Twitching for Mary - Attention Birdwatchers!

Bird Watchers are needed to take part in “Twitching for Mary" on Sunday 7th October.

Teams of 3-4 people will be assigned to properties from the Conondales to the sea, to survey the area anytime between 6 am & 6 pm.

In light of the existing and proposed threats to the Mary Catchment, there is a need for greater understanding of bird populations and distributions.

The survey will help gather information on the fauna of the Mary River, and organisers need many interested observers to participate in this important event.

Data collected on the day will be submitted to Birds Australia (Birds Atlas), Burnett Mary Regional Group, Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee and the Save the Mary River Coordinating Group, which could be helpful for the Environmental Impact Statement’s submission. It will also help target future bird conservation activities throughout the region.

If you are able to participate please send an e-mail ASAP with “Twitching for Mary” as the subject heading to greenlinnet@cooloola.net or phone Dawn Forrer or Robert Bell on 5485 2836. Teams need to be finalised before the 30th September.

International Support for Campaign









The STMRCG was host to some special guests from international river campaign organisations on the weekend.

Director of the International Rivers Network (US), Patrick McCulley, Director of the European Rivers Network, Roberto Epple, and Environment Conservation Manager of the UK Environment Agency, Alastair Driver, joined members of the STMRCG in the Mary Valley to get the low-down on the Traveston Dam proposal and to offer their full support to the campaign against it.

The location of the proposed dam and dam wall, areas of remnant rainforest marked for removal for road realignment, native vegetation and endemic species that would be displaced or driven to extinction by the proposal, were all covered, including a close encounter with Travis, the forty-year-old Mary River turtle.

The guests were unanimous in their surprise that this project is still being pushed by the government. Their experiences of similar proposals have been in third-world, largely undemocratic countries, where corruption is rife and communities have little say in the decision-making process.

Seeing the river mouth and the Great Sandy Strait from a light aircraft put the issue into perspective for Roberto and Patrick. It made them realise just how special this environment is and how necessary it is to keep up the fight to protect it, not only against proposals like the Traveston Dam, but other threats it will undoubtedly face in the future.

Much advice was shared and fresh ideas gained.

Thanks Patrick, Roberto and Alastair. Look forward to sharing a toast with you at that celebration party we talked about when this fight is won!

Surprise sighting on Hervey Bay Beaches
Clumps of Water Hyacinth have been sighted on beaches around the Bay and on Fraser Island after the recent heavy rains and flooding of the Mary River.

Much of the massive 'dead zone' of noxious weed, including salvinia molesta, which had been suffocating the Mary for several kilometres near Gympie, was flushed out to sea by the floods. Fortunately, hyacinth doesn't like salt water. The concern for some has been the impacts the dying weed would have on seagrass beds if it sank to the sea floor.

This deposit on the beach near the Urangan Fish Market was the largest we found.

Other signs of 'river flushing' have been reported from Kingfisher jetty on Fraser Island. Soon after the storm a great plume of brownish cloudy water, packed with nutrients, was spotted approaching the jetty through the clear blue water, where it lingered for several days. It was a perfect illustration of just how far-reaching the influence of the Mary's environmental flows are in the Strait, and how vital it is that these flows continue!