http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-14/sewage-deal-helps-secure-preservation-of-significant-wetlands/8268502
Sewage deal helps secure preservation of 'significant' wetlands on Sunshine Coast
Updated
An agreement over sewage disposal locked in a deal to protect a significant wetland on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, home to critically endangered and protected wildlife.
Unitywater, which provides water and sewage services to local governments in the Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Noosa areas, has agreed to buy the Yandina Creek Wetlands for $4.1 million.
"Unitywater bought this land for the purposes of nutrient offsetting. The wetland will remove nutrients and sediments from the river," a statement from the company said.
The land was formerly used to grow sugarcane but became an artificial wetland after it was sold to property developers and abandoned following the collapse of the local sugar industry.
The new owners failed to maintain the flood gates, enabling tidal water from the Maroochy River to swamp the property.
However, the land was leased back to cane farmers in late 2015 and the wetlands drained to allow for cropping, despite protests from local environmentalists who argued rare birds had settled in the area.
Sunshine Coast Birdlife Australia's Greg Roberts said the decision by Unitywater to buy the farms and re-establish the wetlands would benefit the local environment.
"Before it was drained in 2015 it was a habitat for a whole suite of endangered and rare birds and we're looking forward to them coming back."
Mr Roberts said the area was a habitat for about 150 species of birds, including the endangered Australian painted snipe and the curlew sandpiper.
"These birds are an example of why these wetlands were so important," he said.
Unitywater said it had developed a management plan for the site which will include monitoring of water, soil and vegetation quality, as well as wetland recovery strategies and access, weed and bushfire management.
"Unitywater is looking forward to watching the wetland develop and we are willing to work with local groups to monitor the various wildlife species likely to return to this new habitat," a spokesperson said.
The floodgates will be reopened in stages to enable water to flood back onto the property.
No risk to environment says bird enthusiast
Mr Roberts said using the wetlands to offset the levels of nutrients released into the Maroochy River by Unitywater's treatment plants was not a risk to the environment.
"At the moment, Unitywater's sewage plants discharge waste water in the Maroochy River, which adds to the levels of potentially harmful nutrients in the river," he said.
"But by acquiring these properties and re-establishing the wetland, they are taking the nutrients out of the river.
"It is an offset program, so the nutrients that go into the water from Unitywater's sewage treatment plant are taken out and deposited in the wetland.
"It will take potentially harmful nutrients out of the Maroochy River and recreate the wetland at the same time."
Change of heart over wetlands dispute
The Sunshine Coast Council, Queensland Government and Federal Government refused to intervene to protect the wetlands before they were drained in 2015.
"Despite the presence of rare and endangered birds [they] refused to intervene to have the wetland restored, and allowed the drainage to proceed on the basis it was artificially created," Mr Roberts said.
"That was always the big problem in getting this area protected, but ultimately the Palaszczuk Government had a change of heart."
The ABC contacted Queensland's Environment Minister, Stephen Miles, to ask why the state government changed its mind, however Mr Miles declined to comment.
Mr Roberts said the agreement was the result of internal negotiations through contacts within the Labor Government.
"It was a matter of having contacts, such as Jim Soorley who is the former Labor lord mayor of Brisbane and Unitywater chairman, who is well-connected with the Labor Party," he said.
"So it was a matter of personal contacts between people in the minister's office and people at Unitywater. There wasn't actually pressure on anyone."
Topics: environmental-impact, environment, environmental-management, environmental-policy, birds, human-interest,wetlands, government-and-politics, community-and-society, yandina-4561
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