Final Report CATCHMENT STUDY – GUSTAV CREEK, MAGNETIC ISLAND ACTFR Report 00/05 Prepared by A. Cairns, M.Richards and G. Lukacs Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research James Cook University Townsville Qld 4811 Phone: 07 47814262 Fax 07 47815589 Email: [email protected] Catchment Study – Gustav Creek, Magnetic Island. ACTFR Report No. 00/05 TABLE OF CONTENTS RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................................................................... 2 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................... 3 2 THE STUDY SITE.............................................................................................................................. 4 2.1 LOCATION ...................................................................................................................................... 4 2.2 POPULATION .................................................................................................................................. 5 2.3 HISTORY......................................................................................................................................... 6 3 CLIMATE ........................................................................................................................................... 7 3.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 7 3.2 TEMPERATURE ............................................................................................................................... 7 3.3 WIND............................................................................................................................................ 10 3.4 CYCLONES.................................................................................................................................... 10 4 OVERVIEW OF GUSTAV CREEK............................................................................................... 12 4.1 DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION OVERVIEW.................................................................................. 12 4.2 EXISTING LAND USES .................................................................................................................. 12 4.3 FUTURE DEVELOPMENT ISSUES................................................................................................... 12 5 TENURE AND CONTROLS........................................................................................................... 13 5.1 MARINE & TIDAL JURISDICTION ................................................................................................. 13 5.2 HARBOUR PROPOSAL ................................................................................................................... 13 5.3 PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS....................................................................................................... 14 6 LAND USE ........................................................................................................................................ 15 6.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 15 6.2 LAND TENURE.............................................................................................................................. 15 6.2.1 National Park ....................................................................................................................... 15 6.2.2 Freehold and Leasehold Land.............................................................................................. 15 6.2.3 Vacant Crown Land.............................................................................................................. 15 6.3 ZONING ........................................................................................................................................ 18 6.3.1 Planning Schedule................................................................................................................ 18 6.3.2 Current Zoning ..................................................................................................................... 18 6.3.3 Future Zoning....................................................................................................................... 18 6.4 ZONING TYPES.............................................................................................................................. 21 6.4.1 Residential ............................................................................................................................ 21 6.4.2 Industrial .............................................................................................................................. 22 6.4.3 Commercial and Community............................................................................................... 23 6.4.4 Tourist Facilities .................................................................................................................. 24 6.4.5 Non Urban............................................................................................................................ 25 6.4.6 Special Purpose .................................................................................................................... 25 6.5 CONTAMINATED LAND ................................................................................................................ 25 7 HERITAGE ISSUES ........................................................................................................................ 27 7.1 ABORIGINAL HERITAGE............................................................................................................... 27 7.1.1 Artefacts................................................................................................................................ 27 7.1.2 Native Title ........................................................................................................................... 27 7.2 NON ABORIGINAL HERITAGE ...................................................................................................... 27 7.2.1 National Estate ..................................................................................................................... 27 8 FLORA AND FAUNA ...................................................................................................................... 28 8.1 VEGETATION OF THE GUSTAV CREEK CATCHMENT .................................................................... 28 Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research Page i Catchment Study – Gustav Creek, Magnetic Island. ACTFR Report No. 00/05 8.1.1 General description.............................................................................................................. 28 8.1.2 Vulnerable and Endangered species .................................................................................... 28 8.1.3 Conservation status of vegetation communities ................................................................... 30 8.1.4 Gustav Creek riparian vegetation ........................................................................................ 31 8.1.5 Survey ................................................................................................................................... 31 8.1.6 Section descriptions.............................................................................................................. 32 8.1.7 Conservation status of vegetation communities ................................................................... 33 8.1.8 Introduced species ................................................................................................................ 34 8.1.9 Declared plants .................................................................................................................... 34 8.1.10 Weed control......................................................................................................................... 35 8.1.11 Mangroves ............................................................................................................................ 35 8.1.12 Remedial work and future management ............................................................................... 36 8.2 THE FAUNA OF THE GUSTAV CREEK CATCHMENT....................................................................... 36 8.2.1 Birds ..................................................................................................................................... 36 8.2.2 Mammals .............................................................................................................................. 37 8.2.3 Reptiles ................................................................................................................................. 37 8.2.4 Invertebrates......................................................................................................................... 37 9 GEOLOGY, SEDIMENTS AND SOILS ........................................................................................ 38 9.1 GEOLOGY ..................................................................................................................................... 38 9.1.1