Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland Brisbane...

Meetings at The Royal Geographical Society of Qld, 237 Milton Rd,

Milton (UBD 21 - L1). At 7.30pm on the fourth Tuesday of every

month, except January and December.

Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland Brisbane Branch Inc.

"WPSQ Brisbane - Advocating Conservation through Education"

"The Branch advocates conservation through a diverse

educational program including expert speakers at

Monthly Public meetings, regular weekend and day

trips in and around Brisbane, Batty Boat Cruises

during the summer, and a newsletter."

This newsletter is printed on recycled paper

SUMMER 2010

Sunday 5 December Batty Boat Cruise, Brisbane River

Saturday 25 December HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Sunday 30 Jan 2011 Batty Boat Cruise, Brisbane River

Sunday 20 Feb 2011 Batty Boat Cruise, Brisbane River

Tuesday 22 Feb 2011 Brisbane Branch Presentation—The

Management of Invasive Fauna Species - a

Local Government Perspective" by Robyn

Jones

Sunday 6 March 2011 Batty Boat Cruise, Brisbane River

Tuesday 22 March 2011 Brisbane Branch Presentation—‗Spidiversity‘ by

Robert Whyte

Tuesday 26 April 2011 Brisbane Branch Presentation—Snakes of South East Queensland,

by Aaron Robertson

Tuesday 24 May 2011 Brisbane Branch Presentation— Secret Life of Manta Rays, by

Fabrice Jaine

*ALL MEMBERS AND VISITORS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND OUR FREE MONTHLY PRESENTATIONS*

Branch Details MEGAPODIUM

Brisbane Branch Executive

President: Susan Vernon 0400 629 685

Vice-president: Angela Dean 3844 8579

Treasurer: John Markwell 3378 6974

Secretary: Mary Durrington 3379 5191

Brisbane Branch Committee

Leanne Bowden: 3357 9009

Leonie Markwell: 3378 6974

Greg Miller: 3357 9009

This newsletter is kindly printed by Durrington J. R. & Sons - Ph. 3892 6144

Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland - Brisbane Branch Inc.

Mail: PO Box 395, Clayfield 4011 ABN: 98 822 357 323

Email: [email protected] Web: www.wildlife.org.au

Head Office: 95 William Street, Brisbane Phone: 3221 0194

Meeting Location & Date

Our meetings are held at The

Royal Geographical Society of

Qld, 237 Milton Rd, Milton. UBD

Reference Map 21, L1.

Our meeting day is the 4th

Tuesday of every month. The

starting time is 7.30pm.

Train: Ipswich/Rosewood Line,

Milton Stop.

Bus: All Buses along Coronation

Drive, Stop 4, both inbound and

outbound, then walk 700m to

venue.

An electronic copy of

our newsletter is

available from

our website

(wildlife.org.au/)

select "Join your local

Branch ", then select

Brisbane, then select

the link to the

newsletter

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP OR JOIN US HERE BRISBANE BRANCH

$42 $84

$65 $130

Committees Scratchings MEGAPODIUM

Australian Brush-turkey. Family: Megapodiidae Image from: John Gould (1804-81) The birds of Australia 1840-48. 7 vols. 600 plates Artists: J. Gould and E. Gould; Lithographer: E. Gould. Photo: Research Library © Australian Museum

WPSQ

BRISBANE

e were joined by the following branches at the SBGT: Bayside, Bundaberg, Caboolture,

Capricorn, Gold Coast and Hinterland, Kedron Brook, Logan, Scenic Rim, Sunshine Coast

and Hinterland, Toowoomba and Upper Dawson. For details what they are up to, see p. 9.

lane Environmental Talking was subject of the presentation by Helen Clarke (No, not the

former NZ prime minister!). We heard about the efforts being made by the Brisbane Air-

port Corporation to be environmentally sustainable. See more on p. 15.

ome guest speakers are cool! Our own vice president, Angela, explained to us why ―Corals

are Cool‖ at our August meeting and there were lots of extra visitors to hear all about it.

For more information, see p. 13.

uizzes are not usually my thing, but this one was great. It was totally relevant to wildlife

and WPSQ.‖ This was a comment from a visiting delegate at the SBGT.

ehind the scenes preparation for the SBGT was a huge task: planning the venue, speakers

and activities; applying for a grant, organising the program; arranging goodies for delegate

bags; and all the checklists, sourcing, packing and carrying that such an event entails.

econnecting Nature Across Roads was the subject of the October talk by the Urban Animal,

Darryl Jones, who has recently returned from Europe. He had lots to tell of his experiences.

See p. 16.

nvitations are out for An Evening with Steve Parish to be held at The Palace Barracks Cin-

ema on Friday 26th November. For more details, see the our website: www.wildlife.org.au

incere thanks all members of the Brisbane Branch Committee, particularly our President,

Susan, who all put in a lot of time and effort to ensure the SBGT ran smoothly and every-

one had a good time. Thanks also to our other volunteers.

irdwatching has a new generation of devotees. Mike West's grandson, Griffin, is following

in his grandfather's footsteps. Not only could he identify most of the birds on the walks at

the SBGT, but was seen perusing his bird fieldguide at breakfast to confirm sightings.

llan from Hollow Log Homes mentioned a drey as the home for ringtail possums. Coinci-

dentally, this was one of the answers from the WPSQuiz. Knowing looks of enlightenment

appeared on attendees faces at his presentation.

ot much change came from our branch AGM. The faces remain the same, but some roles

have altered. Angela has become Vice President, while Mary has taken over as secretary.

Congratulations to all, who were elected unopposed.

veryone is looking forward to the Batty Boat cruise season this year. Details are on p. 20.

Congratulations to John Markwell who received the Margaret Thorsborne Award for his

work in organising these entertaining and educational events.

What‘s on MEGAPODIUM

Sunday 5 December, Sunday 30 January & Sunday 20 February —

Batty Boat Cruise, Brisbane River Take one of our popular wildlife

cruises on the Brisbane River. See page 16 for details.

Tuesday 22 February 2011, "The

Management of Invasive Fauna Species - a

Local government Perspective" presented by

Robyn Jones, Brisbane City Council

Robyn has extensive experience in the

management of invasive species through working

with the

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Greening

Australia in Central Queensland undertaking weed

management, BCC as a Protected Vegetation

Officer and now she is working as a Program

Officer, Invasive Species with BCC. Come along

to hear what your local government is doing about

invasive fauna species, and why.

Sunday 6 March — Batty Boat Cruise, Brisbane River Take one of our

popular wildlife cruises on the Brisbane River. See page 16 for details.

22 March 2011 ‗Spidiversity‘ by Robert

Whyte

Some of us may think of them simply as creepy crawlies, and probably overlook them, but …

spiders are generalist predators, eating mainly insects and other arthropods, and can tell us a lot

about the ecology of the areas they inhabit. Robert is Vice President of Save Our Waterways Now, http://www.saveourwaterwaysnow.com.au/

an organisation involved in coordinating and overseeing environmental restoration and

regeneration for Ithaca, Fish and Enoggera Creeks in Brisbane.

Robert will present his ongoing research results

from a study of spider diversity in the local

Enoggera Creek Catchment. For those of you who don‘t suffer

from arachnophobia, more information is available on The Australasian Arachnological Society website at www.australasian-

arachnology.org

What‘s on MEGAPODIUM

26 April 2011— Snakes of South East Queensland

by Aaron Robertson

Based on the Sunshine Coast, Snake Whisperer

operates a reptile relocation service as well as promoting co-operative living with native reptiles.

Aaron will be covering several topics in his discussion, including: Ecology of local snakes, a photographic presentation on the snakes found in SEQ, snake myths

and truths, and snakebite first aid.

24 May 2011—Secret Life of Manta

Rays, by Fabrice Jaine

Movements of marine megafauna are

influenced by factors such as food, reproduction or particular oceanographic

features. In east Australia, the newly re-described species of manta ray, Manta alfredi, seasonally undergoes large-scale

migrations along the coast to aggregate at specific sites. Reasons behind such

movements remain unknown. Fabrice is conducting his PhD research at University of Queensland to understand the relationship

between ocean characteristics, food availability and manta ray behaviour. Come along and discover the mysterious world of

manta rays.

WPSQ Brisbane Branch

Committee has two positions

open:

1. Treasurer

2. Batty Boat Cruise

Coordinator

All training & assistance

provided. For more

information, see Susan Vernon

WE NEED YOU!

Do you want to help Brisbane wildlife?

MEGAPODIUM

Annual Report: Brisbane Branch

1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010

Our Branch AGM was held on 28 September. This

report on the Branch's activities was presented to

both the Society and our Branch AGM.

General Overview

Brisbane Branch

continues to

advocate

conservation

through education.

Within this year‘s

theme of

‗Backyard

Biodiversity‘, our

expert

environmental

speakers at our

ten monthly public

meetings at Milton,

presented

information that

extended our

backyard from

Torres Strait to

Victoria. Our Boondall to Tinchi Tamba Wetlands

(B2TT) Project team commenced holding

quarterly meetings in May. As well as meetings,

we were able to educate on two canoe trips in the

Boondall Wetlands, at two camps on Moreton

Island; during Platypus Watch at Enoggera creek,

commentating on three Brisbane River Batty Boat

Cruises; cooking sausages at Bunnings at

suburban Stafford; selling Entertainment Books

generally to the non-converted in the city; and

through our quarterly newsletters. Our

membership has decreased since last year to

from 139 to 123 (5 year average = 129).

Committee

Despite the Branch‘s large size, we still only have

seven on our committee, which continues with

Susan Vernon, President; John Markwell,

Treasurer; Angela Dean, Secretary and

committee members Leonie Markwell, Greg Miller,

Leanne Bowden and Mary Durrington, all

unopposed at our September 2009 AGM.

Following the B2TT request to merge with us in

early 2009,as a project within our Branch, Mary-

Ann Pattison is now the project contact. We hold

monthly committee meetings in the week prior to

our public meeting, with many of our most recent

meetings dedicated to our hosting and planning

the 2010 AGM at Mt Glorious.

Environmental Activities

Speakers

We‘re now in our second year holding meetings at

the Royal Geographical Society of Queensland

rooms at Milton, and it has proved to be quite a

comfortable venue. As well as upstairs storage

for historical and bulky items, we‘ve purchased a

cupboard for the

meeting level, and we

can conveniently store

all our meeting ‗props‘

and supper items.

Attendance for our

speakers ranged

between 13 to 30.

We had presentations

from Dawn Couchman

from Primary

Industries and

Fisheries on how it

manages marine

plants and fish

habitats in

Queensland; Anne

Kemp from the

University of Queensland on the life of the

Lungfish and the threats to its survival; and

Jenny Holdway from the Queensland Frog Society

on how to attract frogs to your backyard. Of high

popularity was Martin Fingland, who brings

backyard biodiversity to you. He showed us a

range of wonderful native wildlife to explain to us

how he connects people with nature through

presenting wildlife to them in a fun environment.

We had two speakers on Koalas, Rachel Attard

from University of Queensland on their feeding

strategies; and Harriet Preece from the

Environment Department on the science and

ecology concerning how the urban/backyard koala

populations have an influence on bushland

populations. Stretching our backyard was Tyrone

Lavery on identifying wildlife habitats in Torres

Strait islands and how this information is used in

future urban development plans; and Jessica

Walsh from UQ, on how to allocate resources for

conservation, using Malleefowl conservation as an

example. Peggy McQueen from UQ addressed us

on Pademelons, explaining how an understanding

of the evolutionary history of a species, helps to

understand its current diversity and distribution.

Reports on the talks are provided in the

newsletters, helping all our attendees and readers

MEGAPODIUM

understand biodiversity better, how it‘s managed,

how researchers measure it and use it in

planning developments, and how they can help

through protecting the biodiversity in their own

backyard. We are very lucky in Brisbane to have

access to such high quality guest speakers with

expertise in many different areas. It is also very

gratifying to include amongst our speakers a

number of our next generation of researchers;

their energy and commitment is very

encouraging for the future of our environment

Platypus Watch

In September, we hosted a Platypus Watch in the

Enoggera Creek area, and around 20 volunteers

stationed themselves at 12 sites along the creek.

Unfortunately, there were no sightings, but it was

still a great education exercise in highlighting

that such a special species is in our own

backyard.

Moreton Island

We visited in October

2009 as a combined trip

with the Queensland

Field Naturalists, after

the oil spill clean up had

been completed. A

deceased whale and the

discovery of a bubbler in

the sand were highlights.

Our May 2010 weekend

visit was dedicated to

weeding and rubbish

removal, as part of a

―Caring for the Country‘

grant funding received

by the Moreton Island

Protection Committee to

ameliorate the effect of

the oil spill. All attendees felt gratified to be

giving something back to the Island, and so a

future combined working/social visit will be held

in November 2010.

B2TT

The B2TT group liaised with the Brisbane City

Council on issues relating to dogs on Nudgee

beach, monitoring by students and community

members, and weed issues both in Boondall and

Tinchi Tamba reserves.

Canoe trips

WPSQ Brisbane committee members provided

the environmental education commentary on

two Brisbane City Council ―Get Wild‖ program

canoe trips in Boondall and Tinchi Tamba

Wetlands in August and November 2009.

Unfortunately, funding for the programme has

been reduced and less activities are now being

arranged by the BCC.

Social

A Trivia Night for our November meeting, and a

Christmas Get Together at Orleigh Park on the

banks of the Brisbane River, rounded out the

2009 year.

Newsletter and Promotion

We produced four newletters during the year.

Hard copies are posted to those members who

prefer that method, with some left at the Royal

Geographical Society venue and on the Batty

MEGAPODIUM

Boat Cruises to promote our

activities. Electronic copies are

also sent to members and

friends of WPSQ Brisbane.

Fund Raising

We were successful in receiving

a $3838.00 grant from the

Gambling Community Benefit

Fund to assist with hosting the

Southern Branches Get

Together/Wildlife in our

Community annual event.

Our icon has to be the Batty

Boat Cruises. Arranging these

trips, as well as running them

on the day, presenting

commentary and setting up

display material, takes a lot of time and effort for

the committee. Head Office assists us with

bookings and advertising. Unfortunately, we

were obliged to cancel some due to lack of bats,

hence there were only 3 trips! In February, we

were delighted to slot in an unscheduled cruise,

and were rewarded with a magnificent fly-out.

Usually, our cruises are our prime fundraiser, with

further funds raised through the sale of T-shirts,

raffle tickets, chocolates and bat magnets on

board, however, the cancellations did reduce our

earnings this year. We donate a share of the

profits to Head Office, as well as assist them with

funds to manage the promotion and bookings.

We also distributed funds to applicants to our Bat

Project Research Grants, awarding funds to 5

different batcare groups to support bat education

and reimbursement of costs of rehabilitation.

Selling Entertainment Books is still an

excellent fund-raiser - over $500 -

with the money going towards

funding the cost of the meeting

venue. Brisbane branch stickers are

placed in the books to remind buyers

all year round of the WPSQ cause.

By far our best fund-raiser this year

was running a Sausage Sizzle at

Bunnings Stafford in July. This raised

$1946.45 as well as promoting

Wildlife Queensland to a very different

audience.

Future Plans

Our future plans are to maintain and develop our

current projects.

Our educational projects of speaker

presentations and commentary on Batty boat

cruises will continue.

Our fundraising projects of Batty Boat

cruises, sale of Entertainment Books, and a

further Sausage Sizzle at Bunnings.

Our environmental projects, Platypus Watch

& B2TT; and

Our liaison projects, to work with and

promote other wildlife causes, groups and

activities in our newsletter and at our

meetings will also continue.

MEGAPODIUM

Wildlife in your Community

(Southern Branches Get-together)

Camp Constable, Mount Glorious 17

– 19 September 2010

This years Society Annual General Meeting and

―Wildlife in your Community‖ event was

organised and hosted by Brisbane Branch and it

was a great success, albeit with lower numbers

than usual. 18 people stayed at the venue, some

camping and some in dormitories; 26 were

registered to attend the Saturday events, and a

few extras turned up as well as 10 members of

the public to advertised community events.

Friday 17th September: Some committee

members arrived early to prepare the venue for

for the weekend activities. Attendees collected

bags of goodies with WPSQ Brisbane logo before

settling into their camping spaces or the dorms.

Following the BBQ, it was upstairs for WPSQuiz,

organised by Leanne and Greg and relating to

the history of WPSQ and Australian wildlife. The

competition was very close and heats were hotly

contested. Unfortunately the overcast skies

meant that the scheduled late evening

astronomy session with Jean-Pierre and friends

had to be cancelled, due to lack of stars!

Saturday 18th September: Most joined in the

6.30am birdwalk, led by Mike, through the

Maiala section of the D‘Aguilar National Park.

Topknot pigeons flew overhead, making a very

easy first sighting. Wompoo pigeons called from

the forest but did not show themselves. Satin

bowerbirds and rufous fantail were seen, and lots

of different calls were heard.

The business of the weekend started with a

welcome from the President, Simon Baltais. This

year, lots of time was made available for Branch

reports. It‘s always interesting and inspiring to

hear what the other branches are doing and the

challenges they face. See p10 for a summary of

reports from other branches. The AGM was held

at 11.00am, with Simon Baltais and Des Boyland

presenting reports, highlighting both the

positives and negatives. Though the Society is

held in high regard, it will face financial

difficulties in the future if efforts are not made

now. The same committee was elected

unopposed. A vote was required, resulting in a

decision to allow Corporate memberships. We

then heard from consultant Peter Forster,

engaged to delve into the workings of the

Society. He outlined its funding needs and

sought ways forward. He called for suggestions

from delegates during the lunch break and quite

a few people took the opportunity to raise issues

with him.

In the afternoon, while the Wildlife Land Fund

held their AGM, environmental workshops were

held, which were open to the public. Attendees

enjoyed the presentation by Alan and Stacey

from Hollow Log Homes as they told anecdotes

of wildlife relocations, showed webcam pictures

from inside nesting boxes, and demonstrated

simple and inexpensive techniques for making

possum boxes using such things as plastic plant

pots joined with cable ties. Bat craft with Louise

from Bat Conservation and Rescue was attended

by local children who made bat wings and

masks. Adults decorated carrybags with bat

designs. Meanwhile, Kristy and Jai from Wildcare

Australia showed simple methods of caring for

injured animals using household items. The

audience learnt

that, in the first

instance, baby

birds which

have fallen out

of the nest

should be put in

a bucket tied to

a branch of the

tree from which

they fell. If the

Brisbane Branch’s Leanne Bowden

MEGAPODIUM

parent birds do not respond, it's time to call a

carer organisation.

After the workshops, committee members set

candles and cutlery on crisp white tablecloths in

readiness for dinner. Simon welcomed delegates

and presented several awards. Our own

treasurer, John, was stunned to receive the

Margaret Thorsborne Award for his hard work in

organising the Batty Boat Cruises. Our after-

dinner speaker was Mary Maher, who presented a

2030 scenario, where the environmental

problems of today had been solved. She

speculated on the solutions, and what role

Wildlife Queensland could have had in shaping

that future – inspirational food for thought. One

interesting idea was giving babies a second name

of a plant or animal, which gave them a special

interest in its welfare. Some hardy souls

ventured out spotlighting in the cool, damp

evening, led by Susan. Though we walked in

glider habitat, we did not manage to see any!

However, we saw several ringtail possums and

bandicoots.

Sunday 19th September: The day began with a

different bird walk, this time led by Greg and

Leanne. The highlight was a close view of a

logrunner using his tail as an anchor while he

dug through the leaf litter with his leg. Overall,

51 birds were identified on the weekend.

The final presentation was from Geckoes Wildlife,

and again members of the public were invited.

Fiona brought along some interesting animals,

resulting in lots of oohs, aahs and tentative pats.

An inland bearded dragon ran along the floor,

eating worms tossed to him. The barking owl

made his presence felt by calling throughout the

presentation . The bettong was quite a novelty,

but the squirrel glider won the kids' hearts when

he glided from Fiona's shoulder back to his box.

Susan presented a farewell and thank you to all

attendees before morning tea. Most then joined

Leonie for a bushwalk through Maiala where we

saw some trapdoor spiders' burrows among many

other rainforest attractions. Those that remained

behind to tidy up were rewarded with views of an

active Antechinus, scurrying along drains and

leaping in and out of the rubbish bin.

A Summary of Reports from Other Branches

Brisbane‘s report focussed on environmental

education activities and is included in this

newsletter. Toowoomba has been working on

Wedgetail Eagle recovery programs and raising

funds through raffles. The newly formed Scenic

Pictures: Geckoes Wildlife Presentation; attendees during a social break; President Simon Baltais with guest speaker Mary Maher, Simon Baltais prsenting

John Markwell, with the Margaret Throsborne award

MEGAPODIUM

Rim branch has set a theme of ‗Animals have to

move‘, through seasons and landscapes, and has

been extremely active in attending Council and

working group meetings and setting up displays

wherever possible in their area. Caboolture has

been struggling along with very few members,

but has worked with the Caboolture Region

Environmental Education Centre (CREEC) on a

photographic competition, and will shortly join

with members of the former Pine Rivers Branch

to create a new Moreton Bay Branch. Kedron

Brook continues to liaise with bushcare groups

along its length revegetating, and surveying the

birds and fish in the area, working with the

Brisbane Council, and liaising as possible with

the developers constructing the massive

AirportLink tunnel. Bayside noted that like

Brisbane, it has a large membership, but there

are still only a few to run the Branch. They held

their annual World Environment Day dinner,

have a good speaker and walks program and

involvement with Mangrove watch. Upper

Dawson has a wide range of issues with weeds,

and is actively opposing the gas and salt issues

that will come from Coal Seam Gas Mining.

Sunshine Coast and Hinterland are very active at

all levels, host Faunawatch and are involved with

a range of community events, including the

Sunshine Coast Wildflower festival. Gold Coast

and Hinterland talked of their concern for the

Springbrook area, and presented an interesting

poem about dingoes. They offered to host next

year's get-together, which may be in the

Springbrook area. Logan continues to deal with

its Council over planning issues. Members from

Bundaberg and Capricorn also attended.

Some comments heard during the weekend:

―This is a fantastic venue because there is plenty

of accommodation at the same site as the

meeting hall and the dining room. There is a

chance to socialise between talks.‖

‖The consultant (Peter Forster) was spot on the

money with his insights into the society.‖

―Some of our members didn't come because

there was very little opportunity for serious

discussion with the community sessions.‖

―I don't usually like quizzes, but this one was

good. It was totally relevant to wildlife & WPSQ.‖

Members Kathryn Greenwood and Greg Miller

Fauna

Report

Given the passing

rain and work

load of the

meeting a respectable species

was ompiled. The following list

is mainly due to Mike West

keeping a rigorous list of 43

confirmed bird species seen and

6 heard, totalling 49 altogether.

Birds

Australian brush-turkey

White-headed pigeon

Brown cuckoo-dove

Wonga pigeon

Wompoo fruit-dove

Superb fruit-dove

Rose-crowned pigeon

Topknot pigeon

Tawny frogmouth (H)

White-throated needletail

Masked lapwing

Yellow-tailed black-

cockatoo (H)

Sulphur-crested cockatoo

Rainbow cockatoo

Scaly-breasted cockatoo

Australian king-parrot

Crimson rosella

Pale-headed rosella

Shining bronze cuckoo

(H)

Laughing kookaburra

Noisy pitta (H)

White-throated

treecreeper (H)

Green catbird

Satin bowerbird

Yellow-throated

scrubwren

White-browed scrubwren

Large-billed scrubwren

Brown gerygone

Brown thornbill

Spotted-pardolote

Eastern spinebill

Lewin‘s honeyeater

Brown honeyeater

Blue-faced honeyeater

Australian logrunner

Eastern whipbird

Golden whistler

Grey shrike-thrush

Australian figbird

Pied butcherbird

Australian magpie

Pied currawong

Rufous fantail

Grey fantail

Torresian crow Black-faced monarch

Paradise riflebird

Eastern yellow robin

Silvereye

Bassian thrush

and a domestic rooster

was heard crowing

Mammals

Brown antechinus

Red-legged pademelon

Possum (spot-lighted)

MEGAPODIUM

Should we be concerned

about coal seam gas? The following article is an extract from The Brisbane Times (5 November 2010), and is written by Toby Hutcheon, Executive Director of the Queensland Conservation Council.

―Reckless rush for new resource

Coal seam methane has been touted by

government and industry as the great, new, low-

emission energy source for Queensland and

global markets. However, environmentalists and

an increasing number of landholders remain

unconvinced. They are wary as a result of the

mad rush to develop the industry rather than

examining all the associated impacts.

In recent years, several worrying situations have

arisen as part of this developing industry.

Untested water that has been extracted has been

stored in open settlement ponds and provided to

cattle, while there has been little regulation to

protect landholders' rights over water access.

The Queensland government is still likely to allow

four processing and port facilities to be built in

Gladstone, which will have a major impact on

important habitat. Regulation has been ad hoc

and proper social and environmental assessments

have not been completed before any approvals.

―...the potential to result in widespread,

irreversible and serious environmental

harm‖

Coal seam gas methane is taken from

underground coal seams. To extract the gas, a

bore is sunk through to the seam and gas and

water is released by natural pressure (or by

pump). The gas and the water are then

separated. The gas is then piped to Gladstone

where it is liquefied and exported.

The whole process has multiple and cumulative

environmental impacts. The extraction of water

could mean the contamination of aquifers and the

removal of too much water from underground

storages. Agriculture, grazing, rural communities

and a healthy environment are dependent upon

clean and sustainable underground water

storages.

In one recent report on the Santos LNG proposal,

the Queensland Coordinator-General said poor

water management had the potential to result in

widespread, irreversible and serious

environmental harm. It predicted long-term

problems for soils, waters, vegetation,

ecosystems, crops and future land use.

The coal gas seam industry has estimated the

need for about 40,000 wells to be drilled to

extract gas on the Darling Downs. This could

significantly weaken the rock below the ground.

The mass of necessary pipelines between wells,

gas fields and distribution points will also disturb

farming and the environment. The development

of facilities at Gladstone will impact both on turtle

-nesting areas and upon the harbour, where

dredging will disturb dugong habitats.

―The development of facilities at Gladstone

will impact both on turtle-nesting areas

and ...dugong habitats‖

The entire process needs serious investigation

and it as much a community health and

development issue as an environmental one.

Gas is often touted as a less emission-intense

alternative to coal. However, given the extraction

methods, transportation needs and liquefaction

process, many doubt whether coal seam actually

represents a lower emission profile. As an export

fuel it also fails the test, as increased amounts of

coal are also being exported, so gas is not

'replacing' coal as an alternative.

Let us not forget the proposed expansion of coal

and LNG exports will lead to an estimated 40 per

cent increase in shipping through the Great

Barrier Reef. We have already had one near-

disaster this year.

Support for the CSG industry is being driven

purely by economic imperatives with health and

environment concerns overshadowed by the big

bucks. It's an industry that may have a 30-year

future before all the players go somewhere else.

What will be the CSG industry's legacy? Will

adequate levels of groundwater be left

uncontaminated? Will Gladstone be a healthy

place and will dugong and turtle habitats survive?

At a time when the global economy is turning way

from fossil fuels, why is Queensland increasing its

dependence on them?

Environmental organisations have called for a

moratorium on coal seam gas extraction and for

the federal and state governments to collaborate

in a strategic assessment to examine and address

all the issues associated with this industry

expansion.

A full and proper assessment is about protecting

Queensland and getting our future right. So far

this seems to be too much of an ask for our

elected representatives.‖

What you can do: Let your concerns be known

to your local parliamentary representatives. Write

letters to the Editor of your local newspapers or

raise the issue on talk back radio should

opportunities present. If appropriate join in

protests organised in your region.

Speaker Review MEGAPODIUM

Corals are Cool - threats to

coral reefs, and what we can

do to project them - Angela

Dean, CoralWatch, University

of Queensland

Our branch Secretary Angela Dean was the

speaker for August. She recently returned from

participating in various coral monitoring

programs and provided an overview on coral

health.

Coral reefs are the biggest structures made by

living organisms. Although early biologists

thought corals were plants, it is now known that

corals are animals, and are related to jellyfish

(both are within Phyllum Cnidaria). Corals

source their energy needs from symbiotic algae

which live within the coral tissue - these algae

are called zooxanthellae. Zooxanthellae utilise

the corals waste products and sunlight to fuel

photosynthesis, and give corals their colour. In

turn, corals receive nutrients such as sugars and

amino acids, necessary to produce their

distinctive calcium carbonate skeletons.

―Corals are the second most

endangered species set‖

Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse

ecosystems on the planet, encompassing more

than 800 species of hard corals which provide a

home for numerous other marine species. They

are also important for society in a number of

ways: they provide nursery areas for many fish

species, ensuring

food security for

more than 100

million people

worldwide, they

protect coastal

land from ocean

swells and

cyclones, and via

tourism, reefs

contribute $50

billion to the

Australian

economy.

Despite the clear importance of coral reefs,

corals are the second most endangered species

set (after frogs). Local threats include pests

such as the crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster

planci), overfishing, pollution, run-off nutrients

and sediment, and storms.

Crown of thorns starfish are a normal part of a

reef ecosystem. They are not specific problem

for the Great Barrier Reef at the moment—but

can lead to problems when there is an outbreak.

They feed on coral, and can consume up to 6m2

of coral each year. Outbreaks may arise due to

reduction in predators (e.g. triton snail) or

increased nutrient run-off.

―...reducing fishing via creation of marine parks led to increased

coral cover‖

Overfishing is an important threat to coral reefs

because it is one that can be modified at a local

level by creation of marine parks. Herbivorous

fish play an important role in coral reef

ecosystems. By eating algae, they help

maintain a positive balance between

coral-based ecosystems and algal-

based ecosystems. Research

conducted in the Carribean indicates

that reducing fishing via creation of

marine parks led to increased coral

growth and overall coral cover.

The major current threats to reefs are

increased ocean temperatures and

ocean acidification, stemming from

climiate change and increased carbon

dioxide in the atmosphere.

Ocean temperatures have been

gradually increasing over the past 100

years, and 2010 had the second

hottest January on record. Speaker Angela Dean with member Cynthia O’Gorman


Temperature negatively affects coral health in a

number of ways. If corals are exposed to higher

temperatures, they expel the symbiotic

zooxanthellae. changing coral colour from brown

to white, purple or green. This whitening of coral

is called ‗coral bleaching‘. Sometimes corals can

recover from bleaching. If the stressful conditions

are severe or persist for a long time, loss of algae

and the nutrients they provide for coral can lead

to coral death. Even when corals do recover, they

do not always return to full health. Increased

ocean temperatures may also lead to reduced

oxygen availability in upper ocean layers.

Oceans absorb about one third of the worlds

carbon dioxide. Increased atmospheric carbon

dioxide leads to more acidic oceans. Changes in

ocean chemistry mean that less carbonate ions

are available for corals to build their skeleton.

Thus, ocean acidification leads to reduced coral

growth rates. If severe enough, it may stop coral

growth altogether.

Global monitoring programs have been

established to assess coral health. CoralWatch is

one such program which is based at University of

Queensland where volunteers can make an

important contribution in monitoring coral

bleaching worldwide.

―The Coral Health Chart is a simple tool that anyone can use

to assess coral bleaching‖

CoralWatch has developed the Coral Health

Chart—this is a simple tool that anyone can use

to assess coral bleaching. In the field, users

simply compare colours of corals with colours on

the chart and record matching codes (se picture,

top left). You can download materials from the

CoralWatch website: www.coralwatch.org. You

can also order their new book— Coral Reefs and

Climate Change - or request other educational

materials.


Plane Environmental Talking—

Helen Clarke, Brisbane Airport

Corporation

Snakes on the plane! No, but according to Helen

Clarke, Environment Manager, Brisbane Airport

Corporation Pty Ltd (BAC), there is a healthy

population of red-bellied black snakes on the

airport precinct.

At our September meeting, Helen began by

giving us a bit of potted history of the airport

since it was privatised and began operating as

Brisbane Airport Corporation in 1997. It is 80%

Australian owned, mostly by superannuation

companies. Their tenure is for 50 years with an

option for a further 49 years. Nineteen million

people pass through the airport each year, 4.1m

in the international airport and 14.9m in the

domestic terminal. Seventeen thousand people

work there and that number is expected to rise

to 40 000 by 2023.

The BAC has a long-term plan to manage

environmental concerns. In 2003, their goal was

to cut overall water consumption and to

reduce their use of town water by rainwater

harvesting. They halved their potable water

consumption. BAC won an international award

for sustainable water management. They are

managing their energy consumption by taking

energy audits and retrofitting for solar

power. They have a master plan for future

management. Seventy percent of energy is

used in the terminals.

―Casaurinas were chosen

because the attract fewer birds‖

Helen showed a map of the area, divided

according to habitats to illustrate

biodiversity concerns. There was a flora

study in 2002 which identified areas such as

mangrove, saltmarsh, casaurinas, wetlands,

sedge and coastal dunes. Most of the

vegetation has been regenerated since the

airport was developed. The casaurinas were

originally chosen because they do not

produce much fruit, thus attracting few

birds. This has been a great benefit in

minimising aircraft casualties. There was a

fauna survey in 2004, revealing 200+

terrestrial vertebrates and 36 fish species.

In addition, there were 50 ant species, 45

butterflies and 72 various estuarine species.

The airport supports a healthy population of

the rare Lewin's rail which can safely

coexist with the

airport because

it is secretive,

likes thick forest

and has a low

flight habit. The

airport has a

declared

RAMSAR wetland

on its boundary, an area of high biodiversity

value.

―The airport supports a healthy

population of the rare Lewin's rail―

BAC has a strategy for wildlife hazard

management. Bird strikes are minimised. The

most high risk species are flying foxes,

Australian white ibis, brown hares and the Pacific

black ducks. Moderate risk comes from cattle

egrets, Nankeen kestrels, masked lapwings,

brown falcons, white-faced herons, spoonbills,

wood ducks, harriers, pelicans, sea eagles,

brown bitterns and whistling kites. There are

occasional sightings of foxes and wild pigs well

away from the airfield as well as the above-

mentioned snakes. The airport has strict

mowing regimes to keep the grass low so there

is no cover for grass dwellers. Sirens and

passing traffic discourage animals from the

airfield. The session concluded with questions

from the floor and special thanks to Helen..

Member James Hansen with Speaker Helen Clarke


Reconnecting a fragmented landscape: Learning from the

Europeans - Darryl Jones, Griffith University

Wow!! We were indeed fortunate to have Dr

Jones already scheduled for a presentation to

our October meeting. Fired with enthusiasm,

having just returned from a sabbatical to

Europe, looking at landscapes from a road

ecologist perspective, rather than his urban

ecologist perspective, he contacted us to say

please please, can he change his bird-baths

topic to talk to us instead on his recent trip. Of

course!! And a fascinating talk it indeed was.

Dr Jones set the scene by discussing how

landscapes start out in their natural state, are

then divided by roads, highways, canals and

railways, with wildlife crowded into the spaces

left between. ‗Defragmentation‘ is trying to

reconnect nature across these barriers. In

Australia, we are just starting out on this

process. Whilst there are many underpasses,

we have only 4 overpasses, and Brisbane has 2

of them, at Compton Road in the south and

Hamilton Road in the north. Both of these are

being monitored by Griffith University.

Overpasses are big, complex and expensive

structures. It is a measure of commitment by

public authorities to desire to reconnect nature,

to be willing to construct them. There isn‘t much

technical information available. Almost all

published information comes from North

America, which has 9 overpasses, but not much

is available from Europe. This may relate to the

limited availability of published papers on

European experiences printed in English.

What is going on in Europe? Discovering that

there were 15 overpasses in the Netherlands, 45

in Switzerland and 160 in France gave Darryl a

mission – a sabbatical to travel to Europe to

learn more. How and why do they work? How

come it is working? Is it working? What can we

learn?

Europe is totally fragmented. Its cultural

landscape has been changed for hundreds and

hundreds of years – lots of roads, no old growth

forests, regrowth from centuries ago. However,

they are now taking nature seriously,

recognizing that what they have left is

unbelievably valuable. While there are not many

new railways and canals being constructed,

there is a slow increase in motorways,

particularly in Eastern Europe, and there is a

rapid increase in high speed railways – which are

a serious form of fragmentation.

―...otters won‘t swim under a road, but they‘ll walk under it on a shelf‖

Politically, Europe has become the European

Union (EU) with 27 members and 4 candidates.

In the EU, Paris, with a population of 9.9 million

people, has one of the highest densities of

humans. London is close behind with 9.3 million

– not much room for nature. Governments co-

operate through EU Directives – they are obliged

to act. Over the years Europe has been very

instrumental in protecting what little nature they

have left. When there‘s almost nothing left,

every small piece is important. For example, in

1979, protection of birds was introduced, in

1992, there was protection of habitat. This led to

―Natura 2000‖, a network of sites – 22,419 Sites

of Community Importance and 5,242 Sites of

Special Protection - to allow nature to continue

to exist in Europe. It is a matter of national

significance if a country threatens nature.

Independent of the EU, the leading road people

from each country have

formed the Infra Eco

Network Europe (IENE),

on Habitat Fragmentation

due to Transportation

Infrastructure. IENE

has produced reviews

and handbooks especially

for engineers. How and

why it works then, is

because it has to, and all

parties get together -

engineers,

environmentalists etc –


to work out how to do it.

Is it working? The European approach on why it

works is a three step approach: first avoid. If

you can‘t avoid, then the second step is to

mitigate; and then as a last resort, the third

step is to compensate. This is written in law in

every member state. Darryl‘s next mission is to

try to get the

same

commitment

written into

Australian

legislation,

because we have

nothing like that

here.

Examples of

avoiding local

impacts include

viaducts high above the landscape where wildlife

can move through undeterred, with unbroken

connections.

Mitigation includes underpasses or culverts.

They have learnt that these must be both high

weight bearing as well as tall, up to 5 metres in

height, to allow for animals such as deer to pass

through, with ledges along them for smaller

animals. The first badger tunnel was built 34

years ago, in the Netherlands, 2 metres square,

and it would now be classified as too small. Co-

use of underpasses is a bit contentious, because

it has been shown that the more people use

them, the less animals use them.

Some retrofitting has had to occur. For

example, otter shelves had to be built, because

otters won‘t swim under a road, but they‘ll walk

under it on a shelf. One of the first animals that

people wanted to save were toads. Darryl had

to regularly remind himself that animals such as

deer, toads (not cane toads!), rabbits, pigs and

foxes are OK in Europe – they‘re natives - not

pests like they are here in Australia. Toads are

of cultural significance and people form groups

to aid in their protection. Now there are special

toad roads to assist the regular migration of

amphibians.

Some of the overpasses are staggeringly big.

They form continuous habitats, with fences

directing the animals along to the crossing area.

Large animals, such as wolves, bears and deer

are dangerous if allowed on roads. The hunters

of Spain support deer overpasses, because they

want them alive to support their shooting

hobbies. Deer only need a grass habitat,

whereas many of our animals need more variety

in vegetation. Holland enhances the created

habitat by building barriers to minimize the noise

and light pollution from the traffic, with buffers

up to 50 metres wide. Here we only extend to

15 metres. There are millions of escape hatches

along the corridors, although there is no

evidence that they actually work. One

amphibian overpass in Holland is a staggering

1.2km long, and up to 300 metres wide in the

middle. It‘s built over a road, railway and lanes

and resembles the natural vegetation.

―One amphibian overpass in Holland is a staggering 1.2km long‖

However, there still needs to be consultation

with surrounding landholders. Darryl saw some

examples in Spain where insufficient consultation

had occurred, and deer overpasses were placed

in inappropriate dry and open areas, or

continuity was broken when landholding farmers

built drains or walls across their entrances.

Pillar-constructed viaducts, building up and out,

are a means to both minimize land take and

impact. These land-bridges, or landscape eco-

ducts, have natural terrain including small hills

and valleys reconstructed on top. In Spain, one

land bridge had a total length of 19 km, which

included 5 overpasses, 5 tunnels and 6 viaducts,

allowing a total permeable area where animals

can traverse of 47.5%. Our Compton road

allows for .003% permeability!


Monitoring still occurs to test whether the

construction is working, and one camera monitor

has detected 17 wild boar crossing every night.

Darryl also attended a Road Conference in

Budapest. He initially thought he would not have

much to contribute, as the focus for Europe is on

large animals. However, his suggestions that

small animals and even birds can benefit from

wildlife corridors was keenly noted.

Question time followed, allowing Darryl to reveal

heaps more interesting facts:

Great Britain and Greece are somewhat

recalcitrant in following

the EU directives

The Netherlands leads

and freely provides

detailed information

Reindeer migration needs

large scale bridges up to

1km wide, as they cross

the roads in thousands.

For 12 years they had

been totally fenced off

from the migration routes

Most mammals in Europe

are not migratory

Fear makes countries

follow directives

Engineers love the

challenge of building

structures that test them

out

Sadly there was no

consultation when

building our new Gateway

underpasses, so they are not as

wildlife friendly as they could be

Trains in Finland have been de-

railed by moose, so corridors are not

just important to maintain

connectivity, but for safety as well

Private car use has stabilised in

Europe, where people are city

dwellers, and they have access to

fast rail for distance travel

Roads are primarily for trucks

Viaducts are also important

environmentally because, to be fuel

efficient, these trucks need level

roads, with minimal slopes. Benefits

then are two-fold, for the wildlife

who can pass underneath and for the

saving in finite fossil fuels

Finding archaeological relicts still does have a

high priority and can slow the process of

construction, much more so than for wildlife

concerns

And finally: Environmental science is very

important in deciding where to put structures –

there‘s no point in putting one where it is

convenient for the road builder but the animals

can‘t find it. Construction also has to consider

the needs of different animals e.g. monitoring

has shown that little animals will use a ledge to

pass through, but they won‘t use an open

corridor.

Speaker Darryl Jones with member Greg Miller

MEGAPODIUM

For more information on the Web

Alan Genninges‘ ―Moreton Experience‖: www.moretonexperience.com

Bat Conservation & Rescue Qld. Inc. (formerly Batcare Brisbane) : www.bats.org.au

Birds Queensland: www.birdsqueensland.org.au

Brisbane City Council Get Wild Program: www.brisbane.qld.gov.auCC:STANDARD:528319102:pc=PC_2020

Centenary & District Environment Action: www.cdea.org.au

Friends of Pooh Corner: www.poohcorner.info

Moggill Creek Catchment Group: www.moggillcreek.org.au

Moreton Island Protection Committee: www.moretonisland.org.au/links.htm

THECA The Hut Environmental and Community Association Inc: www.theca.asn.au/

The Royal Geographical Society of Qld: www.rgsq.org.au

Wildlife Land Fund Ltd: www.wildfund.org

Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland: www.wildlife.org.au

Did you know that WPSQ is the oldest,

largest and most respected wildlife-focused conservation group in the State of

Queensland. Founded in 1962, the Society is a community-based, non-profit organisation

consisting of 24 branches throughout the State, committed to an ecologically

sustainable future for people and wildlife.

Your Brisbane branch is just one of these

branches. Information on all the others is available on the www.wildlife.org.au

website.

Our Head Office is at 95 William Street,

Brisbane, Qld 4000 on telephone (07) 3221

0194 or e-mail [email protected].

They are always in need of volunteers for

office work, consultation, fieldwork, hands-

on surveys and special events.

Other WPSQ Branches in the Brisbane area also conduct regular meetings to which they

invite expert speakers and conduct projects and other activities (contact them or check

website first for details).

Bayside Branch: last Friday of the month

At the Redlands IndigiScapes Centre,

17 Runnymede Road, Capalaba

Kedron Brook Branch: 3rd Tuesday of

every 2nd month

At the Downfall Creek Bushland Centre,

NEARBY WPSQ BRANCHES & HEAD OFFICE

MEGAPODIUM

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