SCC: Trees on Farms

Protect existing trees on farms and support revegetation on less productive farm land.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Trees provide great value for farms, through minimising soil erosion, improving water quality, assisting in rodent control – as well as the many biodiversity benefits they provide through increased habitat and connectivity.

 

SCC: Protection and Management of Mahogany Glider Habitat

Actively manage fire, grazing and weeds in areas of existing Mahogany Glider habitat, to maintain or improve habitat quality for gliders and other species dependent on these forest types.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Active management of fire, grazing and weeds in Mahogany Glider habitat is critical to maintain the open forest structure and plant species needed for glider survival. Management to reduce rainforest encroachment and sclerophyll thickening within glider habitat is important, as vegetation thickening significantly impacts glider habitat suitability. Grazing also increases the risk of other threats, such as barbed wire entanglements and a reduction in important seasonal food species.

EXAMPLES OF LOCAL ACTION

Using existing glider habitat mapping, conduct controlled burns, weed control and grazing management, focusing on recognised Mahogany Glider habitat or corridors.

SCC: Minimising Impacts of Domestic Animals on Wildlife

Conduct community education and awareness raising about responsible pet ownership, in cooperation with local government.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Unrestrained domestic dogs and cats can cause a large number of deaths in wildlife and contribute to spreading diseases. Raising awareness within the community, as well as ensuring exisiting responsible pet ownership laws are followed, can help minimise the impact of domestic animals on local wildlife.

 

SCC: Improving Water Quality

Install local treatment systems for water quality improvements, using the cane drainage network.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Local scale water treatment systems have been trialled in the Wet Tropics and show potential for reducing nutrient levels and improving water quality. There are opportunities to install treatment systems in areas with high nutrient levels, in conjunction with practice change, to improve water quality flowing to the Great Barrier Reef. Treatment systems could include bioreactors, wetlands or drainage treatment (batter drains and include grassy edges).

EXAMPLE OF LOCAL ACTION:

Install appropriate treatment systems in waterways with high nutrient loads eg. Dundonald, Corduroy, Pungi and Woolcoo Creeks, Murray River.

SCC: Self-sustaining Cultural Initiatives

Identify and develop programs to promote local cultural values, while also generating social and financial returns to local Indigenous communities.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Initiatives like cultural tourism provide great potential for self-sufficiency / self-sustainable management through increasing capacity and providing social, cultural and financial returns to local Indigenous communities.

EXAMPLE OF LOCAL ACTION:

Supporting Jumbun to get on tourism map.

SCC: Healthy Wetlands

Encourage wetland restoration on private land to contribute to broader scale water quality and habitat improvements.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Healthy wetlands provide multiple benefits, including improving water quality, providing habitat and minimising impacts of flooding. Supporting landholders to strategically restore wetlands on private lands can have significant benefits across the region.

EXAMPLE OF LOCAL ACTION

Investigate opportunities to re-instate wetland systems on Woolcoo Creek.

SCC: Connectivity Across the Landscape

Conduct restoration using a holistic landscape approach to connect habitats/remnants.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Revegetating to re-instate corridors can help improve landscape connectivity and ecological function and resilience. Revegetation along riparian areas can also benefit waterways, by shading creeks and lowering water temperatures, stabilising banks, improving water quality and shading weeds.

EXAMPLES OF LOCAL ACTION:

Widen riparian corridor of Murray around Warrami, with revegetation near Kyambul Lagoon.
Conduct drainage management, fire management and revegetation around Blackman Road.
Conduct revegetation and erosion control in straightenened section of Curduroy Creek along Hamlin Road.

SCC: Collaborative Biosecurity

Collaboratively conduct ongoing weed control in terrestrial and aquatic environments.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Working collaboratively with local government, Traditional Owners and local landholders will help achieve long-term and sustainable management of invasive weeds, minimising their impact on waterways and natural and agricultural systems.

EXAMPLES OF LOCAL ACTION:

Include and cooperate with local landholders and Gulngay Traditional Owners in aquatic weed awareness and management eg. hymenachne control in Barretts Lagoon.
Support council with ongoing weed control in the lagoons and shallow wetlands of the lower Murray eg. aleman grass, hymenachne, para grass in Kyambul Lagoon.

SCC: Mahogany Glider Habitat Connectivity

Protect mature trees, restore vegetation and install glide poles in priority Mahogany Glider corridor locations to allow greater movement of gliders across the landscape.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

The remaining habitat available to support Mahogany Glider populations is fragmented and isolated. Protecting this remnant habitat is vital, and facilitating movement of isolated glider populations between fragments for feeding, breeding and dispersal is also required for long term glider survival. Protecting or restoring vegetation or installing glide poles in priority locations can result in a network of corridors across the landscape, enabling movement of gliders between remnants.

EXAMPLES OF LOCAL ACTION:
Prioritise and actively conserve existing habitat and mature trees which allow gliders to cross gaps in their habitat (this is often relevant along roadways, rail, power and other utility easements where trees can be removed, leaving gaps which then require pole crossings).
Completion of Baird’s Ck and Woodlands Project corridor revegetation.
Continue working with partners (Mahogany Glider Recovery Team, local government, Main Roads, Ergon, Qld Rail) to erect glide poles in priority corridor locations.

SCC: Agricultural Best Management Practices

Support voluntary uptake and implementation of best management practices in agricultural industries.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Working with landholders to support voluntary implementation of best management practices can provide better outcomes than regulations. It can build on existing good relationships and partnerships and reduce hurdles for people to do good work.