Wambaliman WINTER 2016

The newsletter of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland Bundaberg and Fraser Coast Branches

WINTER 2016

Wambaliman since 1967 In the language of the Butchulla people, who are custodians of land that includes the Fraser Coast, ‘wambaliman’ means ‘to carry’, and refers to the messages that the Newsletter is communicating.

Editor's Note

WILDLIFE PRESERVATION Staying motivated during the cooler months SOCIETY OF QUEENSLAND might be a challenge for those who prefer the known informally as warm weather. The type of ‘staying motivated’ WILDLIFE QUEENSLAND that Sara Gerdsen writes about encourages us to think to the future and build on the success BUNDABERG BRANCH of wildlife conservation achievements. PO Box 1215 Bundaberg, 4670 A tremendous source of encouragement is our Patron, Joan Coutts: a snapshot of Joan’s President: activities is covered in the article about her Maureen Schmitt 4155 2172 ‘farewell’. A truly admirable list of activities Vice President: for the Fraser Coast Branch is available in Judy Elliot 4156 5382 Wildlife Qld FC Branch Activities plus cover- Secretary: age of the Community Environment Program. A Ann Jarman 4159 1931 stand-out from that list is the increasingly Treasurer: popular Nature Walks program – a reflection Phil Jarman 4159 1931 of the dedication put in to the task by the or- FRASER COAST BRANCH ganisers. PO Box 7396 Urangan, 4655 Pam Soper’s articles on the Mon Repos turtles and State Development planned for the President: Port of Bundaberg, bring us back to the reality Sara Gerdsen 4129 5789 of wildlife conservation. The remaining articles Vice President: in the Newsletter provide some great examples Peter Duck 4122 1998 of the challenges we face in conserving wildlife Secretary: habitat (unique mammals as victims of climate Vanessa Elwell-Gavins change; decline of Australian bush birds), and 0428 624 366 some motivating success stories (container Assistant Secretary (minutes): deposit scheme; animal rescue; motivating Ruby Rosenfield 4123 4765 speakers at the Ipswich EnviroForum). Treasurer: Maximise your experience in wildlife conser- Carol Bussey 4129 5979 vation by getting involved. Take note of dates Assistant Treasurer: for library talks and nature walks. Time to Linda Idiens 4124 2913 start thinking about the warmer weather we’ll WAMBALIMAN be experiencing by the time of the next issue Publisher: WPSQ Fraser Coast of Wambaliman. Editor: Rodney Jones And, which direction does a koala’s pouch face? 0423 812 881 [email protected] ● Rodney Production: Rodney Jones Proofreading: Andrea van Kampen [email protected] Wambaliman WINTER 2016 2 NOTICE BOARD Contents Winter 2016 Social gathering for members & friends Staying Motivated ··································· 4 Dianne 4128 3992 Commemorating Joan Coutts ················· 5, 6 Monthly talks on community radio Victim of Climate Change ·························· 7 Audrey 4125 6891 Range extension for Long-billed Corella? ····· 7 Branch meetings held each month Wildlife Qld Fraser Coast Activities ·········· 8, 9 Venue alternates between Maryborough Nature Walks ··································· 10, 11 and Hervey Bay. Wildlife Rescue ······································ 11 Sara 4129 5789 Community-based Science ······················ 11 Batty over Bats ································· 12, 13 Nature in the Library talks Koala pouch direction ····························· 13 Wildlife Qld Bundaberg – turtles ··············· 14 Third Friday of the month at Hervey Wildlife Qld Bundaberg – Development ······ 15 Bay library. Sara 4129 5789 or the library 4197 4220 Community Environment Program ······· 16, 17 19 August Ipswich Enviro Forum ························· 18, 19 Decline of Australian Bush Birds ··············· 19 Carol Bussey Wallum heathlands on the Fraser Coast Birds around the Burrum ························· 20 (Ideal for September’s Nature Walkers) Container Deposit Scheme ······················ 21 16 September Something to think about: H2O ················· 21 Audrey Sorensen Haiku from the Beach ······························ 22 The importance of understory plants Book Review ········································· 22 21 October Tips for Animal Rescue ··························· 23 David Flack Contributions Frogs We welcome contributions from WPSQ members and supporters. Articles can Nature Walks take the form of reports, observations of nature, anecdotes, quotes, humour etc. First Saturday of the month 6 August Send contributions to: [email protected] Burrum Coast National Park OR Peter and Jenni 0400 656 325 The Editor, Wambaliman 3 September PO Box 7396 URANGAN 4655 Poona coast walk and wallum wildflowers

Submissions for the next issue Peter and Jenni 0400 656 325 are due by Friday 7 October 2016 1 October

Opinions expressed in WAMBALIMAN are not neces- Booral – Woodlands Reserve sarily those endorsed by the Wildlife Preservation Peter and Jenni 0400 656 325 Society Queensland, Bundaberg and Fraser Coast Branches unless specifically attributed to them. 3 Staying Motivated

Recently I became a great-grandmother and I began to wonder what the world would be like when my great-grandson's own children start exploring the environment. There have already been so many negative impacts on the environment so what will it be like in 30 or so years from now? Would they be able to visit the Great Barrier Reef or would it be a collection of bleached and broken coral skeletons? Perhaps they might decide to have a ramble through the bush looking for koalas. The way things are going today I doubt they would spot any. Even a trip to Lone Pine Sanctuary might not be an option as it may have closed because the captive population became so inbred they could not be maintained. How sad if photos and museum displays were the only information about this iconic Australian species! Today experts fear for the continued existence of this species. Our Branch koala count in 2015, with more people looking, recorded just five animals, 13 down from the previous year. I began to wonder if my little efforts could make a difference for the future; my moti- vation to carry on was at an all-time low. I put away the baby photos and turned to sorting other photos to be used for a display at the Hervey Bay Volunteers Expo. This collection of images made me realise that our branch had achieved many things despite the set-backs, and hopefully in the future branch activities will ensure that some habitat will be there so that unique Aus- tralian species will not go ‘the way of the Dodo’. Arkarra Lagoons, Wongi Water Holes, Cheelii Reserve and lagoon were all saved. As well, we designed interpretive signage to be erected at some sites. Our latest ven- ture was planting koala food trees at Woocoo Park and arranging for interpretive signs to educate the public about wetlands and koalas. Let’s hope that when the trees are grown, there will be koalas still living nearby. Educational activities have included nature walks, library talks, workshops and fo- rums, as well as youth programs being a major focus. We write many submissions, and perhaps some of these are effective. And I mustn’t forget the wonderful selection of wildlife cards the Branch has produced. Certainly there have been failures, like the campaign to save the Crows Ash tree, but much more has been achieved than not. As I sorted the many photos my negative thoughts started to fade. Adding to this was the news that John Williams’ submission to address the Indian Myna bird problem had been successful. What will the world be like in 2050? No one can know for certain, but we must stay motivated and do what we can, for as Paul Ehrlich and Robert Pringle remind us: “The fate of biological diversity for the next 10 million years will almost certainly be determined during the next 50-100 years by the activities of a single species.” (2008) ● Sara Gerdsen, President, Wildlife Queensland Fraser Coast Branch

Wambaliman WINTER 2016 4 Commemorating Joan Coutts Like many residents of the Fraser Coast, Joan Coutts spent much of her life in Mel- Main: Dianne Christen- bourne. Her involve- sen presenting Joan with ment with environ- a photo of herself and mental issues seems friends. Ted Sorensen to have commenced looks on. Inset: Joan Coutts. when she became an activist with Ani- mal Liberation (Melbourne) at the age of 19. It was there that she honed her skills in activism with feats like racing the retriever dogs to dead birds during the duck shooting season in Vic- toria. During a distinguished career in teaching, specifically in Early Childhood Education and early intervention programs, Joan raised four children as well as maintaining an involvement in environmental issues. During the 1960s she joined the Australian Conservation Foundation, taking part in protests and demonstrations when she could. When nuclear disarmament became a hot topic in the early 1980s, Joan joined the not-for-profit group People for Nuclear Disarmament, and once again joined thousands of other people in protest against the arms race. Several decades ago, the ill-health of her husband was the catalyst for them to head north, settling on a bush block at Booral: the block was later registered as a conservation area. Joan brought her passion for environment/conservation issues with her, becoming a founding member of the local WPSQ group in 1992 and holding the posi- tion of President for more than 10 years. She was particularly active at the time that WPSQ had an office in the Urangan Community Centre and a shop in Main St, Pialba. Among the many campaigns instigated by Joan were:  action to protect the endangered Illidge’s ant-blue butterfly from indiscriminate insecticide spray at River Heads;  discouraging the sale and planting of Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia ssp.) which Continued on page 6

You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. Jane Goodall

5 Commemorating Joan Coutts cont. Continued from page 5 kill larvae of the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly (Ornithoptera richmondia);  protection of the Hervey Bay bats and prevention of the relocation of the bat colo- ny at Tooan Tooan Creek, Hervey Bay;  action against the raising of Lenthalls Dam wall;  obtaining funding for protection of turtle nesting sites at Point Vernon, including fencing, walkways and tree planting at ESA Park to prevent street-light pollution that was attracting hatchlings to the road where they were often run over;  the establishment of an Environment Centre to promote public education on environment issues; and  more recently Joan’s concern for native wildlife was expressed in her being the person on the end of a 24-hour Wildlife Animal Rescue telephone hotline. In the early 2000s, Joan developed hip problems and received a hip replacement which failed and had to be replaced a second time. This curtailed her activity quite a bit since she was never able to drive again. Recently, ill health caused Joan to relo- cate to a Lismore nursing home close to her daughter Rosanne. Over the two days of 28-29 June, Joan returned to the Fraser Coast for a ‘farewell’ by her friends and colleagues here. About 25 people attended the main event held on Wednesday at ESA Park, Point Vernon. Ted Sorensen, who was Mayor during the activity at ESA Park, came along and helped plant a Burdekin Plum (P ) in Joan’s honour. Diane Christensen organised a plaque for the base of the tree and a lovely print of the group to present to Joan. Attendees included members from the present WPSQ Fraser Coast, representatives from WPSQ Bundaberg and Hervey Bay Birdwatchers, and Tony van Kampen (who was the Vegetation Management Officer with the Hervey Bay City Council at the time of the ESA Park activities). The current president, Sara Gerd- sen, invited participants to share their memories and pay tribute to Joan’s achievements. We were blessed with beautiful weather for the day, and it was a tremendous op- portunity for catching up with other like-minded folk. Thanks to all who were involved in organising the day, with special thanks to Les Idiens for manning the barbeque. People who were unable to attend on Wednesday for the official event shared a picnic lunch with Joan and her daughter, Rosanne, at Wongi Waterholes. Wongi Wa- terholes is significant because one of Joan’s main campaigns was against the raising of Lenthalls Dam wall. The raising of the dam was confined to two metres instead of the proposed six metres: six metres would have flooded the waterholes resulting in heavy loss of wildlife habitat. Wongi Waterholes are also an historic meeting place for the Butchulla people. ● Rodney Jones Wambaliman WINTER 2016 6 Unique mammal a victim of Climate Change A 2015 article in the journal Science found that one sixth of the world’s species face extinction due to climate change. The Bramble Cay melomys (Melomys rubicola) sad- ly seems to be part of that one sixth. Melomys rubicola, the Great Barrier Reef’s only endemic mammal species, could be the first mammal in the world to be wiped out by human-induced (anthropogenic) climate change. Bramble Cay, a small coral island which sits just 3 m above sea level in eastern Torres Strait, contained the only Bramble Cay melomys known population of the species. (Melomys rubicola) The island has been inundated multiple times due to storm activity and ris- ing seas resulting in the decimation of 97% of melomys habitat and the death of a once viable population. An extensive survey of Photo: Ian Bell, Queensland Government the cay by researchers from the Dept Envi- ronment and Heritage Protection and the University of Queensland has declared the rodent extinct. Does M. rubicola occur anywhere else in the world? Highly unlikely; no other population has been discovered in the 170 years since the first record was reported at Bramble Cay and 90 years since the species was formally described. However, in his description of Bramble Cay melomys in 1924, Thomas referred to a single specimen resembling this species that was collected from an island 150 km south west of Bram- ble Cay: the specimen could not be identified conclusively due to its poor condition. Naturalists will now consider looking for the rodent at this location to determine if it warrants the dubious status of ‘globally extinct’. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, leading CSIRO oceanographer and expert on sea level change, John Church, along with more than 100 of his colleagues, was notified of his redundancy from CSIRO earlier this year. Innovative and agile? ● Carol Bussey and Rodney Jones Range extension for Long-billed Corrella? On an excursion to the depths of my back yard to check if I still had a resident Indian-Ringneck Parrot (Psittacula krameri) I spotted these two corellas. A quick check of reference books and the internet indicated that they were Long-billed Corellas (Cacatua tenuirostris). More surprising was that they were a long way outside their natural distribution of SE Australia! Cage escapees? I didn’t find the Indian Ringneck, but I’m now more observant to check if there are any ring-ins when a flock of Little Corellas (C. ) fly over. ● Rodney Jones 7

From 9 April to 8 July 2016 Communications  Wambaliman AUTUMN 2016 issue was released towards the end of April.  Audrey Sorensen has continued raising wildlife issues in our 10-minute slot on local community radio 107.5 FM on the second Tuesday of each month.  We continue to have excellent coverage in local newspapers for the Nature Walks program and the Nature in the Library talks at Hervey Bay Library. Workshops, Walks and other events  Our 2016 Nature Walks program continued with a walk at Utopia on 7 May, and Mt Benarige and the Mt Benarige Creek in St Mary State Forest on 11 June. Both these walks were very well attended, with a record 38 people attending the Mt Benarige walk, including lots of newcomers. As of cut-off date for the Winter issue of Wambaliman, we look set to have another record number of participants in our July nature walk to Mt Bauple National Park on 9 July.  Nature in the Library talks at the Hervey Bay Library included Dr Michael King (marine biologist) in April, and Cliff Greet on Glossy Black Cockatoos in June. Unfortunately the May talk had to be cancelled because the date was a new public holiday that the organisers were unaware of when the talk date was selected.  We have experimented with having more market stalls (e.g. Howard on 2 July). These have generally not been very successful.  By contrast, our stall at the Volunteer Expo at the Charles St Neighbourhood Cen- tre was well patronised with lots of interest and sales  Vanessa Elwell-Gavins represented Wildlife Fraser Coast at the inaugural Tando- ra Mangrove Walking Tour on Saturday 28 May, hosted by the wonderful Lindsay (Butch) Titmarsh. Highly recommended! Grant implementation  Our Everyone’s Environment Grant project in Woocoo Park was finally completed and fully acquitted.  The koala sign was completed and unveiled in May, in front of a large crowd.  John Williams’ grant application to BMRG for an Indian Myna Control project was successful and commenced formally on 1 July. Submissions and letters  We have written a few letters, mostly raising issues around poor planning in the Fraser Coast, including a fish kill in the Richard St lagoon system, and proposed conversion of wallum vegetation between Maryborough and Hervey Bay to sugar cane, as well as possible purchase of native vegetation adjacent to the Vernon Regional Park, and the value of native vegetation around lakes and water courses

Wambaliman WINTER 2016 8

 We have started work on a submission to the Queensland Government on its draft Climate Action Plan.  We made a submission supporting reinstatement of the Vegetation Management Act, which was wound back by the previous Government. Anti-Plastics campaign  The anti-plastics message continues to be promoted to schools (in this instance Pialba School and Tinana School) through our pantomime.  Many thanks to the members who organised a petition to the State Government in support of a Container Deposit Scheme. Both Government and Opposition appear likely to support such a scheme now. Meetings and social  Some 25 people attended a farewell BBQ for our Patron, Joan Coutts, at ESA Park on 29 June. A tree was planted in her honour and we presented her with a memento.  The Executive met on 12 June.  General meetings were held on 10 April, 15 May, 12 June and 10 July. Guest speakers included Tim Thornton (wearing his Friends of Burrum River hat), Cr David Lewis who has taken up a new environmental portfolio for Council, and new Mayor, Cr Chris Loft. Administrative  We have finalised a MOU with Council on the flying fox wall hangings. ● Vanessa Elwell-Gavins, Secretary, Wildlife Queensland Fraser Coast Branch

9 If the mountain won’t come to the people … On our June walk to Mt Benarige in the St Mary State Forest we were blessed with glorious weather. Thirty nine people attended and started the walk together along the Mt Benarige track, some four kilometres from the summit. Most of the group continued up the steep track to the summit while a smaller group accompanied Tony van Kampen up one of the Benarige Creek gullies in search of rare and interesting plants.

Left: Some of the crowd that gathered for the walk. Below: the destination – Mt Benarige.

The trek to the summit followed the old track to the fire towers. We passed through a variety of vegetation types including sandy wallum type country along the top ridge. The view from the summit, while partially obscured by regrowth, provides interesting vistas towards Mt Walsh, Mt Mt Woocoo and Mt Doongul. On the return trek a few walkers who were still with me, after scrambling through a thicket of Beach , were shown the extremely rare Mountain (known only from the summits of Mt Benarige and Mt Woocoo). Pre-publicity for the walk in the local press prompted a couple of interesting contacts. John from Maryborough had worked on the construction of the roads for the fire towers and had a number of old photographs to show (at 85 he was too old to attend the walk) and two sisters from Tiaro and , who did go on the walk, were keen to attend as their grandfather had lived on Mt Benarige.

Wambaliman WINTER 2016 10 If the mountain won’t come to the people … cont. Tony van Kampen led eight doughty amateur botanists along a tributary of Benarige Creek. Conditions were perfect; cool, sunny and dry. Navigating the boulder strewn gully, clambering under and over fallen branches, the keen group picked up tips from Tony on identifying plant species. We screwed up leaves to smell the aroma, looked for oil dots, examined the venation, the presence of petioles, stipules, lenticels. The highlight was coming across a of young hoop pines which are uncommon in this area. ● Carol Bussey

Walkers on the summit of

Wildlife Rescue This male Boobook Owl (Ninox boobook) crashed into a glass swimming pool fence recently at Dundowran. The property owners heard a loud 'thud' and went to investi- gate, whereby they found this beauty floundering on the ground! Thankfully they real- ised he needed a hand and called for help. Happily he was only stunned with minor concussion; a vet check to ensure his eyes were 100% and a short stint in care for some R&R, and he was cleared to go home for release. Boobook Owls are often referred to as 'Mopokes' due to their call vocalisation, but their correct name is actually Southern Boobook Owl. Did you know Owls can rotate their heads to around 270°, the average human can turn approximately 180°. For most species of Raptors (birds of prey) the females are larger than the males! ● Natalie Richardson

The paucity of fungal records at the late 20th Century was the principal catalyst for development of the initiative. is a non-profit, citizen-science organisation that uses information submitted by volunteer observers to map the distribution of macrofungi across Australia. The initial list of 100 target species was based on ease of identification and generally widespread distribution. Submitted records with basic collection information, including photographs, are identified and added to a database maintained by . Get involved! http://fungimap.org.au/ 11 Batty over Bats

From Feared to Fabulous – The importance of Bats to our Environment Historically, bats have been portrayed in a largely negative light: as carriers of disease and being associated with vampire lore. The idea that bats are the transformational figure of a blood sucking vampire is indeed intriguing but, amongst an impressive 1,240 different species, there are only three species of bat that feed on the blood of other mammals. Of course bats do indeed carry diseases such as Lyssavirus and Hendra which are the diseases that incite fear in the general public. But just like many of the other dangerous aspects of sharing Australia with creatures such as snakes, spiders, sharks and scorpions, the risk can al- ways be managed, and often the media do no favours by portraying some of our native species such as the bat as a dirty, deadly no-gooders. Every animal on this planet plays its own important role in maintaining ecological equilibrium, and the bat is no different. The importance of these social and intelligent creatures to Australia’s biodiversity cannot be underestimated. We are fortunate to host over 90 species that contribute to our incredibly beautiful and diverse landscape. They do so by acting as long-range seed dispersers and pollinators of native plants. The 90 or so species of bats in Australia can be roughly divided into two groups: Microbats and Megabats. A microbat has a small wingspan of around 25 cm and its diet consists of insects such as grub moths, mosquitoes, weevils and midges. Let’s take a moment to thank these amazing mammals for the silent service they do each night by keeping these pesky, biting insects in somewhat manageable populations! A megabat, as the name suggests, has a much larger wingspan of up to one metre and feeds on fruit, blossoms and nectar. Unlike microbats that use echolocation to navi- gate in the dark, megabats or Flying Foxes have well developed eyes and a keen sense of smell that helps them to locate their tucker! Flying Foxes are perhaps the most well-known of the bat species. These are the guys that tend to cause the most headaches in relation to crop damage and also in- trude on our ever-so-serene town existences with their incredibly noisy house parties officially known as ‘roosts’ or ‘camps’ that can host tens of thousands of individuals at a time. This loud chatter is in fact extremely important communication between individuals; with up to 30 different calls, it’s fair to say they have a lot to talk about, including the important work of finding their pup when they return home from the night’s feed. Of course during breeding season there is much to talk about, and many battles

Wambaliman WINTER 2016 12 Batty over Bats cont. lost and won over prime roosting branches and the prettiest females. As we lose more and more forest and roosting sites to development and agriculture, there is a worrying trend for flying fox roosts to land right in our backyards, literally. Urbanisation of Flying Foxes is becoming a reality and it’s important that local councils take this into account in relation to management and future town planning schemes. Contrary to historical folklore, a world without bats would be a very scary world indeed!!! ● Casey Murtagh http://wildcare.org.au/species-information/bats/ https://www.tolgabathospital.org/links_batrescue.htm https://www.facebook.com/wildliferescuefrasercoast/

Koala pouch direction

At the Wildlife Queensland Fraser Coast meeting in May, discussion arose on the direction of the koala pouch. I, like many others I suspect, were subcon- sciously questioning their knowledge on this part of the anatomy of one of Australia’s iconic mammals. This is the sort of thing you don’t expect to change! Carol Bussey followed-up this issue and supplied the following information. From the section on koalas in The Australian Muse- um Complete Book of Australian Mammals by Ronald Strahan (Ed.) “the pouch of the female encloses only two nipples and opens towards the rear”. The Australi- an Koala Foundation’s Koala Kit for Kids says the joey journeys to “the mother’s backward opening pouch”. However, I notice that the AKF website NOW says the pouch opens outwards, but that the opening is towards the bottom of the pouch and, therefore, towards the rear of the mother. Previous descriptions said it was backward opening because the larger joeys climb out facing the rear. This can be seen in the photo and you can see why all the sources said that the pouch was backward opening because the opening is facing the back end of the mother. Still, for koala conservation it doesn’t matter which way the pouch faces! So, this information should be kept in mind when reading the newly-installed Koala interpretive sign at Woocoo Park. When the Koala interpretive sign is made for Pio- neer Park we can omit the words ‘backward facing pouch’ and just use the word ‘pouch’. ● Carol Bussey

Turtles at Mon Repos under renewed threat: killing the goose that lays the golden egg Mon Repos Turtle Rookery near Bundaberg has long been recognised internationally as an important nesting site for loggerhead, green, flatback and leatherback sea turtles. The most common species nesting at Mon Repos being the endangered loggerhead turtle. Since the 1960s Wildlife and Conservation groups have worked hard to protect the turtles, and their nesting beach, including two lengthy actions in the Planning and En- vironment Court in the 1980s to stop urban development adjacent to the beach. Now it is not the subdivision developers we have to worry about, but the campaign strongly supported by the North Burnett and Bundaberg Tourism body to turn Mon Repos Turtle Centre into an eco-tourist destination complete with restaurant, cafe, tourism shop, ‘glamping’ facilities, and turtle pools with live turtles kept in captivity for up to 18 months supposedly to attract visitors all year round. The turtles have long been heralded as the greatest tourist attraction for this region. They have been credited with boosting the local economy, creating jobs, filling accom- modation, and supporting local restaurants and cafes throughout the ‘turtle season’ from early November through to March. That apparently is not enough as far as the State Government, Bundaberg Regional Council and the North Burnett and Bundaberg Tourism Boards are concerned. Sup- porting development of commercial business within a protected environmental area takes precedence over protection of a unique endangered species. According to scientific reports it is important for turtle hatchlings to get into the ocean as quickly as possible, however it is now proposed to hold some turtles in captivity, hand feed them for up to 18 months, and then release them to the ocean to survive as best they can. Commercialisation of Mon Repos will create more noise, more lights, and more people trampling over the dunes and nesting areas throughout the year. Over time this has the potential to drive the turtles to seek other quieter areas to lay their eggs, or failure to successfully nest at all. The needs of an endangered marine species are being sacrificed for financial gain. A Directions Paper, Setting the Direction for Mon Repos Turtle Centre, was apparently signed off by the Newman Government in June 2014, and clearly indicates that this is part of their declared plan to open up Environmental and National Parks for commercial operators. The current government recently announced a grant of $10 million for an ‘upgrade’ of Mon Repos. Seems that power brokers are still getting their own way. ● Pam Soper

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Potential State Development Area (SDA) around the port of Bundaberg In October 2015, the Queensland Government announced an investigation into the possibility of establishing a SDA around the Port of Bundaberg. An analysis has been undertaken to determine the suitability of land around the Port to support industrial development. The analysis has included consideration of economic development op- portunities, physical and environmental constraints, environmental and community impacts and infrastructure requirements. From a wildlife perspective, the main issues will be impacts on the internationally recognised Mon Repos Turtle Rookery, including endangered Loggerhead turtles, from dredging and industry, which has yet to be identified. Industrialisation apparently includes construction of a rail line to the Port, and provision for the export of coal and minerals. Other issues include:  impact on inshore coral reefs;  impacts on known migratory shorebird roost sites (Bundaberg Port waste ponds, Barubbra Island, Skyringville Passage and sand spit extending northwards). Some of the spit is protected as Environmental Park and Council Reserve land but would still be affected by proposed dredging, storm water runoff and pollutants from industry etc.;  turtles have been recorded resting within the Port entrance area between nesting events;  potential removal of mangroves;  loss of food source for waders; and  Much of the area within the proposed SDA would be wetlands. The outcomes of the government investigation have informed a boundary for the proposed Bundaberg SDA. Community feedback is now being sought to assist the Queensland Government to make a decision on whether an SDA should be declared around the Port of Bundaberg, and if so, the location of the SDA boundary. Closing date for submissions is 25 July 2016. ● Pam Soper Copies of the publication Investigation into the potential for a State Development Area around the Port of Bundaberg, Information Report – June 2016, plus details of how to make a submission, are available at the government website: www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au or [email protected]

WILDLIFE RESCUE Fraser Coast for all species of native wildlife Phone 4121 3146

15 Community Environment Program Activities Happy Valley Bush Regenerators Following on from our 2015 CEP ant workshop, we were once again joined by and environmental science lecturer, Dr Wayne Robinson in April. Again he told of interesting finds, the importance of biodiversity, the role ants play in maintaining healthy ecosystems and their amazing capacity to significantly change ecosystems over time. We particularly focused on how the invasive ant species, Phei- dole megacephala (coastal brown ant) interacts with native ants. Wayne's PhD project focused on the interactions of exotic and native species on K'gari, and he keeps us riveted with his wealth of knowledge of the island’s diverse, uniquely rich, and vulner- able by nature, local ant species. Over two years now we have surveyed transects Wayne has been monitoring since 2009. We found that even since 2015 Pheidole megacephala had clearly continued its invasion and dominance in environmentally disturbed areas where native ants had been displaced or killed through clearing and do not recolonize where the exotic in- vader has become established. Wayne commented that the spread of these invasive ants around Happy Valley continues, to the detriment of native ants and other insects. This disrupts the ecological services provided by native ants and has the capacity to change the vegetation and ecology over time. An interesting observation presently is the apparent boom in numbers of doodlebugs or ant lion lacewings. In their early life stages these insects prey on ants and other insects that they trap in cone shaped traps built in the sand. Are ant lion numbers increasing with more (exotic ant) food available? Kingfisher Lakes Bushwackys A hot Summer, Spring and Autumn has seen the Bushwackys hard at work with weed management, planting and seed collecting in the bushland at the entrance to Kingfisher Lakes Estate, which is part of the Eli Creek Catchment Area. Compared to this time last year, the work has been much easier as so much of the Easter Cassia has been cut down and now just needs light pruning to keep the growth controlled. Weed control includes Corky Passion Vine, Mile a Minute, Basket Aspara- gus Fern, Panic Grass, and numerous other plants. A garden beside the bridge had the old dying Westringia and weeds completely cleared and replanted with native shrubs to encourage small birds, bees and butter- flies, plus give visibility to drivers across the bridge as the road curves. Melaleuca thymifolia, Austromyrtus dulcis, Hibertia linearis, Philotheca queenslandica, Wallum Bottlebrush, Westringia rosemarinifolia, Dianella caerula and a Melicope elleryana tree were planted and supplied with mulch - all provided by the Council Nursery. Green Army – Fraser Coast Urban Wildlife Corridor Restoration Project – Fay Smith Wetlands In May, the Green Army team hosted an open day for the local community to show- case our project at Fay Smith Wetlands, Maryborough. We letter-dropped residents from the surrounding areas, inviting them to the event, explaining the aims of the pro- Wambaliman WINTER 2016 16 Community Environment Program Activities cont. ject, hopefully raising awareness about the importance of the Wetlands. The event also served to raise awareness of the work done in general by the Green Army. CEP Volunteers visit Gin Gin Landcare CEP On Wednesday, 20 April, 12 nursery volunteers and two other CEP volunteers from Fay Smith Wetlands were privileged to head north with Tina Raveneau and Brent Whitworth to visit Gin Gin Landcare’s inspiring nursery and bush food garden. Ray Johnson, Gin Gin Landcare’s very passionate coordinator, and about eight of his members, welcomed us with a huge morning tea before we had a whirlwind tour of a patch of planted rainforest and the nursery, and learned about their recipe for potting mix and how they have had success soaking some hard-to-propagate seeds in battery acid. Their plants all looked fabulous, springing out of their pots. Gin Gin Landcare’s nursery is able to make sales to the public, in addition to assisting with more tradition- al ‘landcare plantings’. The bushfood garden, which opened two years ago, was an inspiration, combining native Australian bush foods with ‘bush foods’ from all around the world. In truth, it looked more like a permaculture garden, with plants spilling out in a riot of colour and greenery. Tree Planting at Bunya Court In April a hard-working team of Sea Scouts got their hands dirty helping to revege- tate another section of previously mown grass in the parkland at Bunya Court, Eli Wa- ters. The kids helped dig, plant and water, and also did a bit of weeding in the original planting area. Well done Scouts! Roving Restorers The Roving Restorers have continued their monthly working bees in special bushland areas. In April we re-visited Peterson Park, Dundowran, and in May volunteers worked in the vine forest patch on the corner of Ansons Rd and Eagle Beach Parade. The main invasive species in both places are climbing asparagus and coral berry, so we continued to focus on removing these. We also found large numbers of Mock orange shrubs and seedlings spread throughout Peterson Park in particular – obviously spread by birds from plants in neighbouring gardens. More community education is needed on this one! CEP Nursery Update Our nursery volunteers, under the excellent guidance of Jenny continue their hard work. Volunteers had a display at the BGANZ Open Day, held in the Botanic Gardens in April. We supported Under 8s Day by sharing easy-to-care-for local natives to families who attended in May, and have also supplied a large number of plants to Coun- cil’s Natural Areas projects. Recent extensions to our fenceline have meant that the nursery area has expanded. We now have more space for our compost piles and other equipment, and will be extending the irrigation system to better cater for the additional plants we’ll hold. ● Various authors

17 EnviroForum 2016 – Environmental Communication

The coal mining and manufacturing city of Ipswich has developed an environmental outlook that we here on the Fraser Coast (which boasts whale watching and the won- ders of Fraser Island) can only envy. Every year the Ipswich City Council holds an EnviroForum on a selected environmental subject; this year the topic was communication. What impressed me at this year’s forum was the number of women presenters and their passion to get the message out to the world. The messages from the day were:  be realistic;  modify your goals;  persevere; compromise if necessary;  be honest, reliable and flexible;  think laterally and appeal to people's own interests; and  encourage community stewardship. All the talks were inspiring, but here are just two from the day. One Million Women One Million Women was created by the charming and vibrant Natalie Isaacs after she was inspired to reduce her carbon footprint by Al Gore's campaign on climate change. Surprised and pleased by the big difference she would make with simple changes, Natalie decided to show other women how important it was and how easy it was to do. Getting this message across to women would have a big impact since households are predominantly run by women, and 81% of household purchases are decided by women. That was in 2006. Natalie thought the message was so wonderful that within a few months she would have one million members. Now in 2016, the One Million Women Movement has 450,000 members: not a bad feat. They have an anthem and a blog that receives millions of hits. I see on her web page that she is now urging women to avoid cosmetics with plastic microbeads. Good on you Natalie. Nature Play We all bemoan the fact that today's children do not have the freedom that we had to explore and get to know nature: fear of abduction totally outstrips reality and leads to over protection. Hyahno Moser said in his presentation that unstructured outdoor play- time builds resilience and social skills in young children. A generation ago 73% of children's time was spent outdoors; now 13% of time is spent outdoors. Hyahno created the Nature Play program to change ‘screen time to green time’. Nature Play is supported by the Queensland government to get modern kids outside into parks, planting trees and so on. A Nature Play Passport has been devised with challenges to children, e.g. climb a tree, sleep under the stars, plant a seed etc. The child selects an avatar and completes the passport as he/she completes the activities.

Wambaliman WINTER 2016 18 EnviroForum 2016 – Environmental Communication cont. Hmmm, sounds rather organised to me! I don't think Nature Play results in the freedom we had as kids, which was completely unsupervised and consisted of totally non- environmentally-correct activities such as wandering around local creeks, capturing lizards and tadpoles and putting them in jars. This type of life is not totally gone you know. When I lived at Howard, there were often children playing in the bed of Maria Creek trying to catch little fish, building cubbies and generally mucking about like kids do. What Nature Play also does is gets Mum and Dad away from their screens and out in nature with the children. ● Carol Bussey

Decline of Australian Bush Birds In his document of the same title, Tim Thornton uses the example of birds to raise awareness of the causes of decline in Australian wildlife. Tim opens with reference to BirdLife Australia’s State of Australia’s Birds report, and then goes on to deal with habitat destruction, predation, pollution, and climate change. Importantly, he suggests solutions to these topics. Under ‘Habitat Destruction’ Tim uses scenarios from the residential development area Pacific Haven near Burrum Heads. The old culprits of feral cats and foxes are dealt with under ‘Predation’, including the level of ignorance of the general public on the impacts of these and domestic animals. Tim sees Pollution from such things as chemicals and plastic as the ‘Elephant in the Room’, with the decline in insect numbers being the tip of the iceberg in the collapse of the food chain. A more difficult issue is ‘Climate Change’, which Tim suggests could be altering the overall food chain, thus affecting birds. In the section ‘Mindset of Mankind’ Tim addresses the question of ‘Where have we gone wrong?’. He lists a number of examples, but concludes with a plea for us ‘true believers’ (in conservation) to fight for our native wildlife: “they have no voice of their own”. The article includes an extensive list of birds not seen or heard at Pacific Haven for five years or more. You can access Tim’s article at: http://birdlife.org.au/images/uploads/branches/documents/SQ-Warbler-Jun16.pdf ● Rodney Jones 19 Birds around the Burrum – A rusty tale

At about 3 pm on 9 October 2002 I saw a small brown bird moving through the mangroves in front of my home on the Burrum River. It was obviously a Gerygone, but it was not a Mangrove Gerygone or a Fairy Gerygone, which are the common species in this locality. Through the binoculars at a distance of 6–8 metres this Gerygone had a brown back which increased in rufous (rusty coloured) across the rump, and the tail was distinctly and completely rufous on the upper surface; there was a white mark in front of the red eye and the underparts were pale greyish brown. I got out the field guides (Morcombe, Simpson & Day, Pizzey & Knight), but none of them illustrated or described this bird. After checking my observations, I found my battered copies of Slater (broken spines, pages stuck together and separated from being wet, covers stuck on with sticky tape) and to my amazement on p. 262 was a Rusty-tailed Warbler, the bird before my eyes. Slater says “some doubts about locality; presumably the place to look is in the mangroves between Tully and Fraser Is., Qld.“ That afternoon I phoned Peter Slater who told me that the Rusty-tailed Warbler dis- appeared from the literature in 1994 with the publication of The Taxonomy and Spe- cies of Birds of Australia and its Territories by Christidis and Boles. Such is the might of a taxonomist’s pen that the past, present and future of a bird can all be obliterated with a single well considered stroke. However, Peter intends to leave the Rusty-tailed Gerygone (Gerygone ruficauda) in the coming revised edition of his Families field guide. This is great news, not only for the Rusty-tailed Gerygone but for Australian ornithology, because if it takes him as long to revise this edition as it took him to revise his previous two-volume field guide, he will live well into his 90s. By chance, on 2 November 2002 I met Eric Zillmann, another noted senior ornithol- ogist, from Bundaberg. He told me he had seen a Rusty-tailed Warbler in 1985 at Buxton, some 5 km downstream from my home on the Burrum River. Time and taxonomy will decide the fate of Gerygone ruficauda in the literature and field guides of Australian birds. In the meantime, there is a Gerygone with a rusty tail in the mangroves of the Burrum River. Dr Tim Thornton (December 2002) Footnote: The revised edition of The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds, Second Edition by Peter, Pat and Raoul Slater with Sally Elmer (2009) does not include the Rusty-tailed Gerygone. Addendum: Several bird watchers have visited our surrounds in an effort to see this bird. Most notable was Tony Hill from Bundaberg, who spent 4 days kayaking around the mangroves without success. However, I saw it again in early November 2015, almost 13 years after my first sighting. Tim (25/05/2016) ● Tim Thornton

Wambaliman WINTER 2016 20 Container Deposit Scheme On 8 May, 2016, NSW Premier Mike Baird announced that NSW would be adopting a drink container deposit scheme (CDS) commencing on July 1, 2017. A CDS was a recommendation of the Con- tainer Deposit Scheme Advisory Committee, a feder- al parliamentary committee that is investigating the threat of marine plastic pollution in Australia. What will be recycled? Drink containers between 150 ml and 3 L, with some exceptions, e.g. milk containers and glass containers for wine and spirits. Drink manufacturers are required to use containers that comply with the scheme. How are they recycled? Consumers will receive a 10-cent refund when they return an empty, eligible beverage container to an approved collection depot or reverse vending machine. What will be the effect? Drink containers made up about 44% of the volume of litter collected in NSW in 2014-15. A major impact on litter is expected with the introduction of the CDS. The benefits will flow-on to less plastic in the terrestrial and marine envi- ronments. Other benefits? Minimisation of harm to terrestrial and marine life. Reduction in the cost of managing litter. Less unsightly litter in public areas and road verges. Reduction in antisocial behaviour. etc. In South Australia which has a CDS, charities and community groups raised $60 million last year with container return activities. Congratulations NSW. Come on Queensland! ● Carol Bussey

Something to think about – H2O  Only 3% of water in the hydrosphere is freshwater, the other 97% being saltwater  Only 0.02% of the freshwater is held in rivers and lakes  Only 0.005% of water in rivers and lakes is available freshwater  A standard toilet flush uses up to 9 litres of water  A ten minute shower uses about 45 litres of water  Fifty glasses of water are required to produce one glass of orange juice  About half a kilogram of beef requires over 1,100 litres of water  A Thai village of 60,000 people uses 6,500 cubic litres of water per day. One golf course in Thailand uses 6,500 cubic litres of water per day

21 Haiku from the Beach by Audrey Sorensen Side-stepping soldiers Wet sand mirrors Water-colour sky in blue uniforms remnants of colour painted by the setting sun merely imagined escaping from sky master-piece complete Beyond the beach Sky-fire In tidal pools a pair of plovers sears the torn edges a white-faced heron on patrol of purple parchment strides upside-down Urangan Pier Sunset sky Against a red sky catches a longline frames the horizon silhouettes of sea birds of fallen stars brightens the day skim a silent sea Book Review Living in the Sound of the Wind: A Personal Quest for W H Hudson, Naturalist and Writer from the River Plate by Jason Wilson. Published 2015 by Constable & Robinson, London 309 pp. RRP $30 Canadian Sometimes interesting books such as this biography of W H Hudson turn up on the book bargain table. When I was a young teenager, Hudson's Green Mansions was one of my favourite books. It was a romantic tragedy about a wisp of a girl who lived in the trees in the Venezuelan jungle and spoke in a language like birdsong. So, it was a pleasant surprise to come across this title Living in the Sound of the Wind on the bargain table. It is not a normal biography because the author, Jason Wilson, also puts a great deal of his own life into the book. Briefly, Hudson was born of American protestant parents who migrated to Argentina in the early 1800s. As a young boy, he lived the hard, free horse-centric life of the gaucho: self-contained but bloodthirsty and cruel. He shot thousands of birds, and prepared and sent 500 skins to London's Zoological Society. Due to illness, he became bedridden and did a great deal of reading. Hudson completely reversed his views on hunting, and campaigned actively against shooting and against vivisection, and was a strong supporter of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, becoming an early observer and documenter of Argentine birds and their habits. At the age of 32, Hudson emigrated to England and barely sur- vived by writing articles and books. He consorted with other well-known writers of his time including Joseph Conrad and John Galsworthy. The book is interesting because Wilson travels to Hudson's birthplace in Argentina, and the first six chapters are devoted to life on the pampas, which one can compare to early days in the Australian colonies. He also details Hudson's life in England; rela- tions with women, literary and scientific friends and experiences with country life. Hud- son was an imposing but largely unknowable character who only found true peace when alone in communion with nature. I found the book very readable and it has made me keen to search out more of W H Hudson's books. ● Carol Bussey Wambaliman WINTER 2016 22 Emergency tips for native animal rescue

Don’t let not knowing what to do when you come across injured native animals prevent you from rescuing them. Here are some tips: SAFE – put it somewhere safe and secure, but be sure there is adequate ventilation (providing of course it is an animal, and only in circumstances where it is safe for you to handle the animal yourself). QUIET – wild animals have a heightened sense of hearing, and often smell, compared to us, so minimal noise and interaction is of the essence. DARK – this will help to calm and settle the animal, and helps to avoid stimulation and stress. WARM – not too hot, not too cold. Sick, injured or orphaned baby animals may not be able to move away from a heat source and can 'cook', so a suitable temperature needs to be considered. Do not place a heat source directly underneath them. (Please note: Echidnas do not require heat, nor do reptiles; keep them at room temperature.) NO FOOD OR WATER – for adult animals a small bowl of water provided is OK, but please do not try to put water directly into their mouth. No water for babies, especially baby birds. Parent birds do not take water to the chicks in nest, and the young do not drink water until after they have fully fledged. It is very easy for water to go down their airway and for them to aspirate when people attempt to give them water. In addition, trying to feed animals that are ill or hurt can further add to their distress, plus they are very unlikely to want to eat in that condition. Wrong food due to mis-identification is also a risk. We regularly see even very 'common' species wrongly identified, and inappropriate foods given. Please only feed injured animals after discussion with a carer. NEVER touch any species of Bat (microbats or megabats, aka flying foxes). This is for your personal safety and for the safety of the bat. Our carers are vaccinated to handle bats. #NoTouch=NoRisk ** Contact a carer or vet a.s.a.p. for further assistance. (Some vets may only be available during business hours; wildlife rescue / carers are usually available 24/7) Wildlife Rescue Fraser Coast is a 24 / 7, 365 days, voluntary service providing rescue, care, rehabilitation and regarding Australian native fauna, and covering all of the Fraser Coast. The main contact number is 4121 3146. ● Natalie Richardson, Wildlife Rescue Fraser Coast

Insurance claim data shows kangaroos are behind nearly 90 per cent of animal-related collisions. ABC News 12 July 2016 23

Cartoon by Paul Fitzgerald (polyp.org.uk). As a condition of using his cartoons, Paul has asked that I promote his children’s book Little Worm’s Big Question at: www.littleworm.org The book has a review by Costa Georgiadis from ABC’s Gardening Australia.

National Tree Day – 31 July

Want to join Wildlife Queensland? http://www.wildlife.org.au/store/membership.html

or download the membership form at

http://www.wildlife.org.au/support/image/ membershipform.pdf

Membership for 1 year $30 Individual $45 Family / non-profit group $20 Concession $12.50 Youth

Wambaliman WINTER 2016 24