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| Scott, Anna & Sam Dwan at the wetland this week |
An internationally significant wetland on Queensland's Sunshine Coast that was destroyedwhengovernment authorities dismissed it as unimportant is to be restored in a movewhich paves the way nationally for a freshapproach to environmental management.
The200ha Yandina Creek wetland will be recreated by Unitywater in what the Queensland corporation described as a “once in a lifetime opportunity” in the heart of one of Australia's fastest growing tourist destinations.
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| The Dwan Family at the wetland when it was drained in 2015: Pic Glenn Hunt |
The wetland was home to critically endangered wildlifeprotected under Commonwealth and state laws as well as large numbers of migratory shorebirds protected under several international treaties to which Australia is a signatory.
However, the wetland was drained after the federal and Queensland governments, backed bylocal councils, determined it was not worth protecting because it had beencreated artificially.
The failure of three levels of government to protect the wetland sparkeddebate about a key principle at the heartof environmental decision-making in Australia: whether an environmentally significant area deserves protection if it isshaped by human activity.
The area had been natural wetland before it was developed for sugar cane farms in the 1920s. Two Yandina Creek farm properties were sold to developers in the mid-2000s after the closure of the Nambour sugar mill.
The new owners failed to maintain floodgates that prevented inundation bytidal flows from the Maroochy River. After the floodgates collapsed in 2012, the landwas swamped twicedaily at high tide, recreating awetland.
The developersleased the propertiesback to theiroriginal farmer owners in 2015 to repair the floodgates and drain the wetlandso cane crops could be re-established. Large numbers of black swans and other protected waterbirds were nesting at the time.
The federal and Queensland governments rejected calls to intervene to blockthe drainage plan; Queensland Environment Minister Steve Miles dismissed the wetland as “highly modified”.
Governmentindifferencewas echoed by mainstream environmentalists.The Australian Conservation Foundation and Queensland Conservation Council ignored the issue; there is no mention of it in the archives of the Sunshine Coast Environment Council.
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| Drainage canals at the wetland this week |
However, a campaign by bird-watching and community groups to rehabilitate the wetland was stepped up, with thousands signing petitions demanding government action.
Government sources said coverage of the issue by The Weekend Australian prompted a rethinkbyDr Miles, who inspected the site.
Unitywater chairman Jim Soorley, the former Brisbane Lord Mayor, was approached toexaminethe rehabilitation proposal.
Unitywater acquired the properties late last year for $4.1 million and is implementing amanagement plan to restore thewetland, with flood-gates beingreopened in stages. Water levels at the site this week wereboosted by increased flows through drainage canals.
Dr Miles said he recognised the significance of the acquisitionand the Queensland Government wasco-operatingwith Unitywater during the project's early stages.
Unitywater is a statutory authority, owned by local councils, that discharges effluent from sewage treatment plants into the Maroochy River, boostingpotentially harmful nutrient levels in the river. The restorationplan allows Unitywater to offset that pollution by extracting nutrients and sediments from the river in water that returns tothe wetland through reopened floodgates.
The project will be overseen by Unitywater infrastructure planning chief Simon Taylor, who has wideexperience with rehabilitating wetlands overseas.
Mr Taylorsaidextensive investigations wereundertaken into the benefits of restoringthe wetland.
“As the owners of this land we intend to bring these wetlands back to life,” Mr Taylor said.
“Nature will be allowed to take its course in a way that is managed to achieve win-win outcomes. This will translate into benefits for our nutrient offsetting as well as for the environment - a great outcome for everyone.”
BirdLife Australia Southern Queensland convenor Judith Hoyle saidthe restored wetland willbe one of the most important sites for wildlife on the eastAustralian coast.
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| Birdlife Australia's Judith Hoyle |
“There was a belief by government that an artificial wetland was not worth saving but the presence of such a wide diversity of species demonstrated that this was not the case,” Ms Hoyle said.
“We need to look at innovative solutions such as creating new habitat or in this case, protecting artificial wetlands, sobirds and other wildlife havesomewhere to go asnatural wetlands around the country continue to dry up or be destroyed.”
Unitywater plansto collaborate with BirdLife Australia and local residentsin management plans forthe site and to allow public access to the wetland, with authorities believing it has considerablepotential as an ecotourism destination.
Scott and Anna Dwan, whose property adjoins the wetland, welcomed Unitywater's restoration plan.
“This is exactly the sort of thing we need to do if we want to ensure a sustainable future for our children and grandchildren,” Mr Dwan said.
“We want our kids to grow up learning to appreciate birds and the natural environment. It's better than fiddling with Playstation.”
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| Looking towards Mt Coolum at the wetland this week |
The Yandina Creek wetland will abut 440ha of woodland reserves near the tourist heartland of Coolum Beach. The Sunshine Coast Council is examining the prospects of protectinga further 100ha of seasonally inundated land it owns in the area. A council spokesman said the area was presently zoned for sport and recreation, but its future would be determined by the outcome of environmental assessments.
Wildlife occurring in the wetland before it was drained includedthe endangered Australian Painted-Snipe and the critically endangered Curlew-Sandpiper.
End of newspaper story; the last few paragraphs were omitted from the published version.
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| Flooded track in wetland's western sector this week |
Please note there is not yet public access to the site. Water has only just begun returning and it will be some time before the wetland is re-established. The main floodgates remained closed but will be opened over time as Unitywater carefully monitors water flows. It appeared this week that a floodgate upstream of the main gates had been opened as the wetland's western sector was replenished.
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| Cane on the wetland properties |
A small area of sugar cane had been planted in a corner of the properties before they were acquired by Unitywater. This area will revert to wetland or grassland.
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| Dead Australian Water-Rat |
Of concern were a couple of dead Australian Water-Rats that I found on the edge of the properties. I am not sure if this is a water quality issue - acid sulfate levels rose when the wetland was drained and it will take some time for these elements to be washed away - or due to 1080 baiting for wild dogs. I have found a few dead water-rats around the wetland over the years; in all cases, there is no evidence of them having been caught in fish traps or attacked by predators.
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| 1080 baiting |