Weeds are invasive plants that can spread very quickly and have devastating impacts on primary industries, natural ecosystems, and human and animal health. Weeds are estimated to cost Queensland $600 million every year.
Invasive species can have serious impacts on threatened and vulnerable species, including many found in the Ramsar-listed Moreton Bay Wetland.
The Moreton Bay Ramsar Wetland is home to a mosaic of diverse ecosystems that support an array of plants and animals, some of which are rare and endangered.
One of these ecosystems is seagrass. Seagrass is an underwater flowering plant, not to be confused with seaweed, which is an algae. It grows in large meadows in shallow areas of the Moreton Bay Ramsar Wetland and provides important food and habitat for a range of marine animals. Turtles and dugongs love to feed off these nutrient-rich plants, and many fish species use them for nurseries. Did you know that in only one acre of seagrass, you could find up to 40,000 baby fish and over 50 million invertebrates?
Other Names: False water rat, yirrkoo
Conservation status: Vulnerable (Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999; Nature Conservation Act 1992)
The water mouse is a native rodent that inhabits coastal freshwater and intertidal environments, including saltmarsh, mangroves, and wetlands.
This World Soil Day is putting the spotlight on what can be done to address some curly issues with soil that are estimated to cost Australia more than $1 billion per year in lost production.
Soils contribute approximately $63 billion per year to Australia’s economy through agricultural production and directly contribute to a $100 billion Australian agricultural sector by 2030.
For over 20 years the health of South East Queensland’s waterways has been monitored and reported on via a comprehensive Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program (EHMP), providing a snapshot of the health of waterways of the region in the form of an annual Report Card.
The internationally recognised program provides a regional picture of the state of Quandamooka (Moreton Bay), the region’s waterways, catchments, and community quality of life, enabling a coordinated approach to catchment management.
Healthy Land & Water is the current entity coordinating the EHMP in collaboration with a diverse range of community, industry, and government partners.
Healthy Land & Water and a host of its partners across South East Queensland are delivering a range of activities to reduce threats and restore habitat in and around Quandamooka (Moreton Bay), alongside project delivery partners including Traditional Owners, private landowners, land managers, and local environmental groups.
The region’s waterways provide many important benefits such as clean and safe drinking water, habitats for recreational and commercial fishing, and a reliable water source for agricultural productivity.
Rivers, creeks, lakes, and beaches that are easily accessible are important places of recreation where locals can walk, cycle, swim, boat, fish, camp, picnic, and socialise. South East Queensland residents also spend and save money using local waterways for recreation, which contributes to the economic value of the area.
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Level 11, 240 Queen St, GPO Box 735
Meanjin (Brisbane) QLD 4001, Australia
Monday - Friday 8.30am - 5.00pm
Healthy Land & Water Ltd ABN 91 115 662 989
Phone: (07) 3177 9100
Email: info@hlw.org.au
We acknowledge that the place we now live has been nurtured by the Traditional Custodians of this Country for tens of thousands of years, and that their physical, cultural and spiritual custodianship of our land, water and skies is ongoing.
