Wetlands targeted under new project

For too long, wetlands have been regarded by many as swampy "wastelands" and breeding grounds for mosquitoes. They have been drained, flooded, cleared, ploughed, grazed, or used as a dumping ground for effluent and rubbish.

However, attitudes are changing, and under a new project funded by the Burnett Mary Regional Group, the values of our remaining wetlands are being investigated.

WetlandCare Australia has commenced the $130,000 project to prioritise wetlands in the Burnett Mary region with support from the State and Federal environment departments.

Project Officer Rebecca Burnett said that while some wetlands have already been mapped, almost nothing is known about their ecology, threats or the prioritisation of their remediation, restoration and protection.

“We will be ground-truthing the wetlands, undertaking an inventory, and then working out which ones are a priority for on-ground works,” she said.

Ms Burnett said that wetlands played an extremely important role in the Burnett Mary region and it was essential to have the right information to determine the best way to care for them.

“Wetlands reduce sediment, pesticide and nutrient loads entering freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems,” she said.

“They improve the quality of surface water run-off and are critical to the function of their catchment.

Ms Burnett said that much more needed to be done to promote the values of wetlands, and ways in which human activities can be undertaken to benefit both wetlands and people.

“They are like the cleansing “kidneys” within the river systems, enhancing water quality, mitigating floods, provide refuges for wildlife in dry seasons, and sustaining grazing long after floods have receded,” she said.

“We simply can’t do without them.”

To find out more about the wetlands project, contact Rebecca Burnett on ph   07 4121 1933  or click here.

 

 
  
 

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