Tide to Table – Burdekin Dry Tropics Region

Tide to Table – Burdekin Dry Tropics is a project between OceanWatch Australia and Burdekin Dry Tropics Natural Resource Management (BDTNRM) which aims to enhance fisheries sustainability through the rehabilitation of fish habitats.  The project, which commenced in October 2007, is funded through the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust programme.

The project involves working with a variety of stakeholder groups such as commercial and recreational fishers, land-based primary producers, landowners, Traditional Owners, government agencies and community groups to support and undertake projects to rehabilitate and protect fish habitats.  There is also a strong education and awareness component to the project, to increase understanding of the linkages between healthy waterways and productive fish stocks.

BDTNRM has committed around $250,000 towards six on-ground works projects to rehabilitate fish habitats within the Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM region, which extends from Crystal Creek to Bowen.  These projects will have a demonstrable benefit to fish habitat and include works such as fish passage improvement, riparian and in-stream rehabilitation and water quality improvement.

If you are interested in taking part, know of a fish habitat problem that needs addressing or would like to make a comment please contact Carla Wegscheidl on (07) 4722 2528 or email carla@oceanwatch.org.au.  

On-ground works projects

Expressions of Interest for on-ground works funding were sought in January 2008 and a steering committee was formed to decide on the projects to be funded.  The steering committee includes representatives from a variety of groups including commercial fishers, recreational fishers (Sunfish), Canegrowers Burdekin, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research.

Six projects have been approved for funding, these include:

• Installation of a rock ramp fishway to provide fish passage across the Rita Island sand dam, in the Lower Burdekin
• Aquatic and riparian weed control at Horseshoe Creek, near Giru, to be undertaken by local landholders and Conservation Volunteers Australia
• Removal of a fish passage barrier in Stuart Creek, south of Townsville, and associated riparian revegetation involving Townsville City Council and Conservation Volunteers Australia
• Rubbish removal, weed control and revegetation within the declared Bohle River Fish Habitat Area, by Townsville City Council
• Weed control, litter cleanup, fish passage improvement and revegetation within a beach swale wetland at Bushland Beach, undertaken by Greening Australia   
• Weed control and riparian revegetation of a section of Rollingstone Creek by Mungalla Aboriginal Business Corporation.

In addition to funding on-ground works, the Tide to Table – Burdekin Dry Tropics project aims to increase understanding within the community of the importance of fish habitats to productive fisheries and sustainable fish stocks. A large rubbish cleanup of saltmarsh habitats in Stuart, south of Townsville, was held in December 2007 to raise awareness of the value of saltmarsh habitats and degradation to these areas caused by rubbish dumping.

These on-ground works projects will be commencing in April 2008 and most will be completed by June 2008.

Download the Burdekin Dry Tropics Information Flyer

Project Partners / Sponsors: