Donate
Donate
News
Community engagement Education and training First Nations partnerships Habitat restoration QLD Reef Aid River restoration water quality Wetlands

Growers, First Nations Peoples, community connect on repairing wetlands

With his childhood home about 10 metres from the Mulgrave River in Far North Queensland, Tony Rossi was naturally connected to it. The third-generation Gordonvale farmer grows 250 hectares of sugarcane along with his three brothers, with cane sent to the Mulgrave Central Mill.

Tony hasn’t forgotten his early river adventures and now, as Chair of the Mulgrave Landcare & Catchment Group, is involved in many restoration projects aiming to reinvigorate wetland and riparian areas in the Wet Tropics.

One of the projects he is actively involved with aims to repair and revegetate 8.5 hectares of wetlands and cane drainage systems on Yidinji Country in the Mulgrave catchment.

Tony Rossi during a planting event. Photo credit: Campbell Clarke.

Planting for water quality and habitat

Run in partnership between Greening Australia, the Madjandji Aboriginal Corporation and Mulgrave Landcare, the Wet Tropics Wetland and Cane Drainage Water Quality Treatment Systems project is funded through the Queensland Government’s $33.5 million Reef Assist program under the Queensland Reef Water Quality Program.

Improving the health and extent of wetlands and riparian vegetation cover can slow water flow, reduce erosion in river corridors, filter sediments and nutrients out of the water column, ultimately improving the quality of water reaching the Great Barrier Reef. At the same time, revegetation with native species also restores habitat for threatened wildlife.

“We are trying to put a boundary between farming land and the environment,” Tony said. “In the Wet Tropics, it takes a lot to get the hectares up because you are dealing with small little sections.”

So far, 13,400 native trees have been planted across more than 5 hectares during numerous tree planting events since the project commenced in late 2022, and an additional area has been restored by assisted natural regeneration.

Trees have also been planted on farms the Rossi family is leasing, with the owners supportive of the move.

Some of the seedlings planted for the project after just one year of growth. Photo credit: Greening Australia.

The plant factory bringing community together

While the impact for the environment is the motivation behind the project, Greening Australia’s Senior Program Officer Lisa O’Mara explained that ensuring the project also benefits people has been a key consideration from the start.

“Projects like this are really important for improving our coastal habitats and water quality for the Reef – and what’s really key to the design and sustainability of this project is how it is bringing the community together,” said Lisa.

The ambitious goal of establishing 13,400 trees in between wet season rains for this project required a production system. Rather than buying seedlings, which increases costs and time, the project partners established a native plant nursery at the Mulgrave Landcare Station in Gordonvale.

A successful weekly volunteer program has been running at the nursery since May 2023 with an average of 10 repeat volunteers attending. In addition, 140 community nursery events have been hosted, resulting in more than 19,000 seedlings potted up and 236 kilograms of seeds collected and prepared for sowing.

Gordonvale State High School students who volunteered at the nursery and learned about plant propagation. Photo credit: Studio Sol.

First Nations connections

The project also works with the Madjandji Aboriginal Corporation to support the Madjandji people in developing long-term employment and enterprises working on Country, by providing opportunities to undertake both certified and casual training in natural resource management.

The project has supported six Madjaybana rangers with hands-on learning opportunities and all six have now completed a Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management (CAEM), as well as a suite of related training courses such as four-wheel-drive training, snake handling, and emergency fire training.

Jamie Satani, Director of the Madjandji Aboriginal Corporation, said the project has been an amazing support for the organisation and the Madjaybana rangers.

The Madjaybana Rangers. Photo credit: Madjandji Aboriginal Corporation.

“Since achieving their Cert III in CAEM near the start of this project, the rangers have been provided with further training and on-ground skills specifically suited for the best outcome of future employment,” Jamie said.

“It has been very rewarding to see how the rangers’ confidence has grown during this time. During a recent planning meeting, the rangers expressed how much their on-ground skills, knowledge, confidence, and communication have improved over the course of this project.

“It has also provided a stepping-stone for future growth of the Madjandji Aboriginal Corporation. We are now highly regarded and sought after as experienced contractors in the wider community and are attracting project proposals from the council, state government and other organisations.”

Mr Satani said this project has also supported the Traditional Owner Healthy Water project for enhancing and recording previously undocumented cultural knowledge.

It’s a truly collaborative effort showcasing the environmental, cultural and social outcomes that can be achieved through growers, First Nations people, Landcare groups, environmental organisations and the broader community working together, supported by funding from government.

This group photo showcases the diversity of partners involved with representatives from Madjandji Aboriginal Corporation, state government, Greening Australia and Mulgrave Landcare. Photo credit: Studio Sol.

 
This article is adapted from one that originally appeared in Qld Country Life.
 

Further reading:

 

Share this article