30-Nov-2011

Round 3 of the Swamp Tea-tree forest conservation project is underway, with SEQ Catchments offering assistance to landholders to manage remnant or regrowth Swamp Tea-tree forest on their properties. Swamp Tea-tree forest is unique to South East Queensland and critically endangered (only 8% remains).

Jimboomba locals get involved in Swamp Tea-tree forest conservation.
Most Swamp Tea-tree forest occurs on private property and in October SEQ Catchments held a field day in Jimboomba for locals to find out more about the Swamp Tea-tree forest in their backyards.

The morning included a guided walk through Swamp Tea-tree forest to see some of the wildlife found within these unique ecosystems, with SEQ Catchments’ Community Partnership Manager for the Logan-Albert catchment, Colin Hastie, providing information and advice to locals. Jimboomba resident, Jim Trammell, is a big supporter of the project and has remnant Swamp Tea-tree forest on his property.

“I grew up in this area and over my lifetime native bushland, including Swamp Tea-tree forest in this area, has been disappearing at an alarming rate. The number of plants, animals and birds in the area has been dropping rapidly as more and more land gets cleared.

“I’d like to do my part in helping protect this forest. As the name gives away, it is found in a swamp area which is low lying. By protecting them we are not only helping preserve all of the wildlife, but also help minimse impacts from flooding as these forests retain a lot of water.”

Community plantings restore Swamp Tea-tree forest and mitigate salinity
During October, locals and representatives from Lockyer Valley and Somerset Regional Councils, SEQ Catchments and Powerlink GreenWorks participated in two community planting days to address salinity in Woolshed Creek and increase the extent of endangered Swamp Tea-tree forest.

The weekend events were held at Fairway Drive, Hatton Vale and Lockyer Waters Park and involved the planting of eucalypts, melaleucas, wattles, grasses, ground covers and other native plants, as well as Swamp Tea-tree.

The community plantings helped raise awareness of salinity as a major issue in the Lockyer and alerted landholders to the significance of Swamp Tea-tree forest, whilst building further capacity to address and manage these important environmental challenges.

Students improve knowledge of Swamp Tea-tree forest.
Griffith University Industrial Affiliate Program students, Jessica Scanlon and Shannon Hudson, have recently developed draft biocondition benchmarks and a land manager’s guide for Swamp Tea-tree forest. The results of their projects, supervised by SEQ Catchments and the Queensland Herbarium, will be available soon.

The girls’ placement with SEQ Catchments provided practical experience in an operational organisation and the work they undertook built understanding of Swamp Tea-tree forest that will prove to be invaluable to land managers and planners. This improved knowledge base will enable improved management and conservation of this endangered forest.

The Swamp Tea-tree Forest Conservation Project assists landholders to better understand the natural assets on their properties and provides support for a range of management strategies. If you have Swamp Tea-tree forest on your property, you may be eligible for funding to assist you with managing this unique community.

This project is funded by the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country initiative and the Powerlink Greenworks program. For more information on how you can get involved, visit www.seqcatchments.com.au and fill out an expression of interest or contact Liz Gould on 0400 748 157, 07 3816 9723 or at lgould@seqcatchments.com.au.