Community groups in the Burdekin Dry Tropics region will share in over $110,000 to deliver a range of local on-ground environmental projects under the 2016-2017 NQ Dry Tropics Community Landcare Grants Programme.
NQ Dry Tropics CEO, Dr Scott Crawford, thanked the Australian Government for funding the initiative through its National Landcare Programme and said that the grants would support local action to address broader environmental issues, including matters of national environmental significance.
“These projects aim to improve significant conservation areas including threatened vegetation communities and biodiversity hotspots, such as waterways and wetlands of national and international significance, and the Great Barrier Reef,” Dr Crawford said.
Ten community groups successfully applied for funding of up to $10,000 to deliver 13 projects across the Townsville, Burdekin and Bowen local government areas. The funding will support the management of just over 80 hectares of weeds, protect and enhance more than 55 hectares of native vegetation, and remove marine debris from over 130 hectares of beach and coastal areas.
One of the successful projects funded by the Community Landcare Grants will aim to restore significant habitats on Magnetic Island. Geoffrey Bay Coastcare and Magnetic Island Nature Care Association will work with a number of project partners to remove weeds and improve creek bank vegetation, known as riparian vegetation, along the sides of Gustav Creek.
Once established, riparian vegetation will stabilise the creek bank, reducing erosion and providing shade over the waterway, which lowers water temperatures and helps to maintain healthy oxygen levels in the water. In the long-term, this work will improve water quality and aquatic habitat for fish in Gustav Creek, and could have flow-on effects as far as the Great Barrier Reef.
The Community Landcare Grants are just one of the ways not-for-profit natural resource management organisation NQ Dry Tropics provides opportunities for community groups to access support for their own projects.
“Our community groups contain many hard-working volunteers who are passionate about protecting our local environment, and they deserve the community’s support,” said Dr Crawford.
Main photo: Stronger in numbers: Geoffrey Bay Coastcare and Magnetic Island Nature Care Association will work with project partners to improve Gustav Creek.