Magazine of the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre www.cafnec.org.au Vol 35 Number 2 May 2015 Ecotone May 2015 1 Contents Vol 35 Number 2 May 2015 www.cafnec.org.au 3 Cairns ECOfiesta – cultivating community 5 Tangaroa Blue Foundation 6 Kuranda Envirocare 7 Eato’s Café 8 Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre 9 Alternative Technology Association 10 Community Groups @ ECOfiesta 11 Ecotone - President Report 12 In Praise of Mud 13 Cairns Esplanade BioBlitz 14 Milestone Win on Cairns Dredging 15 CAFNEC Marine Response Team launches the Cairns Drain Stencil Project 16 Notices 18 Ending the Cassowary Slaughter on our Roads 19 EcoStar 20 Far North Wilderness Bike Tour Cafnec will have a stall at ECOfiesta. Please contact us if you would like to help. Ph: (07) 4032 1746 Fax: (07) 4053 3779 E: [email protected] Ecotone is published quarterly by the Cairns & Far North Environment Centre caFNEC Reader contributions, including letters, are welcome. However, content is subject to the editor’s discretion . Disclaimer: Views expressed in Ecotone are not necessarily those of caFNec. CAFNEC Management Committee President Sarah Hoyal Vice President Denis Walls Secretary Ellen Weber Treasurer Michael Bryan Committee Members Lesley Clark Kellie Williams Brynn Mathews CAFNEC Staff Director Josh Coates Office Manager Marie Short Contact details Ph: (07) 4032 1746 Fax: (07) 4053 3779 E: [email protected] www.cafnec.org.au Address 27-29 Greenslopes street Edge Hill Postal PO Box 323N North Cairns, Qld, 4870 Edited by Denis Walls Layout Christine Young Printed on 100% recycled paper 2 www.cafnec.org.au “When people visit Far North Queensland they do so because we have World Heritage rainforests and the Great Barrier Reef right at our doorstep. However, it’s easy for locals to be blasé about the incredible region we live in. We need constant reminders of its uniqueness. That is why I am delighted to see an environment festival now part of the Cairns Regional Council’s annual calendar, after years of CAFNEC running Envirofiesta on a shoe string. In addition to our usual interesting topics, this special edition of Ecotone celebrates some of the fantastic groups who work hard to protect our natural environment. Enjoy Ecotone and the ECOfiesta.” (Sarah Hoyal, President, Cairns and Far North Environment Centre) Cairns ECOfiesta – cultivating community Cairns environment and community groups are rolling out the green carpet in support of the Cairns ECOfiesta, a free community festival that weaves environment, community and the green economy into a day of fun, friendship and ecoinspiration. More than 80 exhibitors have already signed-up for the ECOfiesta to showcase what they do to nurture nature and cultivate community. The indoor expo is just part of a jampacked program of music, fashion, cooking, circus buskers, kids’ activities and team events. Hosted by Cairns Regional Council and James Cook University, the inaugural Cairns ECOfiesta is on between 10am and 6pm on Sunday 31 May at the Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal. ECOfiesta is a free community festival that celebrates and showcases our unique natural environment, tropical lifestyle and green economy. It combines all the usual festival favourites of live music, fine food and free entertainment with a huge variety of sustainable living stalls, displays and activities. It’s sure to be a great day out and a fun way to connect with those who are proving that we really can achieve more with less by living sustainably. Inside the Cruise Liner Terminal from 10am to 3pm, festivalgoers can see the ECOthreads fashion shows, the ECOdrive car show, ECOeats cooking shows and explore over 80 stalls from local community groups and green businesses including solar suppliers, cool home builders, e-vehicles, beauty products and local artisans. Festival food will showcase locally grown, in-season produce to inspire your culinary creativity and keep you energized throughout the day. Festival-goers can browse the undercover stalls, recharge at one of the on-site cafes and enjoy live music on the waterfront stage throughout the day, with performances from great local acts including Leanne Tennant, Bosko and Honey, Secret Tuesdays and the Formidable Vegetable Sound System. ECOfiesta features plenty of free activities for children too, with a walk-in maze, Dirt Girl gardening, recycled craft, recycle relays, dumpster diva fashion relays, beat-box skills and upcycled circus skills. To support people in making eco-friendly choices, everyone who arrives at ECOfiesta by bike or bus will be rewarded with a free coffee. If you carpool with three or more people, you’ll receive free priority parking, but be sure to arrive early as these priority parking spaces are limited. Stay up to date and show your support by searching and joining ‘Cairns ECOfiesta’ on Facebook. Lots of great prizes like reef and rainforest trips are up for grabs too. Ecotone May 2015 3 10am to 6pm | FREE ENTRY | Free activities |Free coffee if you arrive by bike or bus P RO G R A M The Cairns ECOfiesta is a festival with a difference, weaving environment, community and economy into a festival atmosphere for a day of fun, friendship and eco-inspiration. The ECOfiesta celebrates and showcases our unique natural environment, tropical lifestyle and green economy. Sustainability is part of the event’s DNA, with program highlights including: Festival Food Local, in-season food and drink options to keep you energised and hydrated throughout the day. Waterfront Stage A jam-packed line-up of live music including Leanne Tennant, DJs, Bosko and Honey, Secret Tuesdays and Formidable Vegetable Sound System. ECOdrive Electric vehicle trade show featuring cars available for test-drive at local dealerships. Team Events Dumpster Diva fashion relay for teams of 4. Battle of the Cans recycle relay for teams of 6. Cirque Eco Stage Internationally renowned buskers entertaining you with their acrobatic skills. Prizes Galore Pre-event Facebook and Instagram competitions Green Thumb grand prize Community Grants announced Business Networking A waterfront networking function from 4:30pm for ECOfiesta vendors to work the room and enjoy the festival. ECOexpo Running 10am to 3pm with 80+ stalls featuring the green edge of Cairns business and community groups. ECOthreads Fashion Cairns’s top talent showcasing street wear and high end fashion, that is uber-chic and packed with eco-cred. ECOspeak Short, sharp informative talks from some of TNQ’s most passionate eco-peeps. Activities & Shows Recycled craft | Walk-in maze | Circus skills | Gardening | Wildlife rescues | Roving buskers | Skate demo | Twilight fire twirling. After Party Kick-on at the Salt House with all your brand new friends and reflect on a day of fun, food and philanthropy. ECOeats Cooking demonstrations with local chefs and home-inspired dishes from local produce. *program may change depending on availability 29 May – 7 June EC O w e e k www.ecoweek.com.au www.facebook.com.au/ecoweekaustralia | www.instagram.com/ecoweekaustralia In a region where the community is as diverse as the natural environment, the idea of bringing together environmental events, community festivals and green business isn’t a new idea. It’s just that it took a partnership between Regional Development Australia and Cairns Regional Council to get the ball rolling. The inaugural 2015 ECOweek runs from 29 May to 7 June and already has 24 events on the program including discounted reef and rainforest trips by ecotourism operators; free tours of the Barron Gorge Hydro Power Station and Portsmith Recycling Facility; the James Cook University sustainability symposium; and a number of celebrations around World Environment Day New and existing festivals, events and green business promotions including the Cairns ECOfiesta, Townsville Ecofiesta and are invited to register on the events calendar to benefit from networking opportunities and ECOweek marketing. So, if you have a Innisfail Eco Expo. festival, event, or eco-promotion that you think fits the bill, register Everyone is invited to be part of ECOweek by holding an it now and join this collaboration for sustainability. environmental activity, sustainability festival or green business event between 29 May and 7 June 2015. 4 For more information and to register events visit www.ecoweek.org.au www.cafnec.org.au Tangaroa Blue Foundation Tangaroa Blue Foundation is a peak not-for-profit organisation driven to preserving the health of marine environments facing the threat of human waste, such as plastics which can take up to 450 years to break down. The word Tangaroa originates from Maori and Polynesian mythology as the god of the ocean, who fathers every sea creature and whose breath is each tide. We spoke with Heidi Taylor, Managing Director and Co-Founder, to find out more about this dynamic organisation. Heidi, tell us about Tangaroa Blue and your role in it? I started Tangaroa Blue Foundation over 10 years ago because I was frustrated by the amount of rubbish I was finding all over our beaches. I knew that cleaning up the rubbish was important, but I knew that stopping it at its source was even more important. Thus, the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) was created. The AMDI is a network of community, NGOs, industry and government that are working together to stop marine debris at the source. Tangaroa Blue Foundation collects all the data from our beach cleanups and we use that information to create Source Reduction Plans to ensure that rubbish never makes it to our beaches in the first place. Can you share a story that you think will inspire others? Using the data collected through the Australian Marine Debris Initiative, we were able to track a certain type of plastic strapping band that is used in the West Australian Rock Lobster fishery. These strapping bands were showing up all over our beaches, polluting our marine environment and posing great risks to native wildlife. We were able to track them back to their source and prove where they were coming from and were actually able to get the bands banned within the fishery. This is one example of how documenting marine debris from beach clean ups can be used to create positive change for our oceans. What sort of things will you have to show or talk about at your ECOfiesta stall on May 31st? We will be seeking volunteers to assist us on one of our enormous ventures as we head up to Cape York every year to conduct weeklong clean-ups, usually in conjunction with Indigenous ranger teams. There is a road trip and some pretty extreme camping involved, so it’s always a huge amount of fun. We will also be letting people know how they can join our remote and local clean-up activities, as well as how they can contribute to the Australian Marine Debris Initiative through their own clean-up projects. Is there anything else the community should know about your organisation? The Australian Marine Debris Initiative works on the principle of citizen science, which means that anyone can actually contribute information from their own beach clean ups to the database. To find out how to contribute to the AMDI, visit www.tangaroablue.org. You can meet volunteers from Tangaroa Blue and find out more at the Cairns ECOfiesta, May 31st. They will be having a stall in conjunction with local weaving group, Saltwater Creek Basketry, to bring you a hands on workshop using materials sourced from beach clean ups. Can’t wait for ECOweek? Register for the Cape Bedford Clean Up (Hopevale, May 24th-28). Participants can come for as little or as long as desired. Contact: [email protected] Ecotone May 2015 5 Kuranda Envirocare Kuranda Envirocare is a volunteer organisation guided by aims to conserve and repair biodiversity, while educating the community on the value of doing so. In the face of rainforest clearing, residential subdivision, weeds, feral animals, water, air and noise pollution, they coordinate various projects, community programs and research to uphold the integrity of the WetTropics ecology. This includes rehabilitation of the Myola Riparian Link, which joins a completed 14-year project to the Fairyland Corridor, a biodiversity hotspot containing three endangered species. Guided by principles of community participation, Kuranda Envirocare also encourages citizen science, running long term frog and bird monitoring programs, promoting frog friendly neighbourhoods and assisting with Land For Wildlife transitions for property owners. We spoke with Sylvia, Coordinator of the Myola Riparian Link project, about her involvement. Why do you work for this organisation? I accepted the job offer from Kuranda EnviroCare as I wanted to be a part of a community based, not for profit, volunteer organisation that values, enhances and protects our natural environment while building a stronger community. Can you share a story about your work that could inspire others? We’ve had a group of volunteers contributing 10 hours a week at our plant nursery and revegetation sites, giving their time and energy unconditionally, for the past 10 years. They bake cakes, collect seeds, pot up trees, plant trees, undertake general maintenance and the day to day running of the nursery. Without these volunteers our organisation wouldn’t exist. Their passion and love for what they do is inspiring! Respect to volunteers!!! What sort of things will you have to show or talk about at your ECOfiesta stall? We will have: - Native plants to sell - Rainforest Frog Project information, as well as opportunities to join a frog monitoring project - Rainforest Bird Project info - Biodiversity/Revegetation Projects info - Invasive species info, including Crazy Ants and weeds - Colouring in for the kids - A rainforest seed guessing game - Local knowledge and information Is there anything else the community should know about you/ your organisation? We have a tree planting or maintenance activity every Saturday and plant up to 8000 trees per year. You can get in contact with Kuranda Envirocare and join their many activities through Facebook or at their website: www.kuranda.envirocare.org.au. 6 www.cafnec.org.au Eato’s Cafe Eato’s Café (45 Grafton St) is a not-for-profit Work for the Dole project that trains the long-term unemployed in hospitality and other transferable skills, equipping them for the workforce. It is supported by The Power of the Pallets, NEATO Employment Agency and funded by the Australian Government. We spoke with their General Manager, Catherine Pacey, to find out more. What can we look forward to from Eato’s at the ECOfiesta? Why do you work for Eato’s? Our mission is to make a difference within the community, while our participants set and achieve their personal goals. Why? Because we care; every day is rewarding! Can you share a story about your work that you think will inspire others? We will be setting up a pop up cafe, utilising recycled pallet furniture from The Power of Pallets and showcasing the skills of Eato’s participants. Is there anything else you think the community should know? Word of mouth is the key…if you like us please tell everyone! We have helped place over 11 participants in 6 months into sustainable employment. Out of the 11 there is not one that stands out more than the others, as they are all great success stories. At some point in life everyone has been at a crossroads. It could have been a relationship with a family member or partner. It could have been your career and what you need is a hand to get back on the right track, someone to believe in you and to give you a go. It is an honour to work hand in hand with The Power of Pallets (another Work for the Dole project) and to be able to support our chosen charities- Ruth’s Women’s Shelter Cairns, Harold’s House (addressing youth homelessness), YAPS (Young Animal Hospital Foundation) and The Far North Hospital Foundation. We are also proud to work with REAP Food Rescue in their adventure to minimise food waste by turning the produce we receive into chutneys, jams and relishes, which go back to more needy charities. Ecotone May 2015 Eato’s Café serves up delicious breakfast and lunch in a quirky atmosphere at 45 Grafton St, Monday-Friday from 7:30 - 2:30 and is also available for functions. You can connect with Eato’s on Facebook or call Catherine on (07) 4041 2030 7 Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre is dedicated to the rehabilitation of sick and injured turtles thus replenishing threatened populations. They do this while providing public education on environmental and human induced threats to the turtles, largely through their well-known and eco-accredited hospital on Fitzroy Island. This not-for-profit group produces research to positively influence government policy, pairing with the Environmental Protection Agency and National Park Rangers to find and track the six species of sea turtle found in the Great Barrier Reef. The CTRC is run entirely by volunteers driven by a shared interest and fascination with turtles, which have likely been in the Far North for 150 million years. We spoke with Co-Founder and Director Jennie Gilbert to find out more. What sort of things will you have to show at your ECOfiesta stalls? Hi Jennie, can you share a story about your work with the Cairns Turtle Rehab Centre? There are many stories involving the rescue and rehabilitation of marine turtles. Of these, the most inspiring ones are when turtles are brought into the centre with only 30% of their normal body weight and, after months of rehabilitation and intensive care, return to their normal bodyweight and can be released back where they belong, into the wild. Turtles suffer many threats daily in their environment and their numbers are decreasing, with many species now classified as endangered or critically endangered. Therefore, every turtle rescued, rehabilitated and released makes a difference. We will have information pamphlets and photos of our success stories, many turtle releases to talk about, as well as posters with our tracking maps. Is there anything else you think the community should know about your organisation? We are the largest, totally voluntary turtle rehabilitation centre in Australia. We rely entirely on public funding to be able to rehabilitate the turtles. To find out more about the Cairns Turtle Rehab Centre, turtle tracking and research visit www.cairnsturtlerehab.org. If you encounter a sick or injured turtle at any time, call the stranding hotline on: 1300 130 372 8 www.cafnec.org.au Alternative Technology Association The Alternative Technology Association, established in 1980 provides expert, independent advice on sustainable solutions for households, government and industry. This not-for profit organisation is made up of a national network of consultants and publishes its knowledge and its cutting edge stories through the ReNew and Sanctuary magazines. It is also involved in international projects, bringing solar power and training to over 1000 homes in impoverished Timorese communities, where health is badly affected by smoke, kerosene and gas fumes. In partnership with AusAID, ATA has created a Timor Solar Training Project, establishing the country’s first Certificate II course and eventually handing operations over to an ATA trained, local company. We spoke with the Cairns Coordinator, Daryl Douglass, about what the ATA is up to. What motivates you to work for the ATA Daryl? Inspiring people to ‘have a go’ at renewable and sustainable technologies has driven me for many years. You never stop learning and my involvement with stalls and public speaking has given me a wealth of knowledge that I am able to pass on to others. Inspiring people to take the first steps towards their own sustainable and renewable projects is a real buzz. Can you share a story about your work that you think will inspire others? One of my simplest and favourite ‘toys’ is an airlift pump, with no moving parts, for drawing water from a bore. Many years ago, just after I published an article on my project in ReNew Magazine, a lady from Sydney contacted me to ask if I could help her on the family cattle farm. There was a drought and all their dams had dried up. They had water filled test holes drilled on their property that were too small for any normal bore pump and wondered if my pump would work in them. We found that they were indeed deep enough for my little pump to work and discussed how to build such a pump and what could power it. Following the drought, I got a lovely letter from the family thanking me for helping them and they advised that they were the only farm in the drought area that did not have to sell off any of their stock. I forwarded the letter to the magazine which published it in the next edition. What sort of things will you have to show or talk about at your ECOfiesta stall? I will be showing off a model of the air lift pump and have booklets available for many different topics, including photovoltaics, solar hot water, wind power and building a ‘ Savonius rotor’ vertical axis windmill. I will also have copies of our magazines. Is there anything else the community should know about you/ your organisation? We have a tree planting or maintenance activity every Saturday and plant up to 8000 trees per year. Ecotone May 2015 To find out more visit the comprehensive ATA website at www.ata.org.au 9 Community Groups @ ECOfiesta Sometimes it’s hard to know who is who in the conservation zoo. Come along to the ECOfiesta on 31 May to meet the passionate volunteers behind these and other Far North Queensland groups working to conserve and restore the local and global environment. Alternative Technology Association www.ata.org.au The ATA has its finger in a number of pies with on-ground projects like the East Timor Solar Power Project, consultancy and advocacy initiatives, and publishing two leading sustainable-living magazines, Sanctuary: modern green homes and ReNew: technology for a sustainable future. Australasian Bat Society www.ausbats.org.au The aim of the Australasian Bat Society is to promote the conservation of all populations of all species of bats in Australasia. You can get involved by visiting their website to find out more. FNQ Wildlife Rescue www.fnqwildliferescue.org.au Wildlife rescue is a network of committed volunteers who rehabilitate orphaned, sick or injured wildlife for release back into the wild. The group relies on donations to cover expenses such as animal food and medical supplies. Find out more about FNQ Wildlife Rescue with an introductory course for people interested in becoming a wildlife carer at www.ecoweek.org.au Permaculture Cairns www.permaculturecairns.org.au Permaculture Cairns has a mission to educate and empower the Cairns community to live more sustainably through individual action and community projects. To find out more about the PC Expo on Saturday 6 June visit www.ecoweek.org.au Cairns Community Foods www.comfoods.org.au Shop social, shop raw, shop whole at Cairns Community Foods, 74 Shields St Cairns. Community Foods stock minimally packaged quality wholefoods and household consumables that are ethically and environmentally responsible. Conservation Volunteers Australia www.conservationvolunteers.com.au Restoring nature and cultivating community, Conservation Volunteers Australia has lots going on in the Cairns region and is always looking for more recruits. Check ‘em out today. CSG Free www.csgfreenq.com CSG Free provides North Queensland residents with information about the disadvantages of Coal Seam Gas. Eato’s Café www.eatos.com.au A non-profit cafe on Grafton Street Cairns that uses heaps of local produce, makes great food and coffee and employs school leavers and long-term unemployed. The Eato’s Café is furnished with recycled timber furniture that you can also purchase as part of the Power of Pallets fundraiser for local charities. Cairns redirects food destined for landfill from stallholders at Rusty’s Markets and works with local charities and kitchens to get that food to people in need. Tangaroa Blue Foundation www.tangaroablue.org Tangaroa Blue focuses on the health of our marine environment, and coordinates the Australian Marine Debris Initiative, an on-ground network of volunteers, communities, organisations and agencies around the country monitoring the impacts of marine debris along their stretch of coastline. Find out more about the upcoming Cape Bedford clean up at www.ecoweek.org.au Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre www.cairnsturtlerehab.org The Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre cares for injured and sick marine turtles brought in from the Great Barrier Reef and Cape York Peninsula. Personal commitments and donations from local businesses keep the centre running with more than 170 sick and injured animals brought in for treatment over the past 10 years. Treeforce www.treeforce.org.au Trees for the Cairns Environment, or Treeforce, plants and maintains native trees to protect and stabilise critical areas like hill slopes and river banks. It creates wildlife corridors between existing patches of rainforest and raises public awareness about the importance of planting native trees. Freshwater Creek and the Barron River are the current focus areas of Treeforce. Kuranda Envirocare www.kuranda.envirocare.org.au Envirocare has been established for over 18 years restoring biodiversity and educating the Kuranda community of its conservation values. When not planting trees at places like Big Sands and Myola, Envirocare is writing stories for the Kuranda Paper and distributing the Welcome to Kuranda booklet that contains information on wildlife, weeds, pets and local laws. Bungalow Community Garden Located on the corner of Spence and Aumuller Streets, Cairns, Bungalow Community Gardens provides the opportunity to grow edible plants to supplement the budget, as well as socialise, make new friends, and relax and learn in a friendly, safe atmosphere. To find out more about their community open day on Saturday 6 June visit www.ecoweek.com.au Far North Knitting Nannas Against Gas www.knitting-nannas.com Knitting Nannas Against Gas (KNAG) is an international organisation where people come together to ensure that our land and water are preserved for our children and grandchildren. We sit, knit, plot, have a yarn and a cuppa, and bear witness to the war against the greedy, shortsighted corporations that are trying to rape our land and divide our communities. KNAG happily supports other anti-greed groups at their protests and meetings, or online. REAP Food Rescue www.ozharvest.org REAP is a regional food rescue program developed by OzHarvest and run in Cairns by a number of passionate volunteers. REAP 10 www.cafnec.org.au Ecotone President Report Change is afoot - inside and out Sarah Hoyal, President, Cairns and Far North Environment Centre CAFNEC has been going through changing times since early 2015. The state election campaign and results have set the stage for a different era in our advocacy and campaigns. We recognise the new government’s greater interest in the health of our environment (when compared to the old!) and we are doing our best to harness this interest to get the most positive outcomes for the environment in North Queensland. Internally we have taken advantage of this changing political space to undertake some planning for the next few years at CAFNEC. Our 5-year Strategic Plan expired last year, and the organisation was desperately in need of a focussed review of our past work and future direction. Our dedicated staff and Management Committee put in many hours of their own time to make this a reality - with a new Strategic Plan for 2015-2020 adopted in April. An abridged copy of the plan is available on our website We have also set some annual priority activities and campaigns that will see us working on local and regional aspects of marine, climate change, World Heritage and legal rollback campaigns. This will be coupled with a renewed focus on regional roundtables and supporting local community groups working on environmental issues, as well as seeking new and innovative ways to find funds to keep the doors open. The staff and Management Committee were very saddened by the resignation of our Director Angelika Ziehrl who has decided to seek a more relaxed work-life balance on the northern beaches. We would all like to publicly acknowledge the experience and dedication Angelika brought to this role, thank her for all the hard work she did while she was at CAFNEC, and wish her the very best for the future. Angelika will be remembered for her influence in the Cairns Water Security group, Cape York Regional Plan committee, as well as her focus on greater involvement of young people at CAFNEC. The Management Committee has now appointed Josh Coates as the new Director. Many of you will know Josh from his role as Marine Programs Coordinator since 2013. Josh has extensive experience in environmental education, engagement and advocacy. He has worked with both large and small eNGOs across the country, and also has a scientific background, ecotourism experience, and experience working with Indigenous communities. The Management Committee are confident that Josh has a lot to offer to CAFNEC and the environment sector in FNQ. We are also recruiting for a part-time Community Engagement Officer to maintain and expand our work with community groups and community outreach. We will be making a decision regarding an appointment to this position in early May, so expect to hear soon from our new team. I believe this planning and the new appointments will set CAFNEC on a renewed path as the peak environmental body advocating for the protection of the unique tropical, natural environment of Far North Queensland in partnership with the community and other environment organisations. Look forward to exciting times ahead! Ecotone May 2015 11 In Praise of Mud By Paul Fisk In 2006 Cairns City Council got approval to construct an Esplanade beach and to ‘re-nourish’ this beach as required. It’s a perpetual process. As sand disappears from the beach, it is repeatedly ‘topped up’ with more sand. The result is there for all to see - what was formerly inter-tidal mud, teeming with life, is now inter-tidal sand with not a lot going on. The ecological effect is on the benthic communities which change from diverse and abundant to relatively impoverished. Go down to the ‘Nard and have a look. Where are the mudskippers or the crabs or all the bivalves, crustaceans and worms? In turn, these impacts transfer up the food chain to affect the fish that feed over high tide and the shorebirds that feed at low tide. It’s an on-going process with the sand moving from north to south. In 2013, it had covered almost all inshore areas to Minnie St. In the last few years it has moved over the southern end so that now you can find a layer of sand, 8cm thick, up to 120m offshore. The southern end of the ‘Nard was always the best place to view migratory shorebirds because this is where they can be found in the largest numbers. Before the sand, there was a layering of mud, a micro-landscape, with high inshore mud and a network of channels draining into sloppy lowlands. This inshore habitat provided a rich source of prey at relatively high tide levels when most other inter-tidal areas are flooded. For small frantic birds like the Red-necked Stint or others dying for a feed after a long flight, this is a critical resource. Sadly, this inshore mud is exactly where the impact of the beach sand is greatest. The shorebirds lose valuable feeding habitat and we lose the spectacle that is an internationally recognised bird watching opportunity. Diversity of the mudflats before sand dumping. Photo by: Hidetoshi Kudo But people who love mud should not despair, as these impacts have not gone unrecorded. Heroes of the 4 O’Clock Club and shorebird obsessives informed the authorities of their concerns some time ago. The response has been slow and painful but tells us that: (a) they are only doing what the State Government gave them approval to do and (b) there’s always been a beach there. On both counts, that’s sort of right but also fundamentally wrong. For example, there’s always been a beach here but there’s never been a beach like this. As the sand piles up, people who love mud are starting to get active and organised. Rumours are flying around about a Mudskipper People’s Front that’s forming and there’s been a resurgence in uncontrollable wader counting. There is a journalist investigating the issue, letters are being written, organisational roots are growing on the net. The NQ branch of Birdlife Australia resolved to investigate the issue and there is a proposal for a biodiversity audit. There is hope yet, but it’s going to take a lot of noise and effort to turn this one around. Paul is an environmental planner and consultant who has been working in North Queensland for over 20 years. Small waders at front of photo about to be displaced by massive sand fill. Photo by: Hidetoshi Kudo 12 www.cafnec.org.au Cairns Esplanade BioBlitz Queensland Water and Land Carers through their Green Nomads Program are seeking partners to conduct a BioBlitz on the Cairns Esplanade in June 2015. This would be the first BioBlitz to be held in Queensland, and QWaLC envisages support for future BioBlitz events continuing if this first one is successful. A BioBlitz involves a team of scientists working with the public to discover and record the life of a park or reserve: everything from brightly-coloured beetles to seldom-seen bats, from cheeky possums to wonderful wild fungi. The event is usually held in a short sharp period of between 4 and 48 hours. Hundreds of people are able to contribute to the ‘citizen science’ collection of data which creates a comprehensive picture of the biodiversity of the selected area. BioBlitz was first developed in the USA in 1996, with several being held in Australia since the first WA Woodland Watch Project in 2002. They are becoming popular participatory events where scientists, naturalists and community enthusiasts work together to explore, learn and record what they find to build a bank of knowledge about each place. “The Bioblitz is a snapshot of life here and now,” says the leader of the 2012 Bermagui Bioblitz http://www.alcw.org.au/729-2/ BioBlitz events are hands-on sessions teaming volunteers with expert scientists to observe, capture or photograph the local plant and wild life. Many scientists are needed to work with the public to survey the local biodiversity. A Cairns Esplanade 12/24-hour BioBlitz survey would certainly include: birds – during the day, and in the evening ; mud dwellers – trapping and digging; water-bugs – netting and inspecting them under the microscope; fish-trapping and netting; all other varieties of living things. With help from the scientists, the citizen scientists can see the field data they collected submitted into the Atlas of Living Australia as a species record. Observations, photographs, audio, video, descriptions and map locations all contribute to building biodiversity information, and allow sharing of the collective knowledge. For further information, please contact Rhonda Sorensen [email protected] ph: (07) 4096 5110 and 0417 929 180. Data and insights gained through the efforts of these citizen scientists contribute new records to the Atlas of Living Australia, the definitive online repository of information about Australian plants, animals, and fungi. http://www.ala.org.au/ The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is significantly involved in the development of the Atlas of Living Australia which is the Australian node of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Mudskipper and Fiddler Crab - both these species are now seldom seen from the Cairns Esplanade. Photos by: Denis Walls Ecotone May 2015 13 Milestone win on Cairns dredging The environment wins – Cairns dredging halted! By Josh Coates, Director, CAFNEC On Saturday 18th April 2015 the Queensland Government announced that it would not be funding the Cairns dredging proposal. revival of this ill-conceived plan in its present form by rejecting any environmental approval. CAFNEC has put in years of work informing politicians and the community that this project involved unacceptable environmental risk. We have welcomed the announcement by Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt that Government will not be supporting a dredging project which has been “exposed as environmentally and economically unsustainable”. CAFNEC is currently: • Providing the community with advice and information to help you to engage in the public consultation process. • Organising events and activities to celebrate the milestone victory and move forward on environment protection. • Providing thorough feedback on the EIS to the State and Federal Governments. • Calling for the rejection of environmental approval for the dredging proposal. CAFNEC has responded by formally thanking the Government for this decision and sending out a huge thank you to all of our volunteers and supporters who made this win possible – your love for our FNQ environment makes good things happen. Without your support we would not have reached this significant milestone. Special thanks also to the amazing volunteer CAFNEC Marine Response Team and our volunteer Management Committee for the hours of work they put in to help make this win possible. Read the EIS at: http://www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/ assessments-and-approvals/projects-draft-environmental-impactstatement-documents.html and check out the CAFNEC website and Facebook page for all the latest. More details and what now? For the short term we are on track to avert the dredging of 4.4 million cubic metres of spoil and dumping it within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, or the sensitive East Trinity conservation reserve. However, the announcement came alongside the release of the long delayed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the ‘Cairns Shipping Development project’. The EIS acknowledges that the Ports North preferred option of dumping dredge spoil at sea is not on the table due to the announced ban on new dredge spoil dumping in the Marine Park. The EIS concludes that Ports North preferred onshore dumping option at East Trinity conservation reserve is “at this time, ..not appropriate for dredge material placement”. Public comment on the EIS is open until the 1st of June and we are calling on both state and federal Governments to rule out future 14 Caption: A full house attended our community forum on Cairns Port Dredging to hear from scientists, tourism operators and environmental experts. www.cafnec.org.au CAFNEC Marine Response Team launches the Cairns Drain Stencil Project By Josh Coates, Director, CAFNEC We are pleased to announce that, as part of ECOweek, we are launching our exciting new project designed to raise community awareness and stop the impact of urban storm water pollution on our marine environment. Everything that goes in the gutter ends up in our ocean. When it rains a variety of pollutants including litter, oil and garden fertilisers are carried down the drain and into our local creeks, rivers and out to the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef. These pollutants affect the health of our waterways which is bad news for our environment, our community and our economy. CAFNEC has partnered with the Cairns Regional Council and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to help address the problem of urban runoff pollution. Seed funding for this project has been gratefully accepted from the Local Marine Advisory Committee. The project will encourage community members to stencil a message on local drains reminding people that ‘this drains the Great Barrier Reef’ while also providing educational resources on better management of what ends up in our drains. Drain stencils remind the community that our neighbourhood is connected to the sea via the urban stormwater drain system. Raising awareness about the stormwater catchment makes people more likely to adopt habits such as: • Washing cars on the grass instead of the driveway • Sweeping and collecting leaves and dirt from pathways instead of hosing them down the drain • Applying lawn chemicals at the right time/dose to reduce the chance of runoff to the stormwater system • Keeping your streets and gutters free from litter Stencilled drains also send a clear message to visitors that the Cairns community cares about the marine environment and encourages tourists to consider the impact of their actions. We need to get the message out on the drains and we need your help to do it. If you, your family or your community group can stencil drains in your street, your suburb or our city, register online or contact us on the details below to get involved and help get the message out! Better still, get along to our official Ecoweek project launch. Meet the team, get in early to sign up your family or your community group for the project and join other volunteers for a sausage sizzle and a chat. Then if you have extra time, get hands on and help stencil some Yorkeys Knob drains. See you there! Date: Friday, June 5, 2015 Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 noon Location: Yorkeys Knob (northern car park on Sims Esplanade) http://www.marineteam.org/cairns-drain-stencil-project/ [email protected] and/or [email protected] CAFNEC: (07) 4032 1746 Ecotone May 2015 15 Notices! Become a CAFNEC Member Your membership is vital for CAFNEC to optimise its resources and strengthen our ability to represent the broader community on key current and emerging environmental priorities. To become a member, visit www.cafnec.org.au or call our office on (07) 4032 1746 The CAFNEC Library is Transforming! Over a period of many months, we have been fortunate to have the services of volunteer Karen Nankivell to start the onerous task of cataloguing the CAFNEC library. Karen has been methodically sorting through the many publications we have and listing them on the online program LibraryThing. LibraryThing is a social cataloguing web application for storing and sharing book catalogues. It is used by authors, individuals, libraries and publishers. Karen takes over the story from here: “Information on the resources available in the CAFNEC library has been added to an online library catalogue system making the information more organised and accessible. These resources include publications on flora & fauna, environmental issues in Cairns & the Far North, other environments of Australia and various environmental issues from about the mid-twentieth century to now. Although the online catalogue is not yet complete, there are plenty already listed! “While I do not have a background in librarianship (hence the absence of the Dewey Decimal System), I have had plenty of practice cataloguing my personal library as well as a background in environmental science. The latter helped me with the tagging of books in order to help with searching for particular topics or subjects. This task is a work in progress but there is still plenty for various interests in many topics related to the environment and the need for its protection.” 16 www.cafnec.org.au Notices! Don’t Forget to Nominate! Next time you shop at Piccone’s Supa IGA, Pease Street, Manoora, don’t forget to nominate CAFNEC as your benefactor for the Local Community Benefits Program. It’s easy. Just let the operator at the checkout know before you make payment for your groceries that you wish to nominate the Cairns & Far North Environment Centre (make sure you say our full name, not just CAFNEC). Points are then allocated according to the value of your purchase and periodically transferred to a dollar value which is paid to us! This is an easy opportunity to fund raise for our organisation while you shop! So tell your friends and family to nominate CAFNEC at the checkout to maximize our points. One Sided Paper - Don’t Throw It Out! CAFNEC is on the look out for your unwanted A4 paper that has printing on one side only. Please save this paper for us as we use the other side for our internal office requirements. This provides a financial saving and also has environmental benefits! Many workplaces have a considerable amount of one sided paper that ends up in the bin. This can be reused, so please keep your eyes open and start collecting. Donations of A4 paper in good condition gratefully accepted. Just drop off at Cominos House or give Marie a call on 4032 1746. Many thanks for the paper we have already received. Keep those supplies coming in! Ecotone May 2015 17 Ending the Cassowary Slaughter on our Roads By Andrew Picone, Australian Conservation Foundation, Cairns In neighbouring Cairns Regional Council, Bramston Beach local Russell Constable describes some stretches of his local road as a cassowary slaughterhouse. “There needs to be a concerted effort at addressing the cassowary crossing hotspots; they are the slaughterhouses where this endangered species is being sacrificed because authorities simply don’t value them enough to take real action to protect them.” Another cassowary is killed by a car. Photo by: Russell Constable The cassowary is Far North Queensland’s flagship species for both the tourism industry and the World Heritage rainforests. It is an iconic species that deserves better than the carnage it faces on regional roads throughout the Wet Tropics. Sadly, 2015 is off to a particularly bad start with at least six cassowaries already killed between Mission and Bramston Beach this year. Another was killed recently by domestic dogs on the Atherton Tableland. New research by CSIRO estimates the cassowary population at around 4400. But this number is spread over 730,000 hectares of potential habitat with strong populations known in some areas and few or no records from other areas. Although they began their evolutionary journey about 65 million years ago in the forests of Gondwana, the cassowary risks an untimely extermination at the hands of humans. Today they are at risk from modern day hazards. Agricultural development has seen most of their lowland habitat converted to sugar cane. More recently, urban sprawl and coastal development along the aptly named Cassowary Coast are presenting even bigger threats. While the destruction of their habitat continues, due to the inadequacy of clearing laws, an increasing cassowary killer has remained mostly unaddressed by any government over the last decade. Mission Beach’s Liz Gallie, who has campaigned for greater cassowary protection for ten years, says that the threat from dogs and roads must be better managed with over 60 cassowaries killed by cars in the last 20 years in the Mission Beach area alone. “Mission Beach is leading a business as usual development approach without considering the increase of known threats to cassowaries. The Cassowary Coast has a shameful record of not looking after its endangered icon.” The site of the most recent cassowary death at Mission Beach has seen as many as 20 similar deaths over the last five to eight years. In addition, dog attacks may contribute to as many deaths as road strikes and, with the increase in people and traffic around Mission Beach, these threats will escalate. 18 www.cafnec.org.au Realistically, Russell knows that cassowary deaths can’t be completely prevented throughout their range, but that there should be special measures implemented at particular localities. For the last five years, Russell and Liz have sought a reduction in speed limits, better signage and particular line markings to indicate cassowary hotspots. In 2011 researchers from James Cook University completed a cassowary traffic mitigation strategy which supports measures advocated by Russell and Liz. However, none of the recommendations has been implemented. The importance of the cassowary to the rainforest and their role in seed dispersal is well known. It is what makes them a keystone species. This means that if we lose the cassowary, there will be long-term consequences for the World Heritage listed tropical rainforests. Russell Constable laments that we are monitoring its demise and that management reports could be better used if they were cemented into the road as traffic control devices! Both Bramston and Mission Beach areas are cassowary hotspots. The continued fragmentation of their habitat and resultant isolation of smaller populations, combined with increasing road collision fatalities, will lead to extinctions - first locally, then regionally – unless action is taken now. This is exactly what happened in Cairns in the late 1990s. As cassowary corridors were severed with highways and housing, the last one on Mount Whitfield was killed by domestic dogs. To save the cassowary, nature needs stronger laws and better integration across national, state and local jurisdictions. Speed limits and road signs are surely not too big an ask to save such an iconic species from extinction. Protect Our Reef Be part of the solution Join EcoStar Join EcoStar or make a donation Contact Details Name ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 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