Funding to help threatened species welcomed

Burnett Mary Regional Group has welcomed funding from the Australian and Queensland Governments to improve threatened species management and recovery in the Mary River catchment.

Assistance has been provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, focused on the recovery of waterways and biodiversity in flood-affected communities.

BMRG's Director of Research, Tom Espinoza, said work has begun to survey threatened species in the catchment, including the Australian lungfish, Mary River turtle, Mary River cod and white-throated snapping turtle. Key cultural and pest species are also being surveyed and documented.

“This will establish a baseline of information from which to guide future investment in species and habitat management,” he said.

“It's a 12-month project to determine the distribution and abundance of our threatened species after the floods.

“We’ll use this as a baseline to other datasets we’re collecting and with other stakeholders to make informed decisions about possible interventions in the future, such as riparian revegetation.”

Mr Espinoza said the work involves using traditional and emerging research techniques.

“There are traditional sampling methods such as nets, electro fishing, cameras and acoustic traps,” he said.

“We’re combining that with more emerging, novel techniques such as environmental DNA.

“We’re surveying 50 sites across the entire Mary River catchment, including its tributaries.”

BMRG will integrate the data into its world-first natural capital account.

Partners in the project include Traditional Owners, Griffith University, Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee and Noosa Council.