May 2007 Issue No. 16 The CODLine Incorporating NEWS of the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee Dairying for sustainability Peter and Elke Watson Landholders, Conondale The Watson family bought their properties along the Mary River at Conondale in 1984. The land had been used for dairy production in the 1950s and 1960s and the dairy had been closed in the early 1970s when bulk milk was introduced. The property had been a busy and productive dairy in its time, growing lots of corn to feed the milking cows and pigs. However the property management had lost its direction by the time the property was purchased by Jeffrey Watson, with the help of his friend Harold Grigor. As was common practice in the era, the wide river flats (originally standing vine scrub) had been almost completely denuded of trees. Only a few large old blue gums remained, a symptom of continuous grazing regimes. The fertility inventory of the pastures was also limited; much of the Managing for sustainability is transforming the landscape for both business and wildlife farm was covered by ‘Queensland oats’ at Peter and Elke Watson’s dairying property near Conondale. (blady grass), a species that flourishes in degraded pastures. stretch. This was in strong contrast great nesting sites for native birds. to the substantial losses suffered by Indian mynahs visit the property but are Over the next 23 years, a program of neighbouring farms and to losses that had exterminated as soon as they are noticed. pasture regeneration and tree planting occurred in earlier large floods. Being very intelligent birds, they move has been implemented. The place is now on to less dangerous places, leaving the a productive dairy again. A creek meandering through the property was fenced off in 1994. Trees planted farm for the native birds. The two kilometre stretch of Mary River along this riparian zone are now up to The natural swamps and shallow water frontage was fenced off in 1991. We 15 metres tall. Birds, snakes and other on the flats have been allowed to remain have enhanced the pioneer colonisation wildlife are protected in this area and do and are our next project. These areas by sheoaks by planting native trees in a indeed flourish. are already partly fenced, and we plan five to ten metre strip along the top of to plant them to native swamp trees and the bank. This vegetation has made the This zone now forms a two kilometre shrubs to increase the breeding grounds bank stable, even in very large floods. In corridor of trees from the road to the for the local wetlands birds. the record flood in 1999, only a minimal property boundary. amount of riverbank was lost – just a The old blue gums on the river flats strip 1.5 metres wide along a 10 metre are now in their dying years and are … Continued in Part 2 on Page 3 1 The COD Line Northern Pipeline Interconnector sucks Obi Obi dry – and maybe Six Mile too! The lower reaches of Obi Obi Creek could species, particularly the Mary River cod, and climate change. It is quite possible be severely impacted in the near future by the Mary River turtle, the Australian that this would ensure the extinction of the construction of the northern pipeline lungfish and several threatened stream this species in the wild. Similar concerns interconnector which will divert ‘excess’ frog species. apply to other endangered species that water from Baroon Pocket Dam to supply The most severe risk is to the critically rely on continuous connected corridors the northern suburbs of Brisbane. endangered Mary River cod. The of suitable riparian and in-stream habitat So what’s wrong with that? It sounds importance of Obi Obi and Six Mile creeks for their survival. like a reasonable idea, if the water isn’t to the survival of the species is highlighted currently being used. Let’s investigate in the Mary Cod Recovery Plan prepared this further. by the State Government and registered Senate Inquiry th The major environmental impact of stage with the Federal Government Dept of 17 April 2007 saw a panel of Senators 1 of the pipeline proposal will be to allow Environment & Water. congregate at the DPI Conference Centre the level of water extraction from Baroon When the pipeline project was submitted in Gympie to hear from groups and Pocket Dam on Obi Obi Creek to go from to the Federal Government for its individuals that submitted comments on its current level of about 18 500 ML/ assessment there was no mention at all the proposed dam at Traveston. The room annum to its ‘full’ level of about 36 000 of likely impacts on these threatened was full to overflowing with media and ML/annum within about 18 months. species, and the assessor would have interested residents. The severe environmental implications had no idea from the documentation The Senate had received 187 submissions: of going to this level of extraction were submitted of the likely implications of 186 of these were against the proposal, well documented in the studies by the the project for the Mary River. and one was in favour of the dam (this scientific panel for theMary Basin Water In addition to the pipeline stage 1 and came from the State Government). Resource Plan. There is opportunity for stage 2, the proposed dam at Traveston Whilst it is true the Senate Inquiry cannot even further extraction from the Obi Crossing is also anticipated to have stop the dam, the Federal Government Obi Creek under the current Mary Basin significant environmental impacts on can stop the dam under Environment WRP. The impacts of this potentially the main trunk of the Mary River, and legislation. severe extraction scenario from the Obi to reduce the freshwater flows past the Obi Creek have not been assessed in any existing Mary River Barrage into Hervey studies available to the public. Bay. It is imperative that the cumulative Traveston Dam As part of a community-minded interest impacts of the operation of all these in preserving stream health, in line water infrastructure projects be taken proposal updates with the Obi Obi Creek rehabilitation into account in the Environmental Impact Studies for each project. scheme, downstream irrigators have Dam Proponents been historically conservative in using If the flow implications of the operation the water allocated to them, using only of stage 1 of the pipeline has severe Queensland Water about 700 ML/year of the 2000 ML/year habitat impacts on Obi Obi Creek and Infrastructure Pty Ltd allocated to them from flows in the creek. the operation of stage 2 has severe habitat Website: www.qldwi.com.au They are obviously concerned their impacts on Six Mile Creek, then this Phone: 1800 225 384 efforts at maintaining the ecosystems in leaves only one remaining large area of Email: [email protected] Obi Obi Creek will come to nought if suitable habitat identified in the Mary their unused allocation is extracted from River Cod Recovery Plan – in Tinana Dam Opponents the Obi Obi system via the pipeline. Creek, isolated from the remaining population in the main trunk of the Save the Mary River Stage 1 of the pipeline will result in Coordinating Group almost doubling the extraction of water river by the Mary River Barrage and the from Obi Obi Creek, with major impacts estuarine area of the Mary River near Website: www.savethemaryriver.com on the flow regime, riparian and in-stream Maryborough. Email: savethemaryriver@ habitats of that stream. Stage 2 will allow If the Traveston Crossing proposal gmail.com additional extraction from Six Mile Creek proceeds, then this would remove most Save the Mary Support Centre (at Lake Macdonald) and from the Mary of the remaining existing breeding habitat River at Coles Crossing. in the main trunk of the river as well, in Main St, Kandanga All of these areas are significant habitat addition to providing a major barrier to for a number of important EPBC listed migration in response to flow alterations 2 The COD Line Healthy soils = Healthy profits Brad Wedlock A healthy soil is all about having the indicate a healthy soil are organic matter Projects Manager correct balance and interaction between content, water holding capacity, water Mary River Catchment Coordinating the physical, chemical and biological infiltration rate, electrical conductivity Committee components. (salt content) and pH. The soil health kit Professor Peter Grace from QUT said can measure these characteristics. The Graziers need it, dairy farmers need it, that the ‘key to soil health and sustainable kit is intended for use by graziers in the small croppers need it, cane-growers need profits is carbon, and this has become Gympie district. it, and the catchment needs it. It is no more important with recent political The soil score card was customised secret, but it is rarely thought about – until announcements concerning carbon by DPI&F and the MRCCC for use by now! What are we talking about? trading. Increasing soil carbon levels have graziers in south-east Queensland. The Healthy soils – and they are making a direct bearing on higher profit levels. soil health score card rates the condition a welcome return to centre stage. A Carbon is about 60% of the soil organic of a variety of factors which impact profitable and sustainable farming or matter which made up of decomposing on soil health, and provides an overall grazing enterprise relies upon healthy plant and biological material, as well as score of the health of the soil in your soils. still-living soil organisms. Basically the paddock.