A new restoration project at the Townsville Town Common aims to improve habitat for our feathered friends who make a critical pit stop at the wetland oasis and improve water quality flowing to the Great Barrier Reef.
The freshwater coastal wetland system near Pallarenda is a hot spot for birdos, hikers, cyclists, nature lovers, and up to 280 bird species, including many migratory species.
The major restoration project is led by NQ Dry Tropics, a partner of the Healthy Waters Partnership.
A dynamic wetland under threat
The Townsville Town Common is a vibrant, ever-changing landscape. One month, it’s an arid plain of saltpans and grasslands. The next, summer rains bring it to life, transforming it into a lush, water-filled haven.
Wader birds, such as magpie geese and brolgas, thrive in the wetlands during this time, nesting and feeding in abundance. Other migratory birds, creatures and water plants all depend on this dynamic wetland to survive.
When the rains end, the remaining lagoons become a buffet for brolgas. These elegant birds probe the drying lagoons, digging for bulkuru sedge tubers, a tasty treat that fuels the brolga’s migration.
NQ Dry Tropics Wetlands Team Leader, Scott Fry said the freshwater section at the Town Common wetlands had originally been constructed to provide habitat for wader birds following the expansion of Townsville airport into Blakey’s Crossing.
“The objective was to enable bulkuru sedge, a crucial food source for these birds, to flourish,” Mr Fry said.
“Unfortunately, this critically important habitat has been taken over by para grass, an invasive species that displaces important native vegetation, such as bulkuru sedge and reduces water quality.”
Tackling para grass
If you’ve ever battled weeds in your backyard, you’ll understand the struggle. Para grass, a native to tropical Africa, was introduced in the 1880s to reduce soil erosion. It’s gone rogue, spreading across the wetlands. As it decays, it depletes oxygen levels in the water, turning it into a black ooze.
“When the summer rains arrive, this unhealthy water flows into the sea, affecting nearby marine habitats and seagrass meadows,” explains Mr Fry.
“The project team are using a saline solution to target the para grass, killing it off, and burning it in the dry season. By next wet season, we hope the Common will be free from para grass, which will open water bodies and better support the abundant wildlife that rely on this iconic nature reserve.”
The $1.1 million restoration project, known as the Gurambilbarra Town Common Wetlands project, is part of the Reef Coastal Restoration Program, funded by the Australian Government's Reef Trust and delivered by NQ Dry Tropics, in partnership with Wulgurukaba Traditional Owners and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS).
Fostering cultural opportunities
The name "Gurambilbarra," meaning Townsville in the Wulgurukaba language, honours both the land and its Traditional Owners.
The project will create roles for three Gurambilbarra Rangers, a newly formed ranger group who will be employed full-time to help restore the wetlands, ensuring this culturally significant treasure continues to thrive.
Nature’s kidneys: the importance of coastal connectors
Restoring ecosystems that connect the land and the sea, plays an important role in efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
Executive Officer of the Healthy Waters Partnership, Kara-Mae Coulter-Atkins said coastal ecosystems, such as wetlands, support a diverse range of flora and fauna, making them a critical place for terrestrial and aquatic life.
“They also act as nature’s kidneys. Just as kidneys filter waste from the bloodstream, wetlands filter pollution and capture nutrients and sediments, cleansing the water that flows through. The Town Common wetland has an important, but tough, job to do.”
For the fifth year in a row, the Healthy Waters Partnership Waterways Report Card graded the Bohle River sub-basin’s water quality as poor, due to high levels of nutrients.
With many of the rivers and creeks in the Bohle sub-basin flowing in part through the Town Common, the wetlands play a critical role in the quality of water that runs to the Reef.
“But so do the people who live, work and play within this sub-basin,” continues Kara-Mae.
"Despite only covering about 10% of Townsville’s Local Government Area, almost half of our population is packed into the Bohle River sub-basin. This means it bears a significant urban load, and its health can be affected by our activities.”
Wetlands can only filter a certain amount of pollution before they reach their limit. When this limit is exceeded, they can no longer perform their crucial function.
“The restoration of the Town Common is an important reminder that wetland ecosystems are natural treasures, as well as a vital piece of the puzzle in improving the health of our waterways, as are we,” says Kara-Mae.
In our Champions of the Bohle series we celebrate the crews of people who are working to address water quality issues in the Bohle River sub-basin.
Townsville residents are encouraged to join efforts to ‘Back the Bohle’ by getting involved in local clean-up and planting events, reducing their use of artificial fertilisers, pollutants, and plastics, and supporting local conservation programs.