MRCCC Projects

Current Projects of the MRCCC

Reef Rescue works by co-investing with land managers to give them an incentive to improve their grazing land management practices. The MRCCC, in partnership with BMRG, DEEDI, Gympie District Beef Liaison Group and AgForce is delivering Reef Rescue in the Mary Catchment. Funded by the Australian Government, the project works with interested graziers to implement improved land management practices to reduce the amount of nutrients, chemical and sediments leaving their farms and impacting on Reef Water Quality. Improved grazing land condition leads to greater pasture productivity, sustainability and enterprise profitability, whilst reducing the loss of valuable sediments and nutrients from our grazing lands. Wetland systems such as riparian zones, billabongs and marshes will be of a particular focus due to their important function of filtering out nutrients and sediments from the grazing landscape, before they reach the river system. The MRCCC is now seeking expressions of interest (EOI) for Reef Rescue in the 2012-2013 year. Download an EOI form here or contact the MRCCC to be mailed a copy. EOI's are due by the 31st January 2012.

Mary River Threatened Species Recovery Plan - A draft framework for a recovery plan for the threatened species of the Mary River has been sent to the Federal government to be progressed. The Shakin it for the Dugong competition generated interest in the plan throughout the region, resulting in over 10,000 hits on YouTube. Follow the links to access the Dugong Rock musical track, (2.74mb download) and lyrics.

Findings of the community survey for the Mary River Threatened Species Recovery Plan

The MRCCC is currently helping rural landholders access the Land for Wildlife/Healthy Habitats programs funded by the Burnett Mary Regional Group. Biodiversity Officer, Peter McAdam is seeking expressions of interest from landholders with more than 2 Ha of land who are interested in registering their property for the Land for Wildlife program. For more info, contact Peter at the Resource Centre.

The MRCCC currently coordinates 6 Community Waterwatch networks involving 70 volunteers who monitor water quality at over 100 sites on waterways throughout the Mary River Catchment every month. Using field equipment provided by the MRCCC, volunteers monitor temperature, electrical conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and in some networks, phosphate and nitrate levels. Data from the networks is entered onto a regional database, providing a baseline to observe trends and anomalies. Some networks have now been collecting data for over 5 years. Click here to view a copy of the 2011 report for the Gympie/Amamoor Waterwatch network and here for a report on the Widgee/Wide Bay Waterwatch network.

Over the warmer months, the MRCCC’s Living with Threatened Species project with Eva Ford at the helm will be surveying creeks in the Mary Catchment for rare frog species including the Giant Barred Frog, Cascade Tree Frog and the Tusked Frog. The presence (or not) of frogs in riparian areas provides an indication of the quality of stream habitat, enabling on-ground works to be targeted and threatened species habitat to be protected and conserved. To participate in frog surveys, contact the MRCCC. Download frog and fauna records for 2009-2010 by clicking on the links. (Please note these are A3 size files).

Eva has also been working with the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly Conservation Network with the aim of restoring Birdwing habitat throughout the Mary.  The former range of the butterfly included a colony at River Heads, right at the mouth of the Mary River.  Enemies to the butterfly include weeds such as Madeira Vine and Dutchman’s Pipe, which out-compete the native Pararistolochia, one of the Birdwing’s principal food sources. If you are interested in planting Birdwing feed vines on your land, contact Eva at the MRCCC Resource Centre.

The MRCCC staff operate from the old Cooloola Shire Council depot at Tozer Park Rd in Gympie. The MRCCC has established a Resource Centre, where the public is welcome to come for information on a wide range of natural resource management issues. The Resource Centre is open from Monday to Friday, from 9 am until 4 pm.

The MRCCC has established a Public Fund to encourage tax deductible donations, which will ultimately contribute to the construction of a purpose built green design Catchment Centre. Donations can be deposited directly to the fund. Click here for details.

For more information about these or other MRCCC projects, please call the MRCCC Resource Centre in 07 5482 4766 or email mrccc.org.au