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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: admin@cafnec.org.au
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: admin@cafnec.org.au
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
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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
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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.
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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: heidi@tangaroablue.org
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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
communications@qwalc.org.au 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/
stencilproject@marineteam.org and/or marine@cafnec.org.a
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.”
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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.
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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.
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