Recovery plan for Julia Creek dunnart
A recovery plan to save one of the most endangered marsupials in
western Queensland—the Julia Creek dunnart —is underway
with the signing of a partnership between the Queensland Government
and McKinlay Shire Council.
The McKinlay Shire Council will establish a recovery team to
plan and manage the Julia Creek dunnart's recovery and to protect
the tiny marsupial's habitat.
The Environment Protection Agency will support the team and
identify measures to recover the dunnart and other threatened
species across the area.
Traditional owners to map significant sites
Traditional owners in north-west Queensland will soon be
recording and mapping their own cultural heritage sites under a
Queensland Government initiative. The Mount Isa-based
Mitakoodi/Juhnjlar Aboriginal Corporation was the first group to be
taught the technical skills needed to gather their own data.
Skills being taught included basic training in Global
Positioning Systems and work with computer mapping software so the
traditional owners could transfer their knowledge onto maps. The
information the Traditional Owners gather about their own cultural
sites will help them build their own database. The traditional
owners will retain intellectual property rights over this
information.
Details on cultural heritage and related legislation are
available through the web link below.
QPWS attacks pests and fires in the Savanna region
The Queensland State Government has committed more than $314,000
this year to battle animal and plant pests and reduce fire risks in
national parks and state forests throughout the savanna region of
north Queensland.
The funding will go towards:
- removing pigs, horses and cattle and control lion's tail,
rubber vine and noogoora burr at Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National
Park;
- removing pigs at Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park and the
Townsville Town Common Conservation Park;
- controlling rubber vine, parthenium and parkinsonia at
Blackwood, Dalrymple, Great Basalt Wall, Moorrinya, Porcupine Gorge
and White Mountains National Parks;
- controlling sicklepod shrubs at the southern section of
Girringun National Park;
- controlling siam weed, parthenium, chinee apple, mother of
millions, lantana and elephant ear vine at Girringun National Park
and Paluma Range National Park;
- building or upgrading firelines at the Mount Elliot section of
Bowling Green Bay National Park, Blackbraes National Park and
Resources Reserve, Moorrinya National Park, Girringun National Park
and the Paluma Range Aggregation, and Royton Timber Reserve (Mount
Isa);
- conducting hazard-reduction controlled burns of 21,130ha at
Boodjamulla, White Mountains, Girringun and Paluma Range National
Parks.
Ms Boyle and Mr McGrady acknowledged the cooperative working
relationship between QPWS rangers in the Savanna region, councils,
neighbouring landholders, local land care groups and Land
Protection officers of the Department of Natural Resources and
Mines.
