Duty Of Care

• Discussion Paper: Explaining the concept of "Environmental Duty of Care" in the context of the Northern Gulf region (Queensland)
• Discussion Paper: Generating income from ecosystem services: It’s a brave new world for landholders around the world. Opportunities for landholders in the Northern Gulf region?

Current Projects

• Eradication of Bellyache Bush on the Palmer River: Stage 1 of a project to effectively eradicate and prevent the spread of the noxious weed, Bellyache Bush from the Palmer River region of the Mitchell River Catchment. (Lead agent Mitchell River Watershed Management Group)
• Ghost nets (marine debris) in the Gulf of Carpentaria: Discarded fishing nets of international origin are causing mass killings of marine life in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The local communities and local fishermen of the Gulf are driving a project to identify how many and where the nets are coming from and then to ‘clean up’ this problem. (Lead agent Carpentaria Ghost Nets Steering Committee)
• Cultural Awareness: Local Traditional Owners are documenting sites and story places to care for special places and pass on tradition to younger generations and the wider community. (Lead agent Northern Gulf Indigenous Savanna Group)
• GPS - GIS: Land managers are learning and using Global Positioning Systems and Geographic Information Systems to map and assist management decisions and monitoring of the expansive and complex natural systems of the Northern Gulf. In time these land managers will be leaders in their field.
• Wetland Management Model - Mutton Hole Wetlands: An extremely valuable wetland listed under the National Estate, to be the leading light of how local communities and government can work together to protect important nature values, cultural values as well as maintain an income for local businesses.
• Fire Notification: Satellites traverse our skies regularly throughout the day and are providing land managers with up to date information on the location and movement of fires. This technology is improving month to month and is made available to land managers via the internet. (Lead agent CRC Tropical Savannas)
• Washdown Bay: The Northern Gulf is surrounded by weeds that can seriously damage the natural and production values of the region. In conjunction with the Etheridge Shire Council a state of the art washdown bay is being established to significantly reduce the spread of weeds.
• Landsystem Management: Incentives are being provided to assist the sustainable management of at risk landscapes of the Northern Gulf. Incentives largely consist of physical tools (fencing, watering points) to manage stock according to the nuances of the landsystem and overall benefit to health of country.
• Tree Thickening: Research and development regarding the contentious issue of tree thickening - it's location, causes and relationships to natural and production systems, and current management techniques are being supported in the Northern Gulf. (Lead agent CRC Tropical Savannas)
• Biodiversity Condition Assessment: Much of the Gulf’s biodiversity is un-documented making it difficult to justify management decisions. This project will provide valuable information on the Gulf’s biodiversity, location, composition and condition. (Lead agent CRC Tropical Savannas)
• Freshwater Resource Assessment: Little is known of the condition and health of numerous and varied water bodies and the fish and invertebrates of the Northern Gulf. A whole of system approach is being investigated to ensure that our bountiful, yet unpredictable, natural waters remain in good health. Summary of results of Gilbert River Fish and Invertebrate Study (For the full report contact the Northern Gulf Resource Management Group)
• Salinity: Salinity hazard mapping will be completed in the upper section of the Northern Gulf Region in conjunction with landholders as well as assessing the viability of possible on-ground actions.
• By-catch: Incentives will be provided to sea managers to use modern technologies to reduce the chance of capturing non target marine wildlife. Commercial fishermen are leading the way in ensuring the future health of marine ecosystems. (Lead agent EcoFish)

Past Projects

• Tilapia Control and Management: This project , in collaboration with Sunwater, saw the construction of innovative mesh screens to prevent the spread of the noxious pest fish, Tilapia from Lake Tinaroo to the Gulf Rivers. (Lead agent Mitchell River Watershed Management Group)
• Environmental Audit of Stockroutes and Reserves in the Upper Mitchell: This project collected and compiled information on the remnant flora and fauna (terrestrial and aquatic) located in the described Stock Route and associated Reserves system in the Mitchell River headwaters. (Lead agent Mitchell River Watershed Management Group)
• Devolved Grant for Springs Management: Seasonally dry savannas house numerous oasis of bubbling springs that play an important role in providing water year round to wildlife and stock. Local land managers have accessed assistance to protect the water quality and associated habitat of these springs.

Whole of region projects

Grazing Land Management: Grazing management in the northern savannas is as complex as the ecosystems themselves. Local managers are accessing information about grazing management options for each land type in the gulf, contributing to sustainabilty at the property level.

Indigenous: Elders are melding modern and ancient technology to map, record and care for culturally significant areas. All information on this project resides with the Traditional Owners. (Lead agent Northern Gulf Indigenous Savanna Group)

Resource Mapping: Little information exists in the Gulf for property level management. Local managers are being equipped with skills and imagery that will contribute to informed resource management and improved property safety.

School Resources for Local Environments: Local children rarely learn the intricacies of their local environment in the Gulf. Resources that link the local environment to curriculum outcomes, combining local knowledge and science, will be provided to each Gulf school.

Selected photos courtesy of Mitchell River Watershed Management Group, Northern Gulf Indigenous Savanna Group, Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceans Office and Sarah Connor.