The acclaimed Disneynature film ‘OCEANS’ will be screened for one night only at Base Backpackers in Nelly at 7pm on Thursday 16 February. All are warmly welcome to attend this family-friendly FREE screening. The event is part of North Queensland Conservation Council’s Protect our Coral Sea campaign and is supported by MINCA. The Protect our Coral Sea campaign aims to persuade the Australian government establish a large, world-class, highly protected marine park in the Coral Sea in order to protect the area’s fabulously rich environmental and historical values. For more information and to make an online submission to the Federal Minister go to protectourcoralsea.org OCEANS is an ecological drama/documentary exploring and celebrating the depths and wonders of our planet’s oceans. OCEANS was reviewed in Urban Cinefile as “Enthralling, enlightening, meditative and often humorous ... a wonderful documentary about the oceans and those who live within it”. Don’t miss OCEANS. 7pm Thursday 16 February at BASE backpackers. FREE! The organisers thank BASE Backpackers for their support.
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The first day of February 2012 was a big day for the coast of Queensland, especially that part of it around Magnetic Island. Two major issues featured in cyberspace – the first, the promulgation of the new Queensland Coastal Management Plan and the second the call for comments on elements of the proposed Townsville Port expansion. Full documentation of the current call for comment can be found here. Click image to enlarge: The Coastal Management Plan The Coastal Management Plan recognizes that coastal landforms and habitat can be protected by retaining the land in a relatively natural state and free from permanent or non-expendable buildings or infrastructure. Active management of coastal land is required to avoid loss or damage of vegetation and habitat; ensure surface flow modifications do not occur or, where necessary, do not cause erosion or create land instability; address adverse impacts caused by pest plants and animal; avoid intensive recreational activities impacting on ecological values or natural coastal landforms; control beach access, particularly by vehicles, to avoid erosion, protect ecological values, and ensure beach goers can enjoy the environment in safety. The management policy applies to coastal land and its resources within the coastal zone. Coastal land includes land under tidal waters, erosion prone areas, and at risk from storm tide inundation or permanent inundation due to sea level rise (collectively called coastal hazard areas), coastal roads and esplanades, reserves and unallocated State land, and other parcels of land adjacent to the foreshore. Coastal resources are the natural and physical features, processes, places or objects of the coastal zone that have ecological, economic or social value. This includes areas of high ecological significance (HES). Most of Magnetic Island is shown in the Plan as HES. The management policy applies to management planning, activities, decisions and works that are not assessable development under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 and therefore not subject to the State Planning Policy for Coastal Protection (SPP). The proposed expansion of the Port of Townsville The main components of the proposed development include:
Click image to enlarge At this stage, comments are limited to those relating to the scope and presentation of studies and information required in the (EIS) Environment Impact Statement to allow for an assessment and decision on the appropriateness of the proposal, rather than the merits of the proposed action. MINCA will be making a submission on the proposed port expansion and invites others to collaborate in this submission. The deadline for submissions is 5pm Friday 2 March.
And as we know that, due to human activity and the appalling failure of our leaders to address adequately the problem of carbon emissions, sea levels are going to rise as a result of climate change, the king tides will give us an idea of what normality will look like within a few decades. On Magnetic Island the January king tide is set to peak at 3.83 metres (still 0.28 metres short of the official highest astronomical tide for Townsville, which was itself exceeded at least once last year) at 8.36 am on Sunday 22 January. The Witness King Tides Project is an initiative of those peerless monitors of all things environmental, the Australian and Queensland governments, supported by Surf Life Saving Queensland, Queensland Centre for Photography, Australian Coastal Society, Bleach Festival and Green Cross Australia, the local affiliate of Green Cross International – which was established In 1993 by president Mikhail Gorbachev in the hope that the world's most pressing environmental challenges could be solved by reconnecting humanity to the environment. So if you want to see the future – and help us all plan for it – mark your calendar, get out there on Sunday 22 January with you camera (or phone) and upload your best photo(s) to the Witness King Tides Project website. To register to be part of the project click here
After many years of work by a number of island residents, the island’s ‘buffer zones’ of unallocated state land – the areas of land between the National Park and urban development – have now been included in the island’s National Park. Click image to enlarge This, in effect, increases the Island’s National Park by 31% – and means that 3616 hectares of the Island are now protected under the NP system. ‘The addition strengthens the protection that is provided to the island’s natural and cultural resources’ Member for Townsville Mandy Johnson said about the expansion. ‘The rocky, wooded terrain of these areas is a key scenic feature of the island and a large part of the appeal for residents and tourists alike, and now it is protected for the future’, she said. Mandy acknowledged the importance of the areas now protected to the Wulgurukaba people, the Traditional Owners of the area, and the support they had given to the inclusion of the new areas in the National Park. Speaking on the island, Mandy also acknowledged the work of many Island residents over the years to bring about the expansion, and made special mention of the work done by MINCA founder-member, the late Peter le Grand, who worked on the project from when it was first mooted in 2003 up to his death, almost three years ago. Mandy explained that the expansion of the Magnetic Island National Park was part of a raft of new additions to the national parks of Queensland made by the State government, which is committed to increasing the national park estate to 7.7 per cent of the area of Queensland by 2020. MINCA welcomes with enthusiasm the inclusion of the buffer zones in the National Park – which ensures their protection in perpetuity, and thanks the Wulgurukaba people for their support of this issue. Free yourself with Freecylce OK, so you made a New Year resolution to get rid of all those things around your place that you have been hanging on to for years ‘just in case’. You know what they are – those few extra pavers left over from the job that was done a couple of years ago, that chair that you have been meaning to fix for longer than you care to think about, the jars that you have been keeping for the marmalade you never make, the toys that the kids have out-grown, the (dare we say it) Christmas present, sent by a well-meaning someone, that you will never in a million years use... Yep, you’re determined ... this year. It’s gonna happen this year. For sure. But, question – how do you divest yourself of surplus stuff without adding to Magnetic Island’s already dire landfill problem? Answer – Freecycle. Join up to Magnetic Island’s own Freecycle site and join the 8,862,750 members in 5,009 groups around the world who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about re-use and keeping good stuff out of landfills, giving away (not selling or exchanging) the stuff that you don’t want – on the basis of ‘one person’s unwanted stuff is another’s treasure’. All legal items (except pets and livestock and people’s labour) can be put up for grabs on the Magnetic Island Freecycle website – and all members can choose to be notified when something new comes up for grabs – a great way to get treasures to come to you without having to search (or, even worse, drive) around! Each local group is moderated by local volunteers (on Magnetic Island that’s MINCA!) and membership is free. So sign up, and start freecycling.
And the winner of that is ... Mark Carpenter. Congratulations Mark!
Attracting over 100 members is a huge achievement for a not-for-profit, volunteer-run organisation on the island – and we’re pretty chuffed about it. But, apart from being rightly proud, we are encouraged that so many people have ‘joined the club’ dedicated to protecting the very special environment that for many of us is our home and that for all of us is World Heritage Magnetic Island. MINCA, now coming up to its sixteenth year of operation, has an impressive track record, but the task is never over. With increased development, a changing climate and other pressures, the environment of Magnetic Island and its surrounding waters will need continuing support. It is the existence of members that enables that to happen. A special thanks to our very active membership officers (Pen and Mel), to all those who have served on the MINCA Management Committee over the years – and to our wonderful members. May you enjoy a peaceful and joyous festive season and an enlightening and productive 2012. And if you are reading this as a non-member (or know of someone who might like to be a member), please visit our membership page! Father Christmas, King Tides and now this... another invasive alien (weed) arrives in Queensland. The Queensland Herbarium is asking everyone to keep an eye out for Praxelis clematidea, a weed of South American origin which is known to be highly invasive in most situations in north Queensland. The plant forms dense swards and is not deterred by grazing as it is not eaten by stock. Like virtually all weeds, it is a particular threat in disturbed situations and roadsides. It is easily confused with blue billygoat weed (Ageratum houstonianum) that is widespread on the island, but can be identified by differences in the shape of the flower heads, seeds and leaves. The differences are demonstrated below. If you find any Praxelis, the Herbarium would like you to send a specimen to The Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha, Mt Coot-tha Rd, Toowong, 4066. For more information on collecting, call 38969318 or email queensland.herbarium@epa.qld.gov.au (Photos courtesy of DERM) Littering and dumping have been illegal for ages – but fining those anti-social few that persist in making their waste everyone else’s problem has depended on the offence being witnessed by an ‘authorised officer’. Now, changes to the legislation mean that everyone can report online anyone seen littering, or dumping waste from a vehicle, trailer or vessel. This includes people who drop litter as they get into or out of a vehicle. It also includes those who allow waste to fly off a vehicle, trailer or vessel. Feel uncomfortable about being a ‘dobber’? Don’t. Litter and dumped waste pollute waterways and aquatic habitats; are often mistaken for food by animals and marine life – blocking their digestive tracts and killing them painfully and slowly; can entangle aquatic animals and birds; can block waterways and stormwater drains, increasing the likelihood of flooding and erosion; attract rodents, insects and other vermin that pose a health risk; increase the risk of fire; and reduce the aesthetic appeal of public places. Penalties for individuals include $300 for throwing, for example, a drink container, food wrapper or bus ticket from a vehicle, trailer or vessel. The fine rises to $400 if what is thrown is dangerous, such as broken glass or a lit cigarette. Fines for dumping (including of garden waste) range from $400 to $1650 for individuals, according to the amount dumped. These fines multiply tenfold if the alleged offence is unsuccessfully contested in court. Click here for more information on waste management in Queensland. And do the right thing! The DERM (Department of Environment and Resource Management in Queensland) website makes it crystal clear...”A nature refuge agreement is perpetual, attached to the land, and binds successive owners of the land. A perpetual agreement is the best means for you to ensure that your good land management practices and restoration work will be continued when future generations or when ownership changes”. Tell that to the owners of Bimblebox. Their 8000ha nature refuge is under threat from Waratah Coal, which plans an open-cut mine that would destroy more than half of the refuge, and long-wall mining under the other half. And the Bimblebox owners can’t just say ‘no thanks’! The Environmental Impact Statement (prepared by Waratah) is open for public comment until 19 December. Find out more about Bimblebox Nature Refuge and make a submission. Bimblebox is the first nature refuge to be so threatened by mining – and what happens there will influence what happens on other nature refuges around the state. If you want to see Bimblebox and other nature refuges protected from mining for future generations, PLEASE find time to make a submission by the due date. How COULD they do it? Nature Refuges are areas of land nominated by landholders and after assessment by a Departmental Nature Refuge Officer, accepted by the Department. In making the assessment, consideration is given to: · areas containing, or providing habitat for, plant and animal species that are rare or threatened; · habitats or vegetation types that are threatened, such as endangered and of concern regional ecosystems; · habitats and ecosystems that are poorly represented in existing reserves; · remnant vegetation; · movement corridors for native animals, especially those linking areas of remnant vegetation or existing reserves; · significant wetlands, including mound spring communities; and/or · cultural heritage. The assessment also considers the significance of the potential nature refuge at a property, landscape and strategic level. Nature refuges are those that: · at a property level, contain significant conservation values that are of a sufficient size, condition and placement in the landscape to remain viable in the long-term; · at a landscape level, increase the representation of the state's biodiversity and establish or maintain landscape linkages and corridors; and/or · at a strategic level, possess exceptional values or circumstances that directly or indirectly contribute to improved conservation in Queensland. Given the selection criteria, it is incredible that Bimblebox (or any) Nature Refuge can be handed over for coal mining. Please find the time before 19 December to make a submission asking for the protection of Bimblebox from mining. |
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