A Voice for the Environment

A voice for the environment

4 August 2017

Defence Training Activities and Facilities on Rural and Regional Communities Committee Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee Department of the Senate

Per email: [email protected]

Thank you for the opportunity to make late comments to the Defence Training Activities and Facilities on Rural and Regional Communities Committee. This submission focuses on the major defence facility of Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SBTA) Capricorn Coast Central Queensland.

Capricorn Conservation Council since 1973 has been the principal non-government environmental organisation in Central Queensland. CCC covers environmental issues in the Fitzroy Basin, the largest catchment flowing into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon, plus the coastal and marine areas from Baffle Creek to St Lawrence (Broadsound Coast).

Capricorn Conservation Council has for many decades worked closely with Department of Defence for the protection of the natural values of Shoalwater Bay Training Area. This includes making detailed input to the 1994 Commonwealth Commission of Inquiry which ultimately determined that the Shoalwater should be managed for „dual use‟ (at its then current extent of use). This close involvement continues through conservation sector representation on the Shoalwater Bay Training Area Environmental Advisory Committee (SBTA-EAC) established on the Inquiry‟s recommendation: „new management arrangements should be the establishment of a representative management advisory committee which provides management advice to the Department of Defence, acts as a vehicle for the input of technical expertise and the views of the community and as an agent of accountability.‟1

The SBTA-EAC has provided a good opportunity for interaction between a wide range of stakeholders to share knowledge, raise concerns and resolve potential conflicting interests, interpret technical reports (e.g., fire management, feral animal control, Queensland herbarium flora surveys) and for interrogating the effectiveness of environmental management plans and adequacy of related budgets.

1 Commonwealth Commission of Inquiry Shoalwater Bay, Capricorn Coast, summary report #4, 1994, (p.37-38)

The EAC however is limited in achieving the stated objective of „agent of accountability‟ as decisions of the type, frequency, level of use and size of environmental management budgets are made well up the chain of command.

This gap in communication and consultation was especially poor when there was no prior consultation and subsequent mixed messages about the proposed major expansion for increased excises by Singapore Defence Forces. Much of „likely‟ or „possible‟ proposed land and sea expansion is within the GBR World Heritage Area and Queensland GBR-WHA Coastal Zone2 –i.e., coastal areas within 5km of, and up to 10m above low water mark GBR Marine Park boundary.

The Singapore expansion including the initial policy of compulsory land acquisition was not brought to the attention of SBTA-EAC and the change of policy to voluntary acquisition has left the community, including environmental interests, with many questions about the final picture and timeline for such a major landuse change. Major development projects with much smaller footprints than the proposed SBTA expansion have to go through several years of environmental impact assessments and public consultation to formulate management plans and conditions.

Defence has been generally regarded by CCC as a good custodian of Shoalwater based on historical levels of activity, keeping at bay past proposals for sand mining, coal seam gas extraction, coal ports and resort developers. The current SBTA had never been extensively exploited for timber or broadscale cleared for grazing making it ideal for conservation and defence purposes. However the areas proposed for expansion are a mix of sensitive low lying coastal land (some of which had been modified with tidal levees and ponded pasture grazing using now banned exotic grass Hymenachne amplexicaulis), and heavily cleared and often overgrazed dry landscapes. Many hinterland properties were broadscale cleared resulting in a complete loss of biodiversity and connectivity of endangered regional ecosystems.

Due to loss of soil and soil structure these properties have become increasingly unproductive for grazing, and vulnerable to infestation to invasive grasses and weeds, a haven for feral pigs. Enveloped within the proposed expansion area are many State protected areas – timber reserves, National Parks, Conservation Parks, and Nature Refuges). While verbal assurance has been given that these area would not be acquired by Defence there has been no information provided about the changes in access and management practices which would be necessary if the surrounding landuse changes from grazing to defence exercises.

2 GBR Strategic Assessment – UNESCO WHA Committee review of risk to „outstanding universal values‟

The only explanation provided so far for the proposed expansion of SBTA is that two 30 kilometres artillery ranges would be able to operate simultaneously. This of course alters the potential for risk to people wildlife and wildfires within the protected areas.

Changes land use from grazing to defence (and conservation, in keeping with the intent of the Commission of Inquiry) will require detailed and extensive (expensive) environmental studies including assessment of potential impacts on international agreements such as Ramsar3 Convention and JAMBA, CAMBA and ROKAMBA4 migratory bird agreements. Removing cattle from cleared grazing land would need to be done strategically and progressively to avoid massive fire risks, weed invasions, particularly Giant Rat‟s Tail grass, GRT (Sporobolus pyramidalis) .

The SBTA EAC would be the appropriate entity to ensure technical and community input to assessing plans for the proposed land use change but to date there is a total void in information and any apparent opportunity for input.

CCC‟s reservations that the increasing frequency of military exercises at Shoalwater Bay (along with tight budgets) will limit the capacity of environmental manager and contractors to properly assess and manage whole of landscape environmental impacts have been stringly expressed whenever there are speculative media announcements about SBTA expansion or „permanent bases‟. The reducing time gaps between exercises combined with the last decade of weather extremes (including 2010/11 floods, ex TC Oswald (2013) extreme rainfall, and in 2015, Category 5, T.C. Marcia) suggest the need for more investment and longer periods for flora and fauna recovery, lest the values which underpin Shoalwater‟s „dual use‟ decline beyond their point of resilience.

CCC refers the Committee to Defence‟s State of the Environment Report (2008) which detailed the natural values, threats and management regime required to maintain Shoalwater‟s defence and conservation values. There is critical need to invest in a full review of this report along the lines of Commonwealth and Queensland Government‟s five yearly „state of the environment‟ reports and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority‟s regular Outlook reports.

That report noted the national significance of Shoalwater due to its relatively undisturbed habitats which support threatened or endangered flora and fauna and stressed the need to maintain the balance between military use and conservation.

3 http://www.environment.gov.au/water/wetlands/ramsar 4 http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/migratory-species/migratory-birds (China, Japan, Republic of Korea)

Environment Centre Livermore Street Rockhampton | PO Box 4011 Rockhampton Q 4700 | ABN 14 846 165 788 Phone/Fax: (07) 4927 8644 | Mobile 0419 261 653| Email: [email protected] | www.cccqld.org.au Shoalwater‟s undeveloped coastline is the largest relatively intact natural system between the urban centres, tourism hot-spots, heavy industry, ports and intensive agricultural areas from Far North Queensland to Hervey Bay, the key watershed indentified as being critically important to support for the survival of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The consequences of inserting larger amphibious vessels into important seagrass areas, increasing disturbance to ecologically important mud flats and beaches, more boots/heavy vehicles on the ground, and almost doubling the area under Defence control will need to be thoroughly assessed, lest we forget the importance of this stretch of Australia‟s coast.

Shoalwater Bay still needs years to recover from the devastation of Tropical Cyclone Marcia (2015) on top of the extreme pressure from the rapid rotation of military exercises. There is precious little time for fire, feral animal, invasive weed, wetland and water quality assessment and protected species management.

Shoalwater includes the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and internationally recognised wetlands (Ramsar), Dugong Protection Areas, and represents one of the last remaining large areas of the Queensland Coast with relatively intact natural systems.

CCC strongly opposes the suggestion by Livingstone Shire Council (LSC) for „unlocking‟ “Three Rivers” (Five Rocks Beach) for „ecotourism‟ due to the fragility of the coastal zone (the beach has highly mobile sand structure making it unsuitable for 4WD traffic. The risks to nearby high value ecosystems, already under pressure from unauthorised entry and the escaped fires from recreational drivers and illegal campers would be exacerbated if this current buffer zone was exploited for tourism.

In contradiction to public claims by LSC that a “Three Rivers Reserve” management plan has been developed, CCC has been verbally advised by the Livingstone Shire Mayor that the initial concept (2015-16) of excising land from Defence for a recreational reserve has not to date received positive support and that other than the Queensland Government‟s Byfield Area Management Plan5 that unless there is willingness of Defence to relinquish land there has been no further development of a Three Rivers Reserve Management Plan.

CCC considers that Defence (with other agencies) is best situated to manage the natural values of Three Rivers and surrounding locality and opposes the quest by Livingstone Shire Council to excise Three Rivers for „ecotourism‟: “Three Rivers Community Access and Day Use”.

5 https://www.npsr.qld.gov.au/managing/plans-strategies/pdf/mp003-byfield-area-mgmt-plan.pdf

Three Rivers is adjacent to the ecologically sensitive area of Dismal Swamp (see Appendix 1(a), 2011 fire management map for detail). Defence and consultants have long held concerns about the capacity to conduct control burns in this sector due to the ancient deep peat swamps which if ignited by a „hot burn‟ by wild fires, escaped control burns or illegal campfires would be uncontrollable and completely destroyed, putting at risk the local ecosystem and Livingstone Shire‟s water supply.

The beach structure, foredunes and rear Holocene6 parabolic dunes and beach access tracks are very fragile so allowing and increasing vehicle and human traffic will threaten turtle nesting areas, migratory and shorebird roosts, dune and coastal heathland vegetation and the integrity of the whole parabolic dunes structure and the critical freshwater aquifers below. Poorly regulated, illegal access and camping are already causing increasing destructing and faecal contamination of freshwater seepages. There is an urgent need for improving improved coordination between the responsible agencies; Defence, Forestry (Hancock Plantations) National Parks, Queensland Police and Livingstone Local Law Officers.

Imagining that a commercial operator could profitably build and maintain an „eco-lodge‟ with all the necessary road access and other infrastructure, while controlling inappropriate activities needs a thorough reality check, given the viability of other such ventures in much easier to access localities. Even minimal impact ecotourism requires water, power and waste management and these will be almost impossible to deliver due to cost, access and environmental constraints. CCC raised such concerns in submissions to Queensland Government‟s draft ecotourism plan (Appendix 2)

The community and local landholders are already expressing concerns about increased air and road noise and traffic on top of the confusion over the extent and timetable for the proposed expansion of defence land for the Singapore Defence Forces. If residents are noting the disturbances, there is certain to be pressure on wildlife, for example low altitude flights over essential habitat for the endangered Ghost Bat Macroderma gigas. (e.g., Mt Etna NP in the Rockhampton-SBTA flight path)

CCC urges that with respect to current SBTA area and pattern of usage as well as the proposed expansion for Singapore Defence Forces a full environmental assessment including widespread public and technical consultation be undertaken of the environmental, social and economic plusses and minuses, including such matters as increased road and air military traffic, restrictions to coastal waters, additional costs to local government ratepayers for infrastructure and maintenance.”

6 Holocene epoch: approximately 11,700 years before present

Other Recent CCC actions/observations/references:

 2008 Defence State of the Environment Report for Shoalwater Bay for Shoalwater Bay Training Area – (shows the biodiversity status of the Three Rivers forests, woodlands and wetlands as predominately „endangered‟, or „of concern‟ under EPBC (Figure 6.7, p.149)

 2009 submission to Byfield NP plan did suggest possibility of moving NP boundary to cover Three Rivers – giving protection under Qld. Nature Conservation Act

 2013 submission to Qld Ecotourism Plan (Newman Govt) noted; “it is difficult to perceive of any viable „ecotourism‟ lodge other than the businesses which operate outside the NP from nearby Byfield or from Yeppoon”

 2014 – extract from CCC “Topic of Capricorn” Five Rocks Beach: Livingstone Shire Council has reopened the thorny issue of 4WD access to Five Rocks Beach northern section (“Three Rivers”). This is despite the recommendations of the 1994 Commission of Inquiry into Shoalwater Bay Training Area about maintaining the outstanding National Estate and World Heritage values, in particular the biodiversity and wilderness values and ecological integrity of the whole area on an equal footing with military use. The State of the Environment Report for SBTA 2008 clearly maps the predominance of intact „endangered‟ and „of concern‟ vegetation7 on the beaches and dunes and the fire and freshwater contamination risks of recreational uses. The beach, parabolic dunes and associated palustrine wetlands and an important part of the internationally listed Shoalwater-Corio Ramsar wetlands. CCC supports the strategies for managing public and vehicular access contained in the Byfield Area Management Plan and the joint stakeholder efforts to protect the vegetation on Nine Mile Beach and beach access track.

 2016/2017 - letters to Defence Minister Senator Marise Payne seeking information about the proposed expansion of SBTA and urging a thorough environmental impact assessment

Summary: 1. CCC submits that the expansion of defence activities within the existing Shoalwater Bay Training Area is in probable conflict with the recommendations of the 1994 Commission of Inquiry into Shoalwater Bay Training Area.

2. CCC rejects the misleading statements about an ‘underutilised’ Shoalwater as reported in the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin

7 Appendix 1(b) Extent of Endangered and Of Concern Regional Ecosystems

Environment Centre Livermore Street Rockhampton | PO Box 4011 Rockhampton Q 4700 | ABN 14 846 165 788 Phone/Fax: (07) 4927 8644 | Mobile 0419 261 653| Email: [email protected] | www.cccqld.org.au  “Shoalwater Bay is a monstrous large piece of ground,” Capricornia Chamber of Commerce president Peter Fraser said. “It’s twice as big as the (Australian Capital Territory). “In terms of its potential, it’s underutilised at the moment.”

3. CCC Opposes the excision of Three Rivers (Five Rocks Beach, Shoalwater Bay Training Area,) summary

 Livingstone Mayor Bill Ludwig ... also raised the possibility of changing the Defence land boundaries to unlock Three Rivers at the northern end of Five Rocks Beach and creating an ecotourism facility  2015 LSC concept and CCC concerns first raised at SBTA EAC – topic was news to Defence and State agencies and there seemed to be little support to infringe further on SBTA buffer zone.  2016 letter to Minister Marise Payne urging that a full assessment including widespread public and technical consultation be undertaken of the environmental, social and economic of increased activities and of the massive landuse change from grazing to defence for the Singapore Defence Force proposed expansion.

Thank you for taking the time to consider these comments. CCC would be happy to provide additional verbal comments and answer and question the Committee seeks.

Yours Sincerely

Michael McCabe

Coordinator

Appendix 1: SBTA fire control map indicating location of Three Rivers to Dismal Sector

Appendix 2: CCC comments to Queensland Ecotourism Plan (extract, May 2013)

Appendix 1 Figure(b)

Appendix 2

Extract: CCC Comments Queensland Ecotourism Plan – Draft for consultation (2013)

„Ecotourism‟ is ill-defined and could mean anything from simple promotion of Queensland‟s natural features, low impact nature and camping tours, right through to cabins, lodges, resorts, chair lifts and any amount of road, power and water infrastructure. Partnership agreements between the Government, tourism operators and peak bodies would exclude any reasonable local and public input about loss of amenity for non-paying visitors, or effective scientific scrutiny of the ecological impacts. The loss of significant resources from National Park‟s policy and interpretive areas is unlikely to be resourced and replaced by fees and levies from tourism entities facing great financial risk with any ventures approved in National Parks. This is especially so with current and uncertain economic conditions, severe weather, variable seasonal and probable climatic events.

Biodiversity, natural areas and threatened plant and animal communities would be at great risk if inappropriate or excessive human activity and associated infrastructure were allowed in National Parks. National Parks represent the only land tenure in Queensland that ensures permanent protection of ecosystems and ecosystem services, and are essential for ensuring there is natural resilience and capacity for species to adapt to the unknown effects of greater climate variability. To highlight the need to improve our care of natural landscapes to support „ecotourism‟

Byfield NP has presented many management challenges for QPWS, Hancock Queensland (formerly Forest Plantations Qld), Defence (Shoalwater Bay Training Area), Queensland Police Service and local government. Destruction of tracks, dunes, beaches and heathland vegetation by increasing illegal and dangerous 4WD use has been an on-going difficulty.

Road access (4WD, trail bikes only) through coastal forest, paperbark & banksia heaths and wetlands, crosses the ecologically sensitive catchment of Waterpark Creek, traverses the fragile dunes and provides access (legal and illegal) for beach driving.

Despite a history of disputes between visitors, Stockyard Point residents and conservation interests, there have been good cooperative efforts for activities such as dune revegetation and marine debris clean-ups. The clearly stated preference for all users has been for minimal infrastructure, bush camping and basic road access.

The current level of usage, particularly during peak times, is already causing environmental damage and increased risk of vehicle accidents. Given these factors, it is difficult to perceive of any viable „ecotourism‟ lodge other than the businesses which operate outside the NP from nearby Byfield or from Yeppoon.

https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/18f0bb21-b67c-4e99-a155-cb5255398568/files/directory.pdf Broad Sound (QLD 003)

National Directory Listing

The site comprises a complex continuous wetland aggregation (Blackman et al. 1992) of subtidal and intertidal marine and estuarine wetlands formed in a large embayment sheltered from the southwest and with a very large tidal range. The catchment is that of St. Lawrence and Waverley Creeks, Styx River, Eight Mile and Herbert creeks which drain northwards out of the Connors and Broadsound Ranges, and Black, Bank Lagoon, Wadillah, Coonyan, Spencer and unnamed creeks which drain south and west into the northeastern and northern side of Broad Sound.

It includes Torilla Plain which comprises the entire marine plain lying immediately east of Broad Sound, known locally as the Torilla Plain(s). The Plain is widely connected to Broad Sound in its centre-west and far south but otherwise is an elongated area of lowland trending north-south along Torilla Peninsula. Mangrove communities are not here considered part of the Plain but tidally influenced, tree-less plain is included. Wetlands occur throughout Torilla Plain, mainly as countless interconnected ponds and channels but these may coalesce as larger marshes and small lakes in the Wet season.

Physical features:

Landform: a range of landform elements occur throughout, flats (tidal flat, intertidal flat, supratidal flat), open depressions (stream channel, tidal creek, estuary), closed coastal depression (swamp). Adjacent uplands are mostly gently sloping coastal plains.

General geology: large areas of coastal swamp deposits occur in the sound and the surrounding intertidal flats. The lithology of the area adjacent to the sound is mixed and areas of lower Palaeozoic quartzites, mica schist and serpentinite also occur. A recent emergence of c. 3 m has produced an extensive swampy area to the west of the Broad Sound. Soils: mostly undescribed saline soils and sediments. Remaining soils unknown.

Torilla Plain is a coastal plain of marine/saline clay and other sediments, with overlying alluvial sediments delivered by inflowing freshwater creeks (Burgis 1974). Two substantial tidal creeks and associated mangroves provide a 9.0 km long wedge of tidal wetland from Broad Sound eastward to the Plain edge.

Seaward, inner northern and inner central parts of the Plain display extensive and unusually complex networks of small channels (eg. only a few metres wide) and ponds (tens to hundreds of metres wide), separated by low rises (little more than a metre high); these have created a distinctive if not unique wetland landscape and pattern.

Wetlands associated with freshwater creek discharge areas on the eastern side of the Plain are typically rounded to irregular, shallow basins; some larger basins extend over several tens of hectares. Several rounded low hills of red soil are scattered across the northern Plain. Areas surrounding the Plain are undulating or low hills, with some prominent peaks, notably Pine Mountain (374 m). Climate: the site falls within the 990-1397 mm isohyets, with rain falling mostly in December-April. Hydrological features:

Water supply: estuarine tidal waters flood the intertidal flats and channels which during wet season events are diluted to brackish levels in some areas by freshwater flooding and stream flow from the catchment. The sound is shallow, less than 10 m deep throughout, with many even shallower bars. Tidal range is 9.04 m.

Estuarine tidal waters driven by the macro-tidal regime of Broad Sound, penetrate the Torilla Plain via channel networks especially in the centre-north and western sides. The discharge of freshwater creeks (Wadallah, Coonyan, Couti Uti, Spencer, Moonlight, Mountain, Bark Lagoon and un-named Creeks) influences wetlands on the eastern side of the Plain and local floods over 1.0 m deep may occur briefly in a good Wet season, at times extending to most of the Plain.

Some exchange/mixing of fresh and saline waters occurs: some channels appear to connect freshwater wetlands to intertidal saline wetlands and to Broad Sound but much of the mixing may be via unconfined flow. Many drainage channels have been blocked by low earth banks, limiting the loss of fresh water and the intrusion of saline water, especially to the eastern side of the Plain, but the consequent changes to hydrology of the Plain have not been fully investigated.

Major floods and king tides may bypass the banks. A longer bank occurs in the far south of the Plain, separating mangroves from the tree-less plain. By mid-year, much of the Plain may be dry with water persisting (for a short time) only in broad gutters around upland edges, in several larger basins and in deeper channels. It is estimated that most wetlands are only 1-3 m deep.

Ecological features:

The following wetland habitats occur in, or adjacent to the sound: (i) shallow open water marine systems including seagrass beds (35% of the area); (ii) lower intertidal mudflats (15% of area); (iii) mangrove communities (12% of area); (iv) supratidal flats (36% of area). The percentages presented above refer to the supratidal flats and areas lying below this level; smaller areas of beaches, brackish swamps and lagoons, freshwater swamps and lagoons also occur within the site as does a small portion of included upland. Substantial populations of shorebirds occur in the area.

Torilla Plain illustrates a diverse suite of ecological communities of a marine plain system of the central Queensland coast, from upland catchment to marine waters. Mangrove forest, in places several kilometres wide, lies between the shallow waters of Broad Sound and the Plain (Regional Ecosystem 11.1.4: Sattler & Williams 1999). Tidal channels that exchange saline and fresh water initially are mangrove lined but become tree-less on the Plain.

Western sections of the Plain are dominated by saline influence and accordingly include substantial areas of bare flats, though most areas support saltwater couch Sporobolus virginicus, beetle grass Leptochloa fusca, sedge Cyperus scariosus and Fimbristylis spp., samphire Halosarcia spp. and other halophytic plants (REs 11.1.1 and 11.1.2). Complex networks of shallow channels continue into the centre and north-east of the Plain; in some places tall dense beds of the perennial salt-tolerant rush Schoenoplectus litoralis grow in or beside the channels and in associated swamps; upstream, freshwater reaches may be fringed by the tall perennial sedge Cyperus alopecuroides. Schoenoplectus litoralis forms an extensive sedge swamp around saline ponds at the far southern end of the Plain.

Central and eastern parts of the Plain are dominated by low grassland (RE 11.1.1) of freshwater couch Paspalum distichum (in depressions), saltwater couch (intermediate areas) and dry-land grasses (on rises) while introduced para grass Brachiaria mutica has occupied large areas in the centre of the Plain. Some of the numerous depressions in the east, north-east and south-east of the Plain support sedge communities (RE 11.1.3): these are dominated by spike rush Eleocharis spp. (3- 4 species, mostly E. dulcis), and C. scariosus, C. difformis and/or Bolboschoenus fluviatilis, with the erect forbs Ludwigia perennis, Ammannia multiflora and Althernanthera nodiflora and the floating/submerged forbs water primrose L. peploides, bog-lily Monochoria cyanea, nardoo Marsilea mutica, bladderwort Utricularia sp. and marshwort Nymphoides spp.

The composition and extent of these communities may vary according to amount and temporal pattern of summer rainfall. Stands of paperbark Melaleuca spp. occur at some upland margins of the Plain as narrow remnant stands and occupy (more than half as dead specimens) Boer Paddock Swamp in the centre south of the Plain. Freshwater creeks have terminal waterholes where they discharge on to the eastern side of the Plain; these are lined with forest red gum Eucalyptus tereticornis, paperbarks including M. leucadendra and other trees and have similar low cover as the sedge swamps.

Significance:

A good example of a marine and estuarine wetland complex within a large sheltered embayment adjacent to a broad coastal plain. It plays a major ecological role, supporting substantial breeding activity by Anatidae, including Black Swans Cygnus atratus and the declining Radjah Shelduck Tadorna radjah, and by stilts and terns; also migration stop-over by substantial numbers of sandpipers and terns.

A population of the Critically Endangered eastern Yellow Chat Epthianura crocea macgregori occurs and breeding by the Vulnerable Australian Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis australis has been documented. Numbers of several waterbirds, notably Straw-necked Ibis Threskiornis spinicollis and Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia, at times may exceed 1% of the estimated total population in Australia; large numbers of Plumed Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna eytoni, Magpie- Geese Anseranas semipalmata and Brolga Grus rubicunda also occur.

Notable flora:

An area of dense seagrasses occurs in the northwestern part of the Bay. The sedge communities (RE 11.1.3) are considered `Of Concern? because they are a naturally restricted ecosystem in the bioregion and are subject to a threatening process (hydrological and land-use changes on marine plains) (Sattler & Williams 1999). The terminal reach of Wadallah Creek supports a narrow, disturbed remnant of `riparian rainforest? (massive Nauclea orientalis and figs Ficus sp., some tall palms Livistona sp. as well as large paperbarks and gums) at the south-east edge of the Plain.

Notable fauna:

Considerable populations of the dugong (Dugong dugon) (Sv) have been recorded from the northwestern part of the sound. The following migratory species of national importance are known to occur in the area: eastern curlew (Numenius madagascariensis) (Sr), whimbrel (N. phaeopus), great knot (Calidris tenuirostris) and pied oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris). (Data from Campbell 1917, Arnold et al. 1993, Jaensch 2003 & 2004, Jaensch et al. 2003, Jaensch et al. in press, Jaensch et al. in prep.)

A population of the Critically Endangered eastern Yellow Chat Epthianura crocea macgregori (Ne) formerly occurred near Torilla and at several other sites in the bioregion; 40 birds persist on Curtis Island near Gladstone. Nine Yellow Chats were `rediscovered? on Torilla Plain in July 2003 in an extensive Schoenoplectus litoralis swamp with surrounding samphire; it is possible that the chats use other sites on Torilla Plain, especially during the Wet season.

Six Australian Painted Snipe (Nv), one pair breeding, were recorded at marshy, shallow freshwater ponds on the eastern side of the Plain in May 2003. Sixty waterbird species were recorded on the Plain in 2003; eight of these were migratory. Hundreds of Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata and substantial numbers of Latham?s Snipe Gallinago hardwickii and Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa use the drying shallow swamps during northward migration (March-May); many hundreds of the Asian breeding White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus sometimes occur at this time of year.

Twenty-one waterbird species were found breeding on the Plain in 2003. Large numbers of Black Swan breed, especially in wetter years; at least nine other Anatidae breed, in or soon after the Wet season, some prolifically, including Radjah Shelduck (Sr), Cotton Pygmy-goose Nettapus coromandelianus (Sr) and Australasian Shoveler Anas rhynchotis; the Plain is the only known documented breeding locality for Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus (in spike-rush beds) and Red-necked Avocet Recurvirostra novaehollandiae (on samphire islets) in the bioregion; many Blackwinged Stilts Himantopus himantopus and Brolgas Grus rubicunda also breed.

When water is extensive, waterbirds may be abundant: 37,000 were recorded from aerial and ground surveys in March 2003; numbers fell to below 20,000 by May and only a few thousand by July 2003. The most abundant species include Straw-necked Ibis (up to 15,000, which is more than 1% of the estimated total population), Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa, Black-winged Stilt, Plumed Whistling-Duck, Grey Teal Anas gracilis and White-winged Black Tern; high numbers (over 1% of the estimated total population) of the Royal Spoonbill occur, also substantial numbers of Magpie Goose and Brolga.