winter 2015 edition 79 - sunshine coast region/media/corporate/migrated/f… · 4 sunshine coast...

Sunshine Coast Bush hands Winter 2015 1

Continued on page 2

by Graham Webb, Aquatic Ecologistand Peter Armstrong, Catchment Management Offi cer

Winter 2015 Edition 79

Acting together to protectour Pumicestone catchment

In 2011, in response to growing land-use pressures and measured ecological decline, the Pumicestone Catchment Network was established to plan and implement a management program for the Passage and its catchment.

The Network is led by Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay Regional councils and includes more than 30 other community, industry, primary producer, natural resource management and State Government organisations. It has developed and is currently implementing an inaugural three-year action plan to address threats to water quality, biodiversity and associated social and economic values.

The Pumicestone Passage is a 45 kilometre long tidal waterway between the mainland and Bribie

Island, north of Brisbane. It is highly valued for its extensive mangrove, seagrass and mudfl at habitats, aquatic fauna such as fi sh, turtles and migratory shorebirds and recreational opportunities such as fi shing, swimming, boating and stunning natural views. Its 785 square kilometre catchment supports diverse rural land uses, including extensive tracts of forestry and other agricultural production, important areas of bushland and notable established and planned future urban centres.

Sunshine Coast Bush hands Winter 20152

The tenure and management of the catchment and waterways are complex. The catchment straddles the jurisdictions of Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay Regional Councils and includes areas with a diverse mix of private and public ownership and responsibilities. The Passage itself has formal status and management responsibilities under numerous international, national and state agreements and legislative instruments.

Collaboration between different sectors is therefore pivotal to protecting the diverse values and uses of the Pumicestone Passage and its catchment. The stakeholder network and action plan framework emphasises voluntary cooperation, effi ciency and opportunities through partnerships and timely action

on contemporary issues. It provides an evolving but successful model that could be applied in other catchments in the region and beyond.

Rehabilitation

One action in the catchment action plan was to identify and develop a large rehabilitation project. Many areas within the Pumicestone catchment were investigated; however the one eventually chosen provided the best environmental return for investment and linked to the overall biodiversity of the region.

Council is currently implementing this rehabilitation project in the Bells Creek area, next to the northern Passage. The project takes advantage of a historical esplanade 30m wide and over 6km long – bordered by seven adjoining private properties. The public ownership of these lands has enabled negotiations between Council staff and adjacent landowners to achieve good environmental outcomes while maintaining a comfortable level of ownership to the creek by those landowners, which has developed over generations.

While most of the area has reasonable riparian cover there will be approximately 3500 extra trees and shrubs planted to enhance the riparian area. Most of the work being carried out in the project is weeding. Vines, lantana, asparagus fern, slash pines and umbrella trees are some of the many species that required control.

This is a three year project with all primary works carried out in the fi rst year and a two year maintenance period before the areas are incorporated into Councils natural areas network for future maintenance.

Continued from page 1

Map of Pumicestone Passage and its catchment


Where to from here

The cooperative catchment planning process is working well in the Pumicestone catchment and is intended to be rolled out across all the major catchments of our region. The Maroochy River catchment has been identifi ed as the next in the program.

By focussing on achieving success in short term action periods, the action planning is allowing steering group members to build incrementally towards end goals. This contrasts with the

common historical approach of identifying ambitious end goals but falling short of getting there.

Catchment management requires a collective approach and there is a role for everyone. Funding is becoming more contested and limited so there is a need to achieve real successes with all projects and programs. Within the context of its vision and goals, this planning process allows completed actions to provide a foundation for addressing future priorities – this should be a never ending story.

Pumicestone Passage view from Caloundra

Pumicestone Passage catchment


This is the largest local member of the Arum family Araceae. Its large lush deep green leaves grow up to 0.5m long, adding a tropical twist to the landscape. This fl eshy herb grows to 1 – 1.5m on the Sunshine Coast.

Being this big and lush requires plenty of moisture, hence it is often found along slow moving creeks, shady wetlands and in rainforests where it is protected in the shade or the drying effects ofthe wind.

There is a story I often see referred to – traditional Indigenous medicine advocates Cunjevoi as a cure for Stinging Tree Dendrocnide spp. stings. However, while this may be okay if you are a skilled practitioner of Indigenous medicine (most of us aren’t), the sap on its own can be very irritating and may just take the edge off the Stinging Tree by causing its own infl ammation! I’ve witnessed a very severe reaction to the sap from the leaves on

Focus on fl ora

by Spencer ShawBrush Turkey Enterprises

a fellow bush regenerator and after witnessing that experience, give me Stinging Tree any day! Do not put any raw part of the plant in your mouth as it contains potent irritants that can cause swelling of your throat – not good.

Now before you give Cunjevoi too wide a berth, let’s focus on the positive. The tall white/cream/green arum fl owers have a lovely perfume and attract pollinating insects. The fl owers are followed by clustered bright red fruit, which given everything else I’ve said about this plant, do not eat them, they’re just for the birds! They are a great plant for boggy shady areas, one of the few local plants that really thrive in these conditions.

Cunjevoi’s heart shaped leaves will always havea special place in my heart, and are an essentialpart of the understorey in the very moist sectionsof rainforests.

Cunjevoi Alocasia brisbanensis

Alocasia brisbanensis Alocasia brisbanensis


The Wonga pigeon Leucosarcia melanoleuca, endemic to Australia, is assumed to be an ancient survivor of a genus unique to Australia with no other relatives. Its behaviour, calls, plumage and courting display are like no other pigeon.

For me, this beautiful large ground pigeon, measuring between 35 and 40cm, captures the enchantment of the rainforest. Its far-carrying repetitive call of “wonga wonga wonga” can continue for hours and be heard up to 2km away.

They inhabit the understorey of temperate and subtropical rainforests, wet eucalypt forests or scrubby gullies. They will regularly come into clearings to forage for insects, fallen berries and seeds from native and introduced grasses, shrubs and trees. Acacia seeds and Ink weed berries appear to be favourites.

Their distribution is along the east coast from Rockhampton to Melbourne. In Queensland they occur inland as far as the Brigalow country and Carnarvon Gorge, where I was delighted to hearone calling.

The appearance of this large terrestrial pigeon is distinctive with different shades of grey, white forehead, an impressive white “V” on its plump, grey breast, dark grey spots on a white belly and red legs.

Pairing mainly occurs during the breeding season from September to February. In courtship the male generally stands on a log, fl uffs his plumage and dances, opening and closing his wings while rhythmically swinging his head from side to side.

A dish-shaped nest of twigs is built in a horizontal fork of a tree from as low as 3m up to 20m high. Two white eggs are laid, with the male sharing the incubation and feeding of the young. Pigeon milk is

a nutritious substance sloughed from the walls of the crop of both sexes during nesting and regurgitated into nestlings’ open beaks.

If a Wonga is disturbed it will take off with a loud clapping of wings and fl y to a nearby low branch where it will remain motionless, with its back towards the observer, relying on its camoufl age to escape detection. In the past, this habit was its undoing as it became an easy target for hunters. At one time the Wonga pigeon was present in abundance throughout its territories but with early European settlement Wonga pigeons were shot and trapped for their good eating qualities, and numbers declined dramatically, becoming extinct in some areas. Loss of habitat and predation by cats and foxes has since added to their problem.

Wonga numbers are now holding where enough of their habitat remains. On the Sunshine Coast this is mainly in the Conondale and Blackall Ranges. Let’s hope these now protected beautiful quaint pigeons can continue to survive as they have managed to do through the ages.

Our quaint Wonga pigeon

by Janet Whish-WilsonLand for Wildlife

Wonga Pigeon (image by Rob Kernot)


The words ‘connections’ and ‘cultural’ are used in the above title to describe some of the unseen aspects of heritage such as the compelling need by Traditional Owners to care for country and be present on and have input into the control of the land and waters managed by the clans of their ancestors for 50 thousand years or more.

The inclusion of and the consultation with Traditional Owners, historically connected Aboriginal People, and South Sea Islander People in project planning and implementation is important. This includes proposals for environmental, cultural heritage, historical research, infrastructure and development projects. Such inclusion helps to exercise best practice guidelines through a number of national

Cultural Connections in Caring for Country

by Kerry Jones, Arnold Jones, Helen Jones, Bridgette Davis, Sean Fleischfresser, Anne Miller,Loretta Algar and Genevieve Jones – Bunya Bunya Aboriginal Corporation

charters like those of the Australian Natural Heritage Charter, the Burra Charter (for cultural heritage) and the Human Rights Commission or UNESCO.

Traditional Aboriginal societies have sophisticated farming and land management practices enabling permanent and sustainable settlement on the east coast of Australia. Aboriginal pathways or trade routes connect clans through access to gathering places and shared economies providing opportunities to exchange technology and oral history. Much of the Australian landscape with its native vegetation and fauna has been shaped in its characteristics and evolution by having to adapt to the fi re-stick of the Aboriginal farmer. This includes our local coastal heath lands or ‘wallum’, eucalypt forests, native grasslands and the animals andbirds within.

All these activities over tens of thousands of years saw a carefully managed Aboriginal cultural landscape, marked extensively by physical cultural heritage. For example, villages of huts and camp ovens, grain and nut storage areas, fi sh traps, dams and hunting hides, mature trees scarred by canoe and implement making or as boundary markers, quarry and ochre sites, ceremonial or bora rings, rock art, rock carvings (petroglyphs) and large areas cleared for camping and gatherings. As well, many other features built on the land, include cairns of stone, and arrangements of stone or shell used in ceremonies, to mark the ownership of a place or its restricted access. Estuaries were and are lined with hills and acres of Aboriginal shell or kitchen middens growing in magnitude over thousands of years as oysters, shellfi sh and other bush foods were consumed by people with the remains left in piles, year in and year out. Such imposing features of shell middens provided Traditional People with landscape markers to navigate by when travelling on bark canoes along our local rivers.

Working on Kabi Kabi CountryThe signifi cance of the Sunshine Coast’s ‘unseen’cultural heritage on your project site

Aboriginal scar treeMuller Park, Maroochy River, Bli Bli


Before the 1830’s the Sunshine Coast had what other places like Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory still has, thousands of heritage sites with a living traditional culture sustained by a rich biodiversity. It is unfortunate that through the process of colonisation the Sunshine Coast, South East Queensland and across Australia, many of the sites described in the above were removed or destroyed, much deliberately so as to remove the reminders and evidence of the sovereignty and legacy of the local Aboriginal clans.

While it may seem much has been lost, this situation now places more signifi cance on the remaining or unseen (intangible) heritage of the Sunshine Coast, such as places that invoke stories and memories, places of settlement and gathering areas, camp sites and the remaining artefact, scar tree and shell midden sites. It may also mean that artefact collections, historical records (in both public and private collections) and the oral histories of Traditional Owners and knowledge holders (past and present) are now that much more important or signifi cant in their values and the roles they play for the wider community.

We all need to consider and proactively conserve the physical and unseen cultural heritage. Ultimately, this helps to provide tangible experiences, connections, a sense of identity and belonging with the landscapes and waterways along the Sunshine Coast. Please consider and act on this when your organisation next embarks upon the planning process for a new project site. It is the way of best practice.

If you have an interest in Indigenous land management, cultural heritage or have encountered local Aboriginal sites, artefacts or story places which you would like to share, please contact Traditional Owners, Kerry Jones, MS 0401 205 367, [email protected] or Bridgette Davis,MS 0435 918 764, [email protected]

Stone tool

Remains of shell middenBoat ramp area, Muller Park, Bli Bli

Mooloolah River NP, much more than middens, a ‘story place’ with many values of intangibleand unseen heritage (L to R - Sean Fresser & Kerry Jones)

Bunya Bunya CountryAboriginal Corporation


by Joan DillonImage by Eric Anderson

Hunchy pigeonsand dovesA resurgent populationPart 1

We moved onto our property near the top end of Hunchy about sixteen years ago when remnant trees could still be found in the deep gullies. Most of the vegetation however was comprised by the many common South East Queensland weeds. Lantana dominated the steep slopes and large clumps mixed with Setaria and other exotic grasses. Wild tobacco (Solanum mauritianum) dominated the more open areas. A green blanket of Glycine and Silverleaf desmodium could be seen climbing trees and spreading seeds in all directions – sound familiar?

There were small birds, notably wrens and fi nches, which favoured the fl owering and seeding of annual weeds – but few pigeons and doves. It was said, although this was unsubstantiated, that many had been shot for food during the depression years. It was more likely that land clearing for bananas, small crops and grazing had removed their food sources as had the opportunity to move safely from one patch of forest to the next. Photos taken most likely in the 1940’s show the whole of the steep Hunchy escarpment, up to the main road between Montville and Flaxton, planted with bananas. The majority of the trees now growing in Hunchy were either planted or are regrowth.

The only pigeons of note back in the late 90’s were Brown cuckoo-doves feeding on Wild tobacco fruit and an occasional Rose-crowned fruit-dove in the deep gullies. Mature remnant trees in the laurel family provided some food, and denser foliage along the creek lines gave protection. Up-drafts of air created by the escarpment enabled raptors including Wedge-tail eagles, Grey goshawks and others to soar above the land looking for a tasty pigeon meal. They are wonderful to watch.

Several long-term landholders were already revegetating their properties and with the

departure of the banana industry to other areas, the escarpment was already substantially re-treed. However, trees suitable for frugivores (pigeons and doves) were not necessarily part of the mix. The exceptions were a magnifi cent White Fig (Ficus virens) known to be over 100 years old, a few of its cousins and an equally old Ficus macrophylla. These exceptions were visited every fruiting season by fl ocks of Fig birds, providing a valuable food source. The Rose-crowned fruit-doves also came up from the gullies along the creek lines to feast on the seasonal bounty.

If we wanted to bring back the pigeons and their ability to disperse the fruit of rainforest trees, the answer was obvious—plant more fi gs! Also, of course, research other food sources to develop a range of fruit bearing trees for seasonal as well as dietary diversity. The general revegetation program would provide links and corridors for safe movement and the opportunity for neighbours to cooperate. Since this is landslip country, planting fi gs in slip-prone areas was a good idea anyway and served a double purpose.

Read Part 2 of this article about their revegetation program results in the next edition of Bush Hands.

Rose-crowned fruit-dove


Saturday 15 August 20159.00am – 3.30pmLake Kawana Community CentreThe Conservation Forum is a biennial event, funded by the Environment Levy, for the members of Council’s environmental, community programs.

If you have not received your invitation, contact your Council liaison offi cer or email [email protected] – RSVP by 24 July 2015.

Poster Display

We invite our members and groups to submit a poster to highlight their activities, projects and achievements. Posters can be a series of photographs on card or something fancier. Submit your posters to your liaison offi cer by 24 July to be included into the forum and don’t hesitate to contact them if you need assistance.

Art & Photography Display

An environment inspired art display will form part of the forum, providing an opportunity for local artists and photographers to exhibit their work.

If you are interested in participating, email aphoto of your artwork along with a short blurbabout the inspiration behind your piece [email protected] by 24 July. Prizes will be awarded for several categories.


Sunshine CoastWildfl ower FestivalDiscover our local wildfl owers at the Sunshine Coast Wildfl ower Festival 18 – 30 August. Enjoy guided walks, activities and an art exhibition. Visit Sunshine Coast Council’s website for the full program and booking details.

National Tree DaySunshine Coast Council are inviting Coast residents to take part in local National Tree Day events, marking the 20th anniversary of the much-loved campaign.

National Tree Day events are taking place on Sunday 26th July at:• Kenilworth (Park at end of Charles St), 9 – 11.30am• Little Mountain (end of Village Way),

8am – 12pm• Yaroomba (Birrahl Park, Warragah Pde),

8.30 – 11am• Mudjimba (Beach Access 117, Mudjimba

Esplanade), 8.30 – 11am

To fi nd out more about Council’s National Tree Day events visit

www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au orwww.treeday.planetark.org


Our lawn looks like a green moonscape. There are hundreds of little mounds, 5 - 7cm high, composed of grains of soil excavated from the substrate. Judging by comments and questions from other residents, the situation is widespread. They are the handiwork of the Pasture funnel ant (Aphaenogastor pythia).

These yellow-brown ants are very small, only about 4mm long. Unlike many other ants which have major and minor workers, all the workers of this species are of the same caste and of the same size (monomorphic). With a good lens the 12-segmented antennae with 4-segmented clubs are visible and can help distinguish these ants from other similar species.

Of course the prominent mounds themselves are distinguishing features. Every mound has one or more openings 5 – 10mm in diameter which act as a funnel in the roughly cone-shaped structure. The funnels are thought to act as traps for small

arthropods and assist in drying out the nest. Some of our visitors from Europe were intrigued by the small size of what they thought were mole-hills and by the large number of them.

The scientifi c name “pythia” suggests that this ant was named after Pythia, a famous oracle (fortune teller) in ancient Greece. Locally, the belief is that when these ants make their mounds rain is imminent. Out in the desert we have noticed ants of different species building little “survival” turrets when rain was approaching. They were consistently accurate. At home here, we have observed that our Pasture funnel ants are equally accurate, not at forecasting rain but only at telling when it has rained recently. Not really much use – even the weather bureau can get that right.

There are about 200 species of Aphaenogaster world-wide. Australia has four species in that genus. Our species pythia is found in a narrow band up the East Coast of Australia in three widely separated

Funnel Antsby Kon HepersLand for Wildlife Verrierdale

Pasture funnel ant moundImage by Kon Hepers

Pasture Funnel Ants close upImage by James Dorey, Jbdorey Photography

Sunshine Coast Bush hands Winter 2015 11Sunshine Coast Bush hands Winter 2015

Bushland VibesEnjoy, Explore, ExperienceSunday 6 Septemberby Malcolm Fox

A day of entertainment, activity and new experiences for all the family at Maroochy Botanic Garden.

Bushland Vibes is presented by The Friends of Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Gardens with support from Sunshine Coast Council, local businesses and individuals. The Friends are excited about this opportunity to share the natural beauty and continued development of the Gardens.

Take in the art exhibition, sculpture demonstrations, relax and enjoy the entertainment from the Gubbi Gubbi Dance Troupe, New World Rhythm and Geckoes Wildlife, join a guided walk at 9am and 3pm with our roving ecologist or help weave a green wall.

Across the lagoon at the Kurrajong Shelter there will be native plant sales, information and book sales from Gardens for Wildlife and Society for Growing Native Plants.

The Bushland Vibes Art Exhibition, 4 - 6 September in the Maroochy Arts & Ecology Centre, will host works by local artists Catherine Money, Lyndon Davis and Sunshine Coast Art Group Potters.

To enjoy a unique Gourmet Bushfood Lunch at $35pp, followed by a Bushfood Walk, or to secure a spot in a Weaving Workshop at $20pp, email [email protected]

Coffee, lunches and snacks will be available. For more information, and the full event program, visit our website www.friendsofmaroochybotanicgardens.org.au

populations, which indicates that they may in fact be closely related but different species.

Excavating the soil and bringing it to the surface like they do is known as bioturbation. It alters the structure of the soil and affects aeration, water-holding and permeability. Earthworms and other burrowing organisms, including plants, also work the soil. In marine environments bivalves and other fi lter-feeders play a part in arranging substrate structure.

Here on our lawn we do not regard the ants as a serious problem; they clog up the lawnmower blades but in return they aerate the lawn for us and at some stage they will go away. Of course hundreds or even thousands of mounds on the fairway of a golf course would certainly interfere with play and be a nightmare for the green-keeper. In fact these ants can affect the structure and consistency of the soil to a degree where they cause a hazard to aviation using unsealed runways. In some soils they interfere with the roots of crops including sugar cane.

We have inspected quite a number of the mounds and found very few ants on the surface. The main nest would be down at or below the root zone of the grass where the workers are known to tend, and extract nourishment from certain aphids and scale insects feeding on the grass roots.

Our lawn also harbours seemingly millions of the nasty Green-head ants, Rhytidoponera metallica. We wondered if there was confl ict between the two species. Only one funnel-mound (of 40 inspected) had been taken over by the usually aggressive Green-head ants; the rest were still occupied by the funnel builders.

In areas where these ants must be controlled for commercial or safety reasons, professional pest controllers have a number of effective reagents. Repeat applications are usually required.

Aphaenogaster pythia appear to be non-aggressive – little information on defensive behaviour is available. We have given them ample opportunity but have never suffered a sting. We cannot say the same for the habitat-sharing Green-head ants.


www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.aucommunitynature@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.auT 07 5475 7272 F 07 5475 7277Locked Bag 72 Sunshine Coast Mail Centre Qld 4560

Events calendarDate Event Details

July 2015

26 July National Tree DayEvents are taking place at:Kenilworth (Park at end of Charles St), 9 - 11.30amLittle Mountain (end of Village Way), 8am – 12pmYaroomba (Birrahl Park, Warragah Pde), 8.30 – 11amMudjimba (Beach Access 117, Mudjimba Esp),8.30 - 11am

For more information visitwww.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.auor www.treeday.planetark.org.

August 2015

9 August Junior Wetlanders – Coolum and North Shore Coastcare Eco Discovery WorkshopsCheck out the fi sh and crabs, fi nd out what grows in wetlands and why mangroves are important.

Maroochy Wetlands Sanctuary, Bli Bli9.50 – 11.30amFor more information and to register visit www.coolumcoastcare.org.au

15 August Sunshine Coast Conservation ForumInvitation open to members of Council’s envrionmental, community programs

Lake Kawana Community CentreRSVP 24 July – [email protected]

18 - 27 August Insight + OnsiteAn exhibition of works on paper celebrating banksia and birds with Sandra Pearce and Catherine Money.

Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden, 33 Palm Creek Road, Tanawhawww.community.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/events

22 - 30 August Wildfl ower FestivalSunshine Coast Council and local community groups hosting a variety of activities, including guided walks.

Various locations on the Sunshine CoastVisit www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au for thefull program

23 August Plant Heroes – Coolum and North Shore Coastcare Eco Discovery WorkshopsHear Aboriginal stories of special local plants, discover your green thumb, plus take home a free plant.

Coolum Community Native Nursery, Yaroomba, 9.50 - 11.30am

September 2015

4 - 6 September Bushland Vibes Art Exhibition – Works by local artists, Catherine Money – illustrations & prints, Lyndon Davis – paintings and the Sunshine Coast Art Group Potters –a varied selection of ceramics. All works will be for sale.

Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden, Palm Creek Road, Tanawhawww.community.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/events

6 September Bushland Vibes: Enjoy, Explore, ExperienceA day of entertainment, activity and new experiences for all the family.

Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden, 33 Palm Creek Rd, Tanawha – To book email [email protected]. Full program atwww.friendsofmaroochybotanicgardens.org.au

13 September High Fliers: Birds and Bats – Coolum and North Shore Coastcare Eco Discovery Workshops: 9.50 – 11.30amExamine the fl ying fox colony and learn about our local birds.

Noosa Parks Association Environment Centre, Noosaville. For more information and to register visit www.coolumcoastcare.org.au

October 2015

1 October Living with Wildlife RSPCA Public LectureCome along to learn from RSPCA Wildlife team about the effects of cats on wildlife, how you can mitigate the damage, and ways to live more harmoniously with wildlife.

www.community.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/events

winter 2015 edition 79 - sunshine coast region/media/corporate/migrated/f… · 4 sunshine coast...

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