Queensland’s freshwater and estuarine wetlands provide vital habitats for a wide range of native and migratory species. They also play an essential role in maintaining water quality by filtering sediments, transforming nutrients and reducing pollutants, while acting as natural flood controls that protect communities from storms and erosion.
Beyond their environmental value, wetlands contribute to Queensland’s economy and way of life. They provide nurseries for fish, support agriculture with fresh water, and sustain industries like fishing and tourism.
A state-wide investment in wetland health
This World Wetlands Day (2 February), we’re highlighting the Queensland Government’s Natural Resource Management Expansion Program (NRMEP) and its $26 million investment in seven new projects that will see regional NRM organisations work with their communities to improve the condition of more than 33,000 hectares of wetlands.
Two of the largest projects are getting underway in the north and west of the state, with on-ground actions ranging from controlling invasive weeds and feral animals to enhancing native vegetation condition.
As part of the $8.3 million Rangeland Recovery in the Mitchell Grass Downs and Channel Country Bioregions project, Desert Channels Queensland will partner with land managers and local councils to improve 23,100 hectares of wetland condition by improving agricultural practices to protect streambanks. The initiative will also increase native grassland vegetation and improve land condition.
The $5.4 million Cape York Wetlands and Native Vegetation Resilience project will see Cape York NRM partner with land managers to undertake landscape-scale control of weeds and feral animals, resulting in improved condition of 10,000 hectares of wetlands and 10,000 hectares of native vegetation.
Queensland’s NRM sector building wetland resilience
Other NRMEP wetland initiatives being delivered by Queensland’s regional NRM organisations play a vital role in supporting the health and resilience of local wetlands. Many of these projects will also deliver broader benefits, such as improving coastal zone and streambank condition and constructing fish passages.
Southern Gulf NRM
The Feral Pig Reduction for Improved Wetland Health in the Southern Gulf Region project will work with 10 properties to control feral pigs and their impacts on waterways. The project will improve wetland health across 50 hectares, with benefits extending over a greater area downstream.
Gulf Savannah NRM
The Restoring the Ecological Value of Springs Forming Part of the Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems of the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) project is an investment to improve 12 hectares of GAB spring wetlands in the Northern Gulf NRM region by managing feral pigs, cattle, weeds and undertaking revegetation works.
NQ Dry Tropics
The Climate-Ready Coastlines in the Lower Burdekin project will protect coastal and wetland ecosystems by reducing weeds, pests, fire and human impacts. The project will improve 60 hectares of wetland health through the control of aquatic weeds and feral animals.
Other outcomes will include improving 10 kilometres of waterway connectivity by the removal of barriers to fish passage, enhancing 58 hectares of native beach scrub by reducing direct threats including weeds and feral animals, and restoring 4.8 hectares of coastal zone condition through dune stabilisation works including revegetation and fencing.
NQ Dry Tropics’ Climate Resilient Rangelands project will support land managers to undertake threat mitigation and better grazing management activities in the Lower Burdekin region to improve the condition of 1400 hectares of grazing land, 30 hectares of native vegetation (softwood scrub) and 20 hectares of wetlands.
Reef Catchments
The Mackay Whitsunday Inshore Resilience project is improving 1 hectare of coastal wetland health, specifically the Pioneer Bay seagrass meadow, through targeted re-seeding of damaged or fragmented patches of the seagrass meadow.
The initiative will also increase threatened breeding outcomes by supporting the recovery of inshore fringing reef around the Whitsunday Islands, using coral larval reseeding.
Supporting wetlands now and into the future
Through NRMEP investment, these projects will protect and restore Queensland’s wetlands, supporting biodiversity, water quality and resilient landscapes.
To find out more about the $117.84 million NRM Expansion Program, visit: https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/environment/natural-resource-funding/nrm-expansion-program
For more information on wetlands in Queensland, visit: https://wetlandinfo.detsi.qld.gov.au/wetlands/
These projects are funded by Queensland Government’s Natural Resource Management Expansion Program.
Photo: Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park (CYPAL). Credit: Tourism Tropical North Queensland.