Category: New Page Examples

Identify and prioritise key riparian and wildlife corridor sites for protection and restoration.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Funding and resources for restoration work is limited. Prioritising locations for restoration, across all tenures, can make the most of these limited resources and ensure the best biodiversity outcomes. Biodiversity corridors allow animals and plant species to move through the landscape, which will become increasingly important to cope with the impacts of climate change.

EXAMPLES OF LOCAL ACTION

Use existing processes, like Walking the Landscape, to collaboratively identify important corridors.
Revegetate the north bank of the Barron River buffer and improve Streets Creek corridor.
Promote and increase native plantings along verges, headlands and other areas of lower productivity on agricultural land.

Conduct awareness and education campaigns about potential off-site impacts of chemicals, including pesticides, herbicides and medications.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Inappropriate use and disposal of chemicals and medication can affect water quality and result in secondary poisoning of animals. Raising awareness of the impacts of residual or accumulated medication or chemicals in water can reduce effects on wildlife and water quality.

EXAMPLES OF LOCAL ACTION

Conduct pesticide residue testing and monitoring in local waterways.
Conduct literature review to improve understanding of effects on non-target species such as native bees.
Investigate alternatives to chemicals, such as steam weeding.
Plant grasses and sedges in stormwater drains to filter sediment and pollutants and encourage water infiltration.

Conduct riparian restoration to improve the health of waterways.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Healthy waterways can support healthier landscapes and ecosystems. Wide riparian zones of native vegetation can help improve water quality, reduce weeds and provide biodiversity outcomes.

EXAMPLE of LOCAL ACTION
Advocate for protection/establishment of wider riparian zones in council planning.

Provide funding for paid community group coordinators to support the work of community volunteers and improve collaboration with other stakeholders.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Community groups achieve significant outcomes for natural resource management across the region. Funding for paid coordinators for groups provides continuity of work and momentum, without disruption from changes in funding priorities. A paid coordinator can link up groups and apply for funding, which can be complex and time consuming for volunteers. Connections with other groups can help to share knowledge and skills. Working together saves time and resources and potentially achieves better/ stronger outcomes.

EXAMPLES OF LOCAL ACTION

Hold a regional forum bringing together community groups, scientists and other NRM stakeholders as a learning opportunity, a way to connect with others doing similar work and to identify who is doing what, where.
Establish connections between Kuranda Envirocare and JCU scientists working on water quality testing – creates good connections with local volunteer work on Kuranda Tree Frog projects and/or platypus.

Protect habitat across all tenures and minimise threats to threatened species, including the Spectacled Flying Fox, Kuranda Tree Frog and Southern Cassowary.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Climate change is increasing the pressure on species and ecosystems that already face significant threats. Urban development in our area threatens wildlife populations with habitat loss, road kills and dog attacks. A number of species are at particular risk:
* Cassowaries are crucial to rainforest plant diversity and community structure, but habitat loss and fragmentation has severely impacted populations.
* 80% of the Spectacled Flying Fox population has been lost in the last 14 years, with additional stress placed on populations with increasing temperatures from climate change.
* Large areas of the Kuranda Tree Frog’s habitat is degraded and not protected. Riparian habitat protection across tenures is vital for their survival.

EXAMPLES OF LOCAL ACTION

Support the Spectacled Flying Fox Recovery Plan.
Identify and protect Spectacled Flying Fox roosts; incorporate community awareness programs, particularly for roosts in urban locations.
Construct exclusion fencing for cassowaries along the Kennedy Highway.
Construct under/overpass for Din Din Corridor.
Provide landholders with information and support for habitat management, including weed management and land restoration, particularly in riparian areas where Kuranda Tree Frogs could be found.
Conduct ongoing monitoring of populations of threatened species.

Protect and restore the diversity of habitats in our region to support a range of species, including migratory birds and endemic or threatened species.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Our region is one of the most ecologically diverse in the world, with internationally important wetlands and World Heritage listed forests. Existing habitats, including wetlands, forests, waterways and old trees, provide crucial biodiversity outcomes, contain significant cultural values and provide resilience to climate change. Protecting what we already have provides better outcomes and is easier than replacing it.

EXAMPLES OF LOCAL ACTION

Use existing planning and legislation and advocate for change to minimise land clearing and the loss of natural ecosystems and species.
Advocate against dumping sand on the Esplanade to maintain important coastal habitat for migratory birds.
Install nesting boxes into restoration sites to provide breeding sites for wildlife. Work in collaboration with schools, men’s sheds, etc.

Increase width of riparian zone in planning.

Respecting the landscape, strengthening ecosystems and improving waterway health.

EXAMPLE OF LOCAL ACTION:

Advocate for wider boundaries at riverbanks in council planning.

Increase protection of areas identified as having high biodiversity significance and conduct restoration to strengthen and expand these areas.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

The forests around Kuranda are identified as having State Biodiversity Significance. The area is within the narrowest east-west section of the Wet Tropics region corridor, forming a biodiversity bottleneck between the northern and southern sections of the Wet Tropics. The area is biodiversity-rich and supports a number of threatened species, including the Southern Cassowary. Stronger protection is needed for areas of existing forest within this corridor, with restoration in areas of unprotected freehold land, to facilitate movement of wildlife.

EXAMPLEs OF LOCAL ACTION

A range of voluntary and/or regulatory measures can be used to help improve protection of significant areas for conservation.
Support landholders with restoration activities, such as tree planting, fencing and weed control.

Conduct education and community engagement programs to increase participation, while supporting local groups to build capacity.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

An educated community can better identify priorities and advocate for changes. Education and awareness requires a relatively small effort for potentially large outcomes. Engaging and involving youth is important to help spread the message throughout the community and support succession and continuity in volunteer groups. Supporting groups to build capacity results in better outcomes for the group and the region.

EXAMPLES OF LOCAL ACTION

Support existing successful programs, like Australian Youth Climate Coalition and CAFNEC’s education and community engagement programs.
Recognise and celebrate successes of smaller groups.
Hold workshops on a range of environmental issues (recycling, ponds, gardens, native bee hives, sustainability, fast fashion, etc) to facilitate community engagement and action.
Promote good news stories about wildlife and habitat protection to encourage participation.
Develop education programs for community, schools and early childhood.
Establish community gardens for their educational value and bringing the community together.
Advocate to ensure community engagement funding (government) is an integral component of NRM projects.
Build a catalogue of case studies and successful projects in the regions to use as example projects.

Conduct comprehensive management programs for high priority aquatic and land-based pests and weeds, including new or evolving species.

Why is it important?

Invasive species are a major threat to native flora and fauna. Eradicating or managing pests is an important part of biodiversity conservation, protection and restoration. There are also significant impacts on agricultural industries from pests and weeds.

Examples of local action:

Tilapia control program.
Pond apple control program.
Management of aquatic weeds like Frogbit, Miconia, Limnocharis.

Establish monitoring programs for invasive ants.

Ensure sufficient funding and resources are available to allow grass roots community organisations to continue their work.

Why is it important? Secure funding and resources allows for more effective groups and greater scale and impact, as well as ongoing community engagement and project activities. More secure resourcing allows for longer term planning and a more strategic approach.

Examples of local action: Advocate for funding to employ staff within community and TO groups to coordinate and manage projects.

Restore and revegetate river and creek banks to achieve biodiversity, water quality and biosecurity outcomes.

Why is it important?

Riparian revegetation can keep water temperature down and dissolved oxygen levels up and change hot farm drains to biodiversity corridors. Revegetation also helps filter chemical or farm runoff, avoids erosion and sediment run-off. Restoration can help buffer against effects of climate change like rising sea levels and inundation. Local community groups have the skills, knowledge, partnerships and capacity to undertake these projects successfully.

Examples of local action:

Restore Lower Mulgrave Wetlands.
Restore Mulgrave River and feeder creeks eg. Behana Ck.
Work collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure the best techniques are used.

Use existing processes (eg. identified GBR Water Quality priorities) for water quality targets and priority actions.