Palaszczuk Government announces $1.4 million to protect threatened species

The Palaszczuk Government is furthering its commitment to ensure Queensland’s threatened species are protected, with more than $1.4 million in funding announced today for 29 projects.

Minister for Environment Leeanne Enoch said these projects included supporting groups to plant more trees to enhance habitat, and funding research to grow our understanding of a variety of species including threatened shorebirds, dolphins, quolls, snakes, frogs, butterflies and gliders.

“Another program, which I have seen first hand, will help us understand more about the Powerful Owl.

“Birdlife Australia has received $99,558 in funding for their project, which will deploy acoustic monitors and engage volunteers to undertake surveys to understand breeding locations of the Powerful Owl, which is Australia’s largest owl.”

Minister Enoch said this funding was part of the Queensland Government’s $18 million Community Sustainability Action Grants Program.

“Under this round that specifically targets projects that protect threatened species, 29 successful recipients are receiving up to $100,000 for their local conservation projects.

“This is the first time, since the Community Sustainability Action Grants Program began in 2016, that there has been a specific threatened species category.

“The Palaszczuk Government is committed to ensuring our threatened species are protected, and this funding will fund on-the-ground projects that help restore important habitat and conduct important research into some of Queensland’s most vulnerable flora and fauna.”

BirdLife Southern Queensland Project Officer Dr Robert Clemens said the $99,558 grant to fund research into the Powerful Owl, will be used to purchase acoustic monitors that will help determine where these owls are and identify breeding locations.

“Powerful owls have a slow, double-note ‘whoo-hoo’ call that is soft, but very strong and resonant, and can be heard more than 1km away,” Dr Clemens said.

“The easiest way to be sure that there are owls in your area is to listen for their distinctive calls, particularly just after dusk or in the wee hours of the morning.

“When we started in 2018 we expected to find 25 to 30 Powerful owl pairs in south east Queensland, but we now suspect there may be more than 150.”

The full list of the successful projects is below, and can also be be viewed online.

The Community Sustainability Action Grants Program is providing $18 million over six years to community groups and individuals for innovative projects to address climate change, protect our unique wildlife and conserve Queensland’s natural and built environment.

Minister Enoch said the program supports locally based, community driven projects which encourage real change in Queensland.

More information on the Community Sustainability Action Grants Program is available at www.qld.gov.au/environment/pollution/funding/community-sustainability.

Media contact: 0431 427 297

Note for media: Recordings of powerful owl calls, images and footage can be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/sylggki7k5fvofe/AABfkaD-lDa5g5_6vWjIXAlna?dl=0

Community Sustainability Action grant program - Threatened Species

Total: $1,472,671

• BirdLife Northern New South Wales - $15,345 to undertake surveys to define the Grey Grasswren's current distribution and preferred habitat of the Grey Grasswren -an Australian wren – on the Bulloo Floodplain in South West Queensland.
• Trees for the Evelyn and Atherton Tablelands - $39,900 to plant 9,400 native trees and weed 2.7 hectares to strengthen a rainforest corridor between Lake Eacham and Lake Barrine, Crater Lakes National Park near Atherton, to protect the endangered cassowary and other species such as the Spotted-tailed Quoll and Macleay’s Fig-parrot.
• Whitsunday Catchment Landcare - $31,443 to rehabilitate critically endangered vegetation at Nelly Bay, Dingo Beach and Hideaway Bay. The project will include planting 500 trees and implementing a 12-month watering and weed control maintenance program across 1.3 hectares.
• Queensland Trust for Nature - $80,775 to plant 16,000 trees across 4 hectares and weed a further 10.5 hectares to restore a critical link in cassowary habitat to facilitate movement of the endangered species within the Smith's Gap Corridor, in the Wet Tropics.
• Central Highlands Regional Resources Use Planning Cooperative Limited - $28,790 to protect important habitat for the endangered Retro Slider – an endangered skink – south of Capella, in the Central Highlands.
• South Endeavour Pty Limited as trustee for South Endeavour Trust - $63,589 to plant 12,000 trees and weed 5 hectares to restore rainforest continuity in a core foraging area west of Cooktown for the threatened species of bats: the Semon leaf-nosed bat and Large-eared Horseshoe Bat.
• Tamborine Mountain Landcare Inc. - $60,000 to restore 10.5 hectares of abandoned agricultural land on Tamborine Mountain to native sub-tropical rainforest containing significant numbers of an Australian vine that provides food for the Richmond Birdwing butterfly.
• Noosa & District Landcare Group Incorporated - $32,610 to conserve 12 threatened rainforest plant species in the Noosa Shire Council area.
• Bats and Trees Society of Cairns (BatSoc) Inc - $61,320 to improve knowledge of Spectacled flying-fox foraging and roosting ecology by implementing a community Flying-Fox Watch program within Cairns and surrounding areas.Work will then be undertaken to restore and rehabilitate important roosting habitat identified through the program.
• Bush Heritage Australia - $49,000 to support ongoing conservation work for the endangered red-finned blue-eye fish in the springs on Edgbaston Reserve, near Barcaldine.
• BirdLife Southern Queensland - $99,558 to deploy acoustic monitors and engage volunteers to undertake surveys to refine distribution modelling for the Powerful owl and identify breeding locations within South East Queensland.
• Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee - $55,637 to preserve the habitat of the Water mouse in the Bulimba Creek Oxbow and Doboy Wetlands.
• BirdLife Northern Queensland - $97,570 to survey beaches and inshore islands from Russell Heads to Mowbray River to provide comprehensive data on knowledge gaps for threatened migratory shorebirds, including the Beach Stone-Curlew.
• Mitchell River Watershed Management Group Inc - $92,290 to protect and extend White-bellied Crimson Finch habitat in Kowanyama.
• Queensland Frog Society Inc. - $71,246 to conduct on-ground surveys and acoustic monitoring to assess the current status of three threatened frog populations at Kroombit Tops National Park, east of Biloela.
• Noosa Bush Beach and Creek Care - $16,587 to strengthen the resilience of known Swamp Stringybark populations and individual trees in Noosa and Tewantin National Parks, Reserves and Noosa Council Reserves, by hand weeding invasive weeds from around the trees and their immediate water catchment.
• Stanthorpe Rare Wildflower Consortium In - $9,000 to conduct surveys to assess the current population size and distribution of the most important subpopulations of the endangered Boronia granitica (an evergreen woody shrub with pink flowers) and the endangered Boronia repanda (also known as the Granite Rose) on the Granite Belt.
• The Corporation Of The Synod Of The Diocese of Brisbane – $10,000 to help reduce weed Cat's Claw Creeper on approximately 30 native Macadamia trees in the Amamoor State Forest, near Gympie, through weeding and biocontrol.
• Quoll Society of Australia Inc - $14,427 to undertake camera trapping to survey over 20 national parks, state forests, council conservation areas and private properties to assess the current distribution of the Spotted-tailed Quoll in South East Queensland.
• Australian Wildlife Conservancy - $100,000 to inform and support the land management actions necessary to conserve the Northern Bettong – a small marsupial – in Mount Spurgeon, near Port Douglas.
• Austinville Landcare - $68,550 to weed 34.5 hectares and plant 2,000 trees in Springbrook National Park in the Gold Coast hinterland to reduce weed threats, and provide the optimum growing environment for 12 threatened flora species.
• Slacks Creek Catchment Restoration Group Inc - $21,350 to increase the population of Swamp Tea Tree through the propagation and planting of 500 saplings into existing restoration sites at Riverdale Park, at the confluence of Slacks Creek and Logan River.
• Barron River Catchment Management Association Incorporated - $68,438 to improve and expand a corridor of endangered Mabi forest at Picnic Creek Crossing Reserve along the Barron River. This will be achieved by weeding 4 hectares and planting 3,120 native trees.
• Olkola Aboriginal Corporation - $74,620 to protect approximately 800 hectares of critical nesting habitat for the endangered Golden-shouldered parrot in Dixie, Cape York.
• Kuranda Envirocare Inc - $38,144 to remove weeds and engage volunteers to plant 4,000 trees to create a rainforest habitat conducive to the Kuranda Treefrog re-establishing a population along Cain Creek, Kuranda.
• Cubberla-Witton Catchments Network Inc - $10,328 to plant vines across Brisbane's inner western catchments to restore habitat and create a corridor for the movement of Richmond Birdwing butterfly.
• Protect the Bush Alliance Inc - $29,761 to undertake three on-ground threatened species surveys in Presho, Cathu and Durikai State Forests.
• Dolphin Research Australia Incorporated - $98,853 to undertake boat-based surveys to assess and monitor the population trends of the vulnerable Australian humpback dolphins in Moreton Bay. This project will map areas of critical habitat, monitor for changes in the prevalence of diseases, complete a spatial risk assessment to identify areas of concern and conservation priorities, and establish an education and community engagement program that will enhance public knowledge of Australian humpback dolphins.
• Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland - $33,540 to engage a quoll detection dog team to complete a series of surveys to determine if Spotted tailed or Northern quoll still inhabit the Mary Valley. An infra-red camera monitoring program will also operate in conjunction with the detection dog surveys.