Tide to Table – Burnett Mary NRM region

Tide to Table – Burnett Mary is a project between OceanWatch Australia and the Burnett Mary Regional Group. A number of other organisations will also be taking part in the project including Canegrowers, Growcom, Queensland Seafood Industry Association, Burnett Shire Council, Bundaberg City Council, Burnett Catchment Care Association, QLD Dept of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Qld Environmental Protection Agency.

The program works to combine the needs of the seafood industry and fishers with management actions occurring on land.  As such, farmers, local and state government staff, community groups, recreational and professional fishers work together to support projects that involve on-ground works. This work improves fish habitat and water quality that in turn supports and builds sustainable seafood resources for the future.

The project kicked off in August 2007 and Bec Nicoll, Project Manager has been consulting with commercial and recreational fishers, aquaculturists, local government, growers, community groups and state agencies to identify sites for projects. 

A Steering committee has been established with representatives of these groups engaged to apply selection criteria to choose projects that will be most effective at rehabilitating or addressing threats to fish habitat.

A minimum of 5 sites will be chosen and may be within the catchments of the Burrum, Kolan, Elliott and Burnett Rivers and the Baffle Creek.  

The types of projects that might be funded as part of the Burnett Mary Tide to Table project include:

• fencing  valuable wetlands that provide critical fish nursery areas to prevent damage from recreational activities and stock access
• fencing to control 4WD damage to dunes and revegetation with endemic plants to control erosion
• removing invasive woody, climbing and succulent weeds in coastal, wetland or riparian areas
• removing barriers to fish movement such as road crossings and redundant weirs or retrofitting existing weirs to allow fish movement up and downstream;
• controlling blockages from in-stream terrestrial and aquatic weeds to restore fish passage and improve water quality
• restoring degraded streamside vegetation and fencing to manage stock access to rivers
• controlling bank erosion caused by removal of streamside vegetation, boat wash or stock access
• Clean-ups to improve water quality and remove pollutants that threaten aquatic life

If you are interested in taking part or know of a fish habitat problem that needs addressing please contact Bec Nicoll on (07) 4153 3866 in Bundaberg.

Completed Projects

Splitter’s Creek - Heales Road Crossing – Retrofitting project
Catchment to Coast Tour

Media Coverage

Fishermen Rally for Port Cleanup
ABC Local Radio - Website coverage of Catchment to Coast Tour
Trawler demonstrates bycatch reduction measures
Plans underway to make fish movement easier

Project Partners / Sponsors