C4 identifies major new road kill threat to Mission Beach Cassowaries

Within the latter part of a recent post Another Mission Beach Cassowary killed by a car at Mission Beach 20.12.2009, the recent construction of a bikeway at Mission beach was examined.
This issue has also been examined within The Inconvenient Cassowary ...C4 Press Release another recent blog story.

The new bikeway is interfering with the crossing of this road by Mission Beach’s endangered Southern Cassowaries. This is a situation which no one seems to want to take responsibility for or correct at this stage (including our Cassowary Coast Regional Council).

Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation (C4) are extremely concerned regarding recent incidents at this location and are working hard to try to minimize the road strike threat to this federally endangered bird at this popular crossing site.

Today I received the following document and wish to share it with you.

Cheers Russ

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John Beasley: sculptor, woodworker, award winning naturalist and outstanding botanical author!

Throughout our lives we encounter people who we admire and respect though we may never have met them and today I would like to introduce you to one such person.

It was with great pleasure that I read the following article on 26 November 2009 by Cairns Post environment journalist Julie Lightfoot.

Click on image for larger view.

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The Inconvenient Cassowary ...C4 Press Release

A quick introduction to this story as I have already said plenty today!

I would like to thank C4 for getting this information out so rapidly to the community and let them know their work to protect this keystone species is greatly appreciated.

So without further ado I shall pass you over to Liz Gallie and C4.

Cheers Russ

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Another Mission Beach Cassowary killed by a car at Mission Beach 20.12.2009

Yesterday morning while I was examining the multitude of cassowary tracks that cross the Ella Bay Road, the noble bird was being killed by a vehicle strike at nearby Mission Beach.
I received the following message from cassowary conservation groupC4.

Sad day today as another adult cassowary is killed on Mission Beach roads. With the Christmas holidays fast approaching and no better road management strategy than a small 'recent crossing' sign in an 80 kph area we can only hold our breath in hope that there are no more fatalities. Media release will follow as more details come in.

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Tableland Earthmoving and Raw Materials claims regarding Bruce Weir shot to pieces by SWAG using aerial photograph from 1949!

Well it looks like it’s time for another story about the Walsh River! On 11 December 2009 the following letter by Save the Walsh Action Group (SWAG) member, Alan Mackenzie, was published in the Tableland Advertiser.

Click on image for larger view

Alan’s letter was a response to an article in the Tableland Advertiser on 9 December 2009 in which TERM Director, Mr Sam Musumeci, said that the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) were influenced by “mis-information” provided by sand mining opponents (read SWAG).

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Rare Snubfin Dolphins sighted at Ella Bay

After recently talking to Blanche Danastas from Marine Wildlife Australia I made a mental note to keep an eye out for more coastal dolphins at Ella Bay on my next walk. Little did I know that I would see and photograph a listed rare species of dolphin whose presence at Ella Bay had previously only been verbal evidence provided by commercial fishermen.

On Saturday 12.12.2009 I went for a beach walk at Ella Bay and was greeted with a magnificent sunrise and birdsong.
I enjoyed a morning full of excitement. I saw White Breasted sea eagles, Cassowary scat and tracks, Brahminy kites, Ospreys, Beach thick knees and a host of other interesting plants and animals.

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Mangoes and Cassowaries on the Ella Bay Road Part 2 - More food for thought!

The whole issue of cassowaries accessing food resources along the Ella Bay Road has been on my mind a fair bit lately after witnessing their attraction to the Mango trees that line the edges of the Ella Bay Road.
I am extremely concerned that property developer Ella Bay Pty Ltd plans to fence/widen this road potentially isolating or removing valuable cassowary food trees. That this is being proposed within and adjacent to a World Heritage National Park amplifies these concerns.

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DERM says NO to TERM’s proposed Bruce Weir sand mine on the Walsh River

Save the Walsh Action Group (SWAG) won a battle on 27 November 2009 when the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management refused to give Tableland Earthmoving and Raw Materials (TERM) their approval to conduct sand mining upstream from the Bruce Weir.

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Cowley Beach access decision likely - reports Innisfail Advocate

Environmental damage from unregulated traffic including cars, four wheel drives, quad bikes and motor bikes continues along the dunes and foreshore of Innisfail’s Cowley Beach.

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Mangoes and Cassowaries on the Ella Bay Road - food for thought!

Alongside the Ella Bay Road you will see many Mango trees Mangifera indica.
Of course they are not native to Australia and were probably planted along the road by local people years ago as a low maintenance seasonal source of fresh fruit.

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