

kayaking and fishing. Book through

with a boat) for this one. This is a full

wet wipes or baby wipes. Put

the station.

remote island experience – white sand,

Woodleigh Station

• Always take your rubbish home

about it? Look across to Bedarra Island

with you.

and know that you’ve got the same

the Atherton Tablelands, Woodleigh

island vistas without the price tag!

is another working cattle property

Book online through Queensland Parks

that has opened its gates to campers

& Wildlife Service.

looking for an almost-outback getaway! the property, and there are plenty of

NATIONAL PARK CAMPING

private camping spots along its banks.

Book through the station.

them in the rubbish.

crystal clear water… And the best thing

Easily accessible from Cairns and

The Millstream River runs through

from water sources. Never bury

• Use plain old hot water, or eco-friendly detergents and soaps for washing dishes or yourself, and do it at least 20 metres away from the water’s edge.

If you’re swimming: Broadwater Creek

• Don’t wee in the water when

Spread out in this spacious, grassed

you’re taking medication

90km from either Mount Garnet or

campground and enjoy the backdrop

(including contraceptives).

Cardwell, Goshen Station has private

of eucalypt forest and creek. An hour’s

campsites along the beautiful Herbert

drive inland from Ingham, Broadwater

River. Explore the Herbert River Falls

camping area is located in Abergowrie

and gorge which are a half hour drive

State Forest. Excellent facilities make

from the camping area, take your

it perfect for large groups and families.

kayaks or paddleboards for a splash

Book online through Queensland Parks

in the water, or fish for bream and

& Wildlife Service.

Goshen Station

• Apply sunscreen and insect repellent after swimming instead of before—or wipe it off with a damp cloth before you hop in the water.

yabbies. Book through the station. wettropicswaterways.org.au

21

TULLY & JOHNSTONE LOWER HERBERT Working with cane farmers to reduce nutrient runoff ($16.2m).

MURRAY Improving fish habitat connectivity ($5m).

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reefandrivers

UPPER HERBERT Preventing thousands of tonnes of sediment runoff from cattle stations ($3m).

An additional $3.5m project is just starting.

MURRAY Working with cane farmers to reduce nutrient runoff ($2.5m).

Revegetating riverbanks ($0.5m).

TULLY & JOHNSTONE Working with farmers to reduce runoff and trialling new catchment repair treatment systems ($15m).

projectsnews

UPPER JOHNSTONE Fixing erosion hotspots and improving land management (2.3m).

MULGRAVE-RUSSELL Stabilising riverbanks at Babinda Creek.

DOUGLAS SHIRE Rehabilitating sand dunes at five beaches at risk of coastal erosion ($0.45m).

CAIRNS Weed management project at Yarrabah.

MOSSMAN Working with cane farmers to reduce nutrient runoff ($2.5m).

MOSSMAN Strengthening and revegetating streambanks eroded by flooding ($1m).

Current projects From supporting farmers to make practice changes to fixing erosion hotspots and revegetating riverbanks, more than $200 million has been spent on reef water quality projects in the Wet Tropics since 2008. Some of the current projects are highlighted on this map. To see the timeline of what’s been delivered so far go to wettropicswaterways.org.au/gbr-projects

wettropicswaterways.org.au

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Wetlands work wonders Six years ago, Barretts Lagoon near Tully was best described as a weed-choked “disaster”. But with landholders, agencies and Traditional Owners working together, the result is a thriving wetland supporting birds, fish and even crocodiles.

Words: Julie Lightfoot and Skye Orsmond

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reefandrivers

landcareseries

C

ane farmers Santo Silvestro and Denis Marsilio’s smiles broaden when they look out over Barrett’s Lagoon. The way it looks now—with its wide expanses of water, birdlife and native vegetation—is a far cry from the weed-covered waters they raised the alarm about back in 2015.

“You couldn’t see the water—95 per cent of it was covered in green. We couldn’t believe how quickly an invasive weed like hymenachne could spread both in height and across the water,’’ Denis says.

“In places it was one and a half metres high and it looked like a huge mat laid out over the water.”

The pair talked to their industry body, Canegrowers Tully, who got in touch with natural resource management organisation Terrain NRM and this led to funding and a larger working group including Gulnay Traditional Owners, the Cassowary Coast Regional Council and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.

“Hymenachne weed was so high we couldn’t begin on land or with boats,’’ Denis says. “Helicopters were used to aerial spray with grass-selective herbicide and that was followed up with land-based work. We had a tractor pump and we dragged a 70 metre hose through the scrub to areas the helicopters couldn’t get to. Once the spraying took effect and we could use a boat, things got a little easier.”

Selective herbicides are designed to treat a specific species while leaving other species, like the bullrushes, unharmed. The restoration project also included on-land weed removal by further upstream.

Gulnay Traditional Owner Clarence Kinjun said rehabilitation work was continuing, with plans for ongoing fish surveys, water quality monitoring, weed management and ecological and cultural assessments as part of proposed project to train up the younger generation and increase wetlands connectivity for fish species.

“Everything is important here - the fish, the plants, the birds. Everything is connected. We’re working with farmers to help heal our waterways and lagoons, to bring bird life and fish life back into them.”

low-lying unproductive cane land in

Wetland ecologist Fernanda Adame has been monitoring the area and studying the effect of lagoons and their aquatic plants in filtering water and removing nitrate that would otherwise flow to the reef.

nitrogen from farm runoff.

“A lagoon network like this, in the lower flood plain area, helps the whole catchment. Removing the weeds and allowing the water to flow brings back diversity in plant and fish life and it also improves the quality of water and the nitrogen removal process,” she said.

timeframe, enabling the denitrification

Mourilyan has been converted into a 1.2 hectare high performing ‘embellished’ wetland instead - and it is proving that these wet areas can be used to remove high levels of dissolved inorganic

Catchment Repair Coordinator Chris Algar said a key success factor in the trial was a high level of vegetation uptake. A thriving ecosystem of plant life established itself in a short process to occur.

“This constructed wetland is a great practical example of how a wet piece of land, that’s not productive as farm land, can yield excellent water quality outcomes with the help of a

OTHER WETLAND PROJECTS

tailored design and relatively minimal earthworks,” he said.

The MIP has been trialling a range

• FIGTREE LAGOON: Cane farmer Len Parisi won a Reef Champion award for his work restoring seven hectares of cane land with over 9000 trees at Figtree Lagoon with the help of Mulgrave Landcare and Greening Australia.

of catchment repair systems across

• MULGRAVE LANDCARE has also restored 10 hectares of old cane land with over 10,000 trees next to the Russell River National Park.

improved hydrology and the appropriate

• EUBENANGEE SWAMP: The rehabilitation of Eubenangee Swamp has been a 30-year labour of love

by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Rangers, Terrain NRM and Indigenous Groups.

the Tully and Johnstone catchments, including five different bioreactor designs, a landscape wetland, in-drain wetland and three constructed wetlands.

The constructed wetlands are yielding the best results, proving that with amount of vegetation they have great potential in reducing nitrate levels.

The Wet Tropics Major Integrated Project is funded through the Queensland Government’s Reef Water Quality Program, and coordinated by Terrain NRM in partnership with Canegrowers, Australian Banana Growers’ Council, local government, community groups, traditional owners, consultants, investors and researchers.

BOGGY BITS TURNED INTO TREATMENT SYSTEMS Wetlands are so effective as water filters that trials have also been undertaken to test whether it is possible to engineer ‘boggy bits’ on farms into water treatment systems.

As part of the Wet Tropics Major Integrated Project (MIP), an area of wettropicswaterways.org.au

25

EROSION SOLUTIONS It is 130km from the ocean but a fifth-generation cattle station near Ravenshoe is becoming a Far North Queensland leader in protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

Words: Julie Lightfoot

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reefandrivers

reefseries

W

oodleigh Station has been in the WilliamsWaddell family for 105 years and is wellknown around these parts for its cattle and tourism operations. Now the station is also gaining a name for land management changes that are both improving the water quality flowing down through the Herbert River catchment and reducing fine sediment loads in the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.

Along with a number of other graziers in the Herbert catchment, the Waddells are part of a $3 million program—funded by the Australian Government and delivered by Terrain NRM—which is solving erosion problems through engineered structures and changes to grazing practices.

Kate Waddell says leaving the land in a healthy state is a priority.

“Woodleigh has been run by our family for more than a century.

We want our young ones who are coming on to see the benefits and to love the land as much as we do. We want to improve our sustainability.”

Even with good grass cover and light stocking rates, some of Woodleigh’s soil types erode easily during heavy rainfall. Over the last 10 years they’ve taken up wet season spelling, where they fallow paddocks, and have stopped burning. They have noticed big improvements in their grasses and soil biology and say that the sediment project has been the next big step.

Fast Facts

Two rock chutes, the largest 100 metres long, have been constructed on the station to divert flood waters and stop

• The Herbert catchment is one of Queensland’s three biggest contributors of sediment loads to the Reef. It extends 340km from Herberton-Ravenshoe areas to the coastal region of Ingham.

further erosion. Another is due to be installed. Tailings dam

• Fine sediment smothers corals, seagrasses and other plants, affecting their growth and survival, and this has a run-on effect for turtles, dugongs, fish and other animals that depend on these plants for food and shelter.

Revegetation work, weed control, botanical surveys and

• Silt, clay and the nutrients attached to them travel even further into the reef, forming ‘flocs’ that grow organic material and reduce the light to corals and seagrass meadows.

In a win-win situation for landholders and the reef, changes

walls, from historical mining leases, have been repaired and new fences built to keep cattle out of eroded waterways. And natural grazing methods targeting stock rotation patterns, soil health and pasture management have been introduced. pasture monitoring is also underway.

The engineered work on the property is estimated to be reducing sediment loads on the Great Barrier Reef by more than 2000 tonnes—or hundreds of truckloads—each year.

to grazing practices should bring even greater gains than the engineered earthworks in the longer-term, while also improving pasture and productivity. The changes are expected to significantly reduce sheet erosion as well as gully erosion. wettropicswaterways.org.au

27

the wrap on plastic

Less than two per cent of waste plastic is recovered in Far North Queensland, compared to 5.7 per cent across Queensland and 9.5 per cent nationally.

The remainder goes to landfill, so we’ve got plenty of room to improve!

Words: Monica Haynes

T

here is a growing appetite for a

The hub would create 83 full-time jobs

commercial plastics hub in Far

during construction and six full-time

North Queensland, which would see

jobs once it was up and running. As part

our plastic waste being re-manufactured

of the study, a feasibility template is

locally rather than trucked to Brisbane

available and replicable by other regions

and then brought back as a new product.

that are facing similar challenges.

A new feasibility study by Regional

The problem with plastic

Development Australia Tropical North shows that a plastics hub would annually divert 5400 tonnes of plastic from landfill, reduce emissions of C02 by 5000 tonnes, and bump up our recycling rate to 17 per cent.

28

reefandrivers

Half of the plastic items we buy are used

Plastics break up into smaller and smaller pieces and absorb toxic industrial chemicals which, when ingested by animals are absorbed into their tissues. Some microplastics are so small that we actually breathe them in—these are called nano or pico plastics.

when animals get tangled in or injured

It’s hard to know yet exactly what implication this has for humans. What we do know from studying other species is that contaminants from plastics can change their hormone

by litter, or mistake it for food.

levels and endocrine systems.

once and thrown away. A lot of plastic becomes litter which is washed into our waterways. It causes harm and suffering

plasticnews

Cleaning up Last year there were 162 beach and waterway clean ups around the region. Almost 1000 volunteers were involved, and over seven tonnes of debris was removed. The most littered items were plastic remnants, plastic packaging items and plastic consumer items.

What can you do?

Plastic free doesn’t mean waste free. Reusable products are the best alternative to single-use disposable products, so BYO cups, cutlery, bottles and containers or join a reusable café cup program like Green Caffeen.

Some alternatives are better than others. Encourage businesses and food vendors to use alternative products that have the least impact on the environment, like 100 per cent home compostable products that are certified under Australian standards.

The single-use plastic ban Great news for our waterways and our region! Queensland is gearing up for a ban on the supply of single-use plastic.

What’s banned?

• Straws: regular straws, flexible straws, straws with a scoop, cocktail straws and bubble tea straws.

• Cutlery: knives, forks, spoons, teaspoons, sample tasting spoons, soup spoons, chopsticks, splayds and sporks.

• Bowls and plates.

• Stirrers: hot or cold drink stirrers, swizzle

If you are a food or drink retailer in the Cairns or Port Douglas

sticks and hot or cold food stirrers.

area you can access free, personalised support from Plastic Free

• Expanded polystyrene takeaway food containers and cups, for example

Cairns. For those outside those areas, handy general resources are available at plasticfreecairns.org

‘clamshell’ style containers.

Easy steps to reduce plastic going to landfill

What’s next?

• Say “no thanks” to extra packaging.

Additional single-use plastic items may

• Dine in instead of getting takeaway.

be banned in the future, after further

• Reduce pre-packaged goods by shopping at your local bulk

consultation.

food store or co-op.

• Recycle your soft plastics at participating supermarkets. wettropicswaterways.org.au

29

Water Weeds Anyone who’s into gardening knows that weeds thrive in the Wet Tropics and this makes our waterways particularly vulnerable to aquatic weeds escaping from ponds and aquariums.

Words: Elaine Seager

The first records of aquatic weeds in the Wet Tropics show that they began to arrive in the 1800s. Most of the ones we are dealing with today were introduced through the aquarium trade, as culinary plants or released for agriculture. The internet has made it worse by causing an explosion in food plants being imported from other parts of the world, especially south-east Asia.

Unfortunately, aquatic weeds are almost impossible to eradicate once established. The best we can do is control infestations as they crop up by removing weeds manually or with the use of herbicides. Community groups, councils, rangers and parks services are among those involved in weed control programs. We can all help by making

In other parts of Australia, weeds

sure we don’t inadvertently transfer

die back during the dry months but

weeds to other areas on machinery and

because we have so much water all

boats.

year round, weeds continue to spread.

Some of the species that are affecting

They can choke and smother our

our waterways currently are water

rivers, alter their flow and change the

hyacinth, water lettuce, limnocharis,

water chemistry, which creates the

hymenachne and paragrass.

perfect conditions for pest species like tilapia to thrive. Weeds also have a negative impact on the productivity of our farms.

30

So, what do we do about it?

reefandrivers

Recent surveys show that the Murray and Herbert catchments are most impacted by invasive weeds in the Wet Tropics. Further north, the Barron

River recently had an infestation of floating macrophyte Amazon frogbit (an aquarium plant), which has spread through several tributaries within the basin. On the upside, the Mossman River is looking better after two weed species, salvinia (pictured) and water hyacinth, were removed from known locations.

TIPS FOR AQUARIUM LOVERS • Know the legislation and which plants are on the ‘naughty’ list.

• Buy aquarium plants from reputable suppliers.

• Look for local alternatives to aquarium plants.

• Never dispose of aquarium plants or animals in the wild.

educationnews

misinformation and our own biases.

Students regularly ask: ‘Who has written this or done this, why, what is the methodology they are using, and is there bias in the methodology?’.

Science literacy enables us to approach problems and issues with an unbiased perspective and observe and rationalise our thoughts before making an informed decision.”

An appreciation for conservation Teaching Principal Louise Carver says research has shown that spending time in nature improves health and wellbeing, and also supports an appreciation for conservation.

“We’re more likely to care about

Next Gen Citizen Scientists

environmental issues if we have that

Tucked away at the northern end of Holloways Beach

Environment Centre - it’s literally on

is an Environmental Education Centre that has been

because of a lack of awareness of its

delivering specialist outdoor and environmental

connection. Getting kids outdoors and into nature is a great way to establish this early in life and, lucky for us, we have some of the most beautiful and accessible ecosystems on our doorstep!”

Mangrove habitat is a big focus of the the doorstep and is often maligned critical function.

programs for over 30 years.

When new groups of students come to

Words: Monica Haynes

mangroves?’. Very few put their hand

the centre they are asked ‘who loves up. By the time they leave, nearly

About 2500 students visit each year,

surveying and monitoring. The data is

contributing scientific data to school

lab-tested, scientifically published and

and citizen science programs that help

used by schools and science databanks

expand the knowledge base about our

like AUSMAP and MangroveWatch.

local environment.

The centre’s ethos is all about learning through interaction with the natural environment. Programs are tailored to different schools and aligned with curriculum requirements, using handson learning opportunities like probe testing, water and sediment sample collections, mangrove monitoring and microplastics surveys.

Students work to professional standards and use approved methodologies for their sampling,

every student says they have a new appreciation!

Science literacy in the era of over-information

What you can do as a parent or caregiver

With so much information (and

• Foster curiosity. You don’t need

misinformation!) out there, it’s more

to go far—take a walk to the park

important than ever to be equipped

or visit your local creek or beach.

to recognise the difference between opinion and fact, and to be able to see bias.

“It needs to happen at school, it needs to happen at home, and it needs to be ongoing,” says Terri Mulqueen.

• Encourage questions and find out the answers together.

• Get involved in citizen science activities like the Aussie Backyard Bird Count, ReefClean or FrogID.

“It’s very easy to be swayed by wettropicswaterways.org.au

31

In Brief

urban Footprint Urban water management practices are now being benchmarked across the Great Barrier Reef catchment area from Gladstone to the Daintree.

A new Urban Water Stewardship

The greatest room for improvement

Framework is being used to assess

is in established urban areas, with

and rate activities—ranging from

opportunities for better stormwater

sewage wastewater and stormwater

management planning and monitoring,

management practices to controlling

and better modelling and monitoring of

sediment runoff during urban

stormwater pollutants. The challenge

development. The framework

is in balancing the management of

was developed by the Queensland

flood risk with the management of

Government in partnerships with

stormwater quality in the context of

councils and other stakeholders,

our high annual rainfall.

to encourage sound urban water management practices and identify ways to improve water quality outcomes.

management practices in urban areas, while also identifying areas where practices can improve. It’s part of the

of this year’s Wet Tropics Waterway

Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement

Health Report Card. 66 urban water

Plan.

developing urban areas, wastewater treatment plants and sewer networks.

Practice levels for each activity were rated from A (leading practice) to D (superseded practice).

The results showed that water management in urban areas of the Wet Tropics is generally at best practice level, with five of the eight councils in the Wet Tropics region graded B. The region’s overall grade was a C, indicating a ‘moderate risk to water quality’ with room for improvement.

Our councils scored the highest for their management of wastewater and runoff from urban development sites, with both the Point Source and Developing Urban components rated B. Erosion and sediment control in developing urban areas is generally well managed, but there is scope for improvement in the design and installation of stormwater treatment devices. reefandrivers

allows us to assess the effectiveness of

the first assessments, which are part

relating to established urban areas,

32

Framework is important because it

All eight local councils took part in

management activities were assessed

waterwaysnews

The Urban Water Stewardship

newsandviews

New - Bioreactor Guidelines

wATch Out - Amazon hands on Frogbit About inspiration

Landholders now have guidelines

Amazon frogbit, an aquarium plant,

Did you know there is an annual Ports

for creating bioreactors, to improve

has been infesting the Barron River

North Environment Award, for Year

the quality of water leaving farms.

near Mareeba leading to dense mats

11 and 12 students? It’s open to science

The guidelines, released by the

forming in Granite and Atherton

students from Tully to Thursday Island,

Queensland Government, follow

Creek. It is likely to have been started

and has been running for 20 years.

15 trials over the last five years in

from aquarium contents being emptied

Queensland.

into a tributary. Despite local efforts,

Bioreactors are woodchip-filled trenches that intercept and treat nitrate in surface run-off or shallow ground water on farms. The guidelines will help land managers decide whether a bioreactor will be effective on a particular site and, if so, how to design, construct and maintain it to maximise the removal of nitrate.

the weed is now spreading rapidly downstream and there is a high risk that it could infest other areas.

Mareeba Shire Council and Tablelands Regional Council have actioned an emergency local law declaration, which regulates the sales, propagation and keeping of Amazon frogbit to

Entrants carry out studies relating to land uses, waterways, catchment health and linkages of creeks, rivers, estuary, beach and oceans, under the guidance of their teacher, and they use data to draw conclusions in a local and regional context. By entering, they are in the running for prizes ranging from $400 to $1000.

prevent further dispersal. Other

Ports North Environment Manager

councils are considering similar laws.

Adam Fletcher says it’s all about

Avoid buying it, dispose of it in the bin

“sparking early interest, encouraging

and if you spot it notify Biosecurity

hands-on research, and seeing students

Queensland on 13 25 23.

recognise the important connection between waterways and their catchments”.

Adam has read hundreds of entries

Thumbs up for rock Chutes This year’s La Nina wet season was

over the years and says he’s never disappointed. He and other judges have reviewed projects from Tully to the Barron River on the Tablelands, and further north along the coast.

an opportunity to test rock chutes—

The award is presented through the

an engineered solution to water

Business Liaison Association (BLA)

quality issues.

Aspire Awards, a joint initiative of

The chutes are used on the Tablelands to prevent gully erosion and topsoil losses. Floodwaters put the structures through their paces. Four rock chutes built on cattle properties in the Upper Herbert will each year collectively

Ports North and the Business Liaison Association, which links with Far North Queensland secondary schools to promote and encourage careers and further studies in environmental sciences.

prevent an estimated 1200 tonnes of

More information:

sediment from reaching the reef.

www.bla.org.au/view-all-awards wettropicswaterways.org.au

33

River Drifting River activities are a must do for Far North Queenslanders, especially in our summers.

Words: Paul Curtis

34

reefandrivers

adventureseries

T

here are plenty of spots on the

GETTING THERE: Access is off the

major rivers that are popular

Palmerston Highway. Start your drift

with kayakers, rafters and stand

from the Henrietta Creek campground,

up paddleboarders. Professional

or Gooligans day-use area for a shorter

photographer Paul Curtis takes readers

drift.

a bit further off the beaten track for some river drifting adventures...

DRIFT INFO: Henrietta Creek has a rocky bottom—booties or waterproof

Kauri and Henrietta creeks need reasonable water levels for a comfortable drift, so January to May is ideal as long as they aren’t in flood.

Never drift in flood waters, and check weather and park alerts.

sandals are recommended as well as

ADVENTURE 1: DANBULLA

walking track markers either side of

a ‘support’ paddle or stick for slippery shallow sections.

After a few hours you’ll be close to the top of Wallicher Falls. There is plenty of warning before the falls the creek, just before a rock barrage.

DRIFT LENGTH: 3km DRIFT TIME: 2 hours GETTING THERE: Head for Tinaroo Falls Dam Road (if coming via Atherton) or Danbulla Road via the Gillies Range. Take the Kauri Creek Road turn off (1.4km from the day-use area). About 6km up the road you’ll find a sign-posted access point to the creek, and carpark.

Here, you will need to ‘dismount’ and walk to the track entrance on the left, approximately 100 metres before the falls. Follow the track for a few metres before another short trail descends to the right to the bottom of the falls where you can drift right under the waterfall!

From here it’s another hour downstream to the top of Tchupala

DRIFT INFO: Kauri Creek rises between the peaks of Mt Edith and Haig and has a reasonable flow for most of the year. If you’re drifting in dry season, adults may need to walk some sections.

Falls. 100 metres before the creek

Kauri Creek has a mostly sandy bottom and drops very little in altitude over the 3km distance, apart from a short rocky section you encounter after about half an hour. (This section is about 200 metres long, but it could be tricky for small kids or after rain when the rocks are slippery.)

even see platypus and cassowaries.

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW: This adventure will need a car shuffle, or a drop-off. Expect small patches of lawyer cane. In case of emergency, the walking track and road is never far away.

disappears over the falls, a short scramble up the bank to the walking track on the right will take you to the carpark.

There is great scenery and you might

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW: If you don’t have the energy to walk back to the campground, you’ll need to arrange a car shuffle! It’s a 3km walk back to the campsite.

Adventure 4: MOSSMAN Back Country Bliss drift snorkelling Take the thinking out of the equation and join a river drift snorkelling tour with Back Country Bliss. Expect full immersion, family-friendly fun as

Adventure 2: HENRIETTA

you swim, snorkel and float down the

DRIFT LENGTH: 3.4km DRIFT TIME: Six hours from Henrietta Creek campground (with lots of stops

Allow a half day for this adventure.

gorgeous Mossman River.

More info at backcountrybliss.com.au

for wildlife appreciation!) wettropicswaterways.org.au

35

Hooked!

Fishing with Phil

O

ne of his earliest childhood memories is catching his first fish,

a whiting, while on a family fishing trip at the mouth of the Barron River. Phil says he can still picture every detail of its yellow fins and shiny body as he reeled it in.

The simple hand line he was using was a prized possession and the source of many more great memories.

Cairns local Phil Laycock shares the

“You don’t need much to enjoy fishing—a

fishing spots that he loves going back to,

hand line, a hook and a packet of prawns

time and time again.

Words: Monica Haynes

is just fine. Fishing is as much about immersing yourself in the environment around you as it is feeling the tug of a fish. There’s a reason it’s called ‘fishing’ and not ‘catching’!”

36

reefandrivers

lifestyleseries

PHIL’S FIVE FAVE FISHING SPOTS

along the channel edges for javelin,

For those you let go, here are some

or set a pot for a tasty mud crab…

easy things to do:

Hinchinbrook really has it all! Take care and choose deeper channels to navigate in when possible, to avoid

1. Use pliers to squash the barbs on hooks. The easier it is to get the hook out, the less trauma and damage

1. The big Wet Tropics rivers— the Mulgrave-Russell, the Tully and the Johnstone

4. Trinity Inlet

With some careful planning and

The net-free zone provides fishing

its mouth or jaw, don’t try and get

patience, you can navigate a long way

tourism opportunities for Cairns,

it out. Instead, cut the line as close

upstream at a certain time of year. Phil

showing that fish are worth more in a

as you can. This ups the survival

likes to start his fishing day up in the

photo than in a net.

chances to 90 per cent, as opposed to

freshwater and drift down towards the

WHAT’S THERE

30 per cent. Fish can rid themselves

river mouth, casting lures.

WHAT’S THERE

animal strike.

Barramundi and threadfin salmon on the beaches. Handle them carefully as

inflicted on the fish.

2. If a fish swallows a hook beyond

of and even pass hooks as they would for a spine or shell fragment from their food.

Sooty grunters, jungle perch and

threadfin are fragile. Keep one to eat. If

barramundi are the targets in the

you catch another one, let it go. Abide

3. If you use a landing net, use a

upper freshwater and mid river

by the closed seasons that protect fish

knotless one to stop the fish’s mucus

sections. Mangrove jack begin to

when they are spawning and don’t

coating from rubbing off. The coating

appear in the lower sections and at

target barra at this time (Nov 1-Feb 1).

is a barrier between the fish and the

the mouth, whiting and flathead are common. Queenfish and trevally

5. Saltwater Creek

school in the river mouths in

Back in the 70s, Saltwater Creek

September and October and provide

meandered through land that was

great sport.

transitioning from cane and cattle to

2. The inshore area of reefs, sandflats and estuaries running from Yule point to Wonga Beach in Douglas Shire Find beautiful mangroves, good coral life and seagrass, and you can explore up the Mowbray and Mossman rivers

residential. It looks different these days

4. When you have a fish out of the water, cradle it horizontally using

a lot of fish.

head. Holding a fish vertically can

WHAT’S THERE Expect to see lots of tilapia. They’re a pest fish. Humanely kill and dispose of them by either burying the carcass

WHAT’S THERE

has tarpon, jungle perch, mangrove

Jungle perch in the freshwater river

jack, barramundi and javelin fish as

headwaters; mangrove jack and

you get further down, but a lot of the

barramundi in the estuary mazes;

fish Phil caught as a kid can’t make it

coral trout inshore or even sight-fish a

up to the headwaters anymore because

trevally!

of the now fragmented, concrete-lined

Wet Tropics and very popular with

sick.

both hands to support the belly and

above the high-water mark nearby or

One of the most diverse fisheries in the

and other nasties that can make a fish

but Phil says it still provides habitat for

all the way to the mountains.

3. Hinchinbrook Island and Hinchinbrook Channel

environment, and stops bugs, viruses

by placing it in a bin. The system still

cause organs to sag and tear, and vertebrae can even separate.

5. Keep your fish wet and cool. If you are bringing it into the boat, get a nice wet surface such as a brag mat ready, and cover the fish’s eyes with a wet cloth while you remove the hook.

Like the knotless net, this protects the mucus coating and keeps the fish cool.

Get the fish back in the water as soon as you can.

parts of the creek.

BEST-PRACTICE FISHING TIPS

locals and visitors alike.

WHAT’S THERE

If you are keeping a fish for eating, be

Lure fish for mangrove jacks in the

humane. Act quickly after pulling it

mangroves, fly cast on the sand flats

out of the water, using the percussive

for the prized permit, soak a prawn

stunning or spiking methods. wettropicswaterways.org.au

37

localsnews

Cardwell, where he grew up, and also assisted in maintaining burial sites, surveying snub-nose dolphins and assisting Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service with maintenance of the Family Islands off the Cassowary Coast.

He has spent the last three years working as a water sampler on the MIP, a large reef water quality project focused on two priority hotspot catchments. Working within a team of water quality technicians sampling in creeks and rivers around Tully and Innisfail, the project has enabled him to gain a range of new technical skills and experiences.

Shai was one of 13 local people who undertook water quality sampling training from the Department of

water work on country with Shai From sea turtle tagging on the Great Barrier Reef to rain event sampling in the Wet Tropics—Shai Ivey has a diverse work history on the sea and land.

Words: Skye Orsmond

Environment and Science, with two Mamu Traditional Owners now employed as full-time water quality technicians for the project. The skills that the Mamu Traditional Owners have learnt from this project have led to them being able to partner with Terrain NRM to undertake a new project that will build on existing monitoring using cultural assessments.

It is funded by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and Reef Trust Partnership.

Shai said he is hoping to put his new skills to good use on future water

A

Mamu Traditional Owner from

turtle that took five people to lift and

the Mandubara tribe (Cowley

resulted in a bent weight scale hook.

Beach area, south of Innisfail), Shai’s undertaken a land and sea ranger traineeship through Girringun Aboriginal Corporation and more recently helped the Wet Tropics Major Integrated Project (MIP) capture water

“It was the biggest turtle I’ve ever seen—there were five fellas that

“I enjoy working on

jumped into the water, onto the turtle

country—our waterways

to grab it. When we lifted it into the boat and put it in the sling, the scale

need protecting, so I feel

hook bent with its weight. We had to

like I’m playing my part.

remove the barnacles from its shell and

I can share my knowledge

be careful they were intact as they’re

with others and would

Shai’s passionate about working on

sent away for testing. We put a tag

country and can fondly recall many

on its fin and returned it to the ocean.

recommend others to gain

adventures during his time working

That was a great day on the water.”

quality data in the Tully and Johnstone region.

on sea. One experience etched in his memory is a sea turtle tagging and weighing mission—involving a 38

quality projects.

reefandrivers

Shai was involved in helping with the post Cyclone Yasi clean up in

the skills I have —it’s been a good experience.”

WET TROPICS N ATU R A L R E S O U R C E M A N AG E M E N T

P O S I T IVE A N D S U STA I N A B L E F UTU R E S

Terrain NRM is an independent, not for profit and community-based environmental management organisation. We think innovatively and act collaboratively, combining the latest science with local knowledge to develop sustainable solutions to increase the resilience of the rainforests, reefs, landscapes and local communities of Australia’s Wet Tropics region.

terrain.org.au

WORKING TOGETHER WITH Water & Land Carers across Queensland Supporting more than 50 community-based groups delivering sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation, environmental protection, advocacy and education, coastal rehabilitation, restoration and conservation across the Wet Tropics Region. www.qwalc.org.au