Threats were reduced and habitat was restored in and around the internationally recognized Moreton Bay Ramsar site.
A range of activities were delivered to reduce threats and restore habitat in and around the Moreton Bay Ramsar site, as part of the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program and in partnership with communities, Traditional Owners, private landowners, and governments across the region.
Extending from the foreshores of Brisbane, Moreton Bay is internationally recognized as a Ramsar Wetland for its biodiversity and ecological significance.
Starting back in 2018, the program, which focused on national priorities, was carried out over five years and was predominantly environmental, with projects focusing on Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES), world heritage areas, Ramsar Wetlands, threatened species, threatened ecological communities, and migratory species, together with extensive community and Indigenous engagement and participation, planning, and monitoring.
This overarching program includes multiple projects focused on:
Actions to reduce threats and to maintain, protect, and restore habitat in and around Moreton Bay Ramsar Wetlands.
The program includes multiple projects all driven to deliver environmental outcomes on different levels for the Moreton Bay Ramsar Wetlands.
The list of projects includes:
As a result of the program, these projects will reduce threats and restore habitat in and around the Moreton Bay Ramsar site.
A snapshot of outcomes delivered by the end of the 5 years 2023 included:
Moreton Bay was listed as an internationally important wetland under the Ramsar* Convention in 1993. Covering more than 120,000 hectares, the Moreton Bay Ramsar site includes many different coastal habitats and environments from freshwater wetlands, beaches, mud flats, saltmarsh, mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrass beds. The Bay’s diversity of wetlands provides a habitat for more than 750 species of fish, and the marine environment supports a high diversity of marine mammals including eight species of dolphin, five species of whale, and the dugong. All six marine turtle species known to exist in Australia are also found in Moreton Bay. It supports more than 50,000 wetland birds, including 28 species of migratory birds that travel from around the world to feed and roost. The Bay’s Traditional Owners include the Kabi Kabi, Jagera, Turrbal, Yugambeh, and Quandamooka people. The area has many archaeological sites, some of which show evidence of Aboriginal people’s presence dating back 20,000 years. Traditional Owners today maintain social and cultural connections to the region. Making sure that the internationally recognised biodiversity and ecological significance of these gems are preserved from threats and that habitat is being restored is paramount. |
There is huge potential to build on the successful work. Additional funding is required to build on project successes.
This program is funded by the Australian Government National Landcare Program and delivered in collaboration with landowners, managers, local Landcare groups, and Traditional Owners.
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance is an international treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Ramsar is the Iranian City where the Convention was adopted in 1971.