Aerial mapping

A series of drone flights across multiple coastal sites in the Burdekin region has officially launched the Climate Ready Coastlines in the Lower Burdekin project, with baseline monitoring now complete.

This means the team has hit “start” on understanding what’s happening along our dunes and wetlands before the on-ground restoration work kicks off.

The project is about protecting coastal and wetland ecosystems by tackling threats like weeds, pests, and bushfire risks before they get out of hand.

To get that starting picture, NQ Dry Tropics project officers sent drones up and over multiple sites, capturing high-resolution aerial imagery and mapping. Think of it as a detailed “before” snapshot of the coastline, showing vegetation cover, signs of degradation, and how each site is functioning as part of the bigger dune system.

The team also used real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning to capture accurate elevation models, helping track shifts in dune structure and better target on-ground management efforts.

RTK positioning is a satellite navigation technique that improves the accuracy of Global Navigation Satellite System data to deliver centimetre-level  precision.

Senior Project Officer Georgia Robinson said the data would play a role in shaping what happens next on the ground. Combined with field assessments, it will help develop targeted, site-specific action plans designed to boost the resilience of these vulnerable coastal habitats.

“Baseline monitoring enables us to look at the current vegetation coverage along the dunes, identify gaps, and create a revegetation plan,” she said.

“We use drones to view the full dune system from beachfront to back dune, mapping planting areas and assessing dune height.

“Our goal is to help stabilise these dunes, and we can’t measure that outcome without knowing what these dunes looked like at the beginning.”

With baseline monitoring now wrapped up, the project has a solid foundation to work from, making sure future restoration efforts are well-planned, measurable and ready to stand up to increasing climate pressures along the Burdekin coast.