Biodiversity - Wetlands
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Ephemeral floodplain wetlands have been cleared from much of SEQ. Their valuable role in flood mitigation means we should protect and restore these wetlands.
Wetland is the generic term for a land either permanently or temporarily saturated with water. As such, wetlands include marine and intertidal areas, estuaries, rivers and streams, lakes and billabongs, swamps and marshes, and floodplains.
Along the South East Queensland (SEQ) coast and around Moreton Bay, diverse wetlands provide feeding grounds for migratory birds from as far away as Siberia. Much of this area is included in the Moreton Bay Ramsar Site, listed under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. Other wetlands in the region provide nationally important habitat for waterbirds and other species.
Among the wetland ecosystems found in SEQ, 18 are Endangered or Of Concern. SEQ is also home to a wetland endangered ecological community; Swamp Tea-tree Forest is listed under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) Act as critically endangered.
Regardless of their status, wetlands are the most biodiverse places in the landscape, providing drought refugia and reducing the impact of floods. They are often considered “nature’s kidneys” for their water purification function.
More detailed information on wetlands, e.g types, map, values, management, wildlife, monitoring, can be found at the Queensland Wetlands Program's WetlandInfo site
Active management of wetlands including weed, pest and water quality management is the key to achieving SEQ Catchments wetlands target.
Example projects and activities:
- SEQ Catchments is assisting landholders with the management of Swamp Tea-tree Forest, an endangered wetland community, with support from the Australian Government Caring for our Country program and Powerlink GreenWorks.
- Through WetlandCare Australia's Coastal20 project, SEQ Catchments is delivering weed control and revegetation projects at Myora Springs and South Gorge on North Stradbroke Island, piloting an Environmentally Friendly Moorings rebate scheme and assisting landholders at Carbrook with weed and stock management.
