Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Tragic Cassowary Death Raises Mission Beach Road Toll to an Unacceptable 3 Adult Females in 6 Months

Yet again I find myself sitting in my office receiving news from my friend Liz Gallie at Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation (C4) that the Mission Beach community has lost yet another precious female endangered Southern cassowary.
Here is her email:

Subject: Another adult cassowary death on Mission Beach roads

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Easter Holiday Brings more Foreshore and Dune Damage by Vehicles at Cowley Beach

Cowley Beach Scientist Mr Richard Piper has been an advocate for coastal protection and management at Cowley beach for many years now.After working with Richard (conducting chemical trials in the field under extreme and arduous conditions) I was highly impressed by his cool headed thoroughness and commitment to excellence. I can see why he is so highly regarded by both his scientific and business associates.

As we both have a strong interest in damage to this beautiful beach by totally uncontrolled/unregulated dune and beach driving we often are in touch via email.

I was saddened to be informed by Richard and others of the damage inflicted on this beach over the Easter holidays and am grateful that adverse weather conditions would have reduced the damage to some degree.

I will share a recent letter with you which highlight the frustration we feel as bystanders watching the desecration of this beach whilst council watches on.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Cassowary Coast Regional Council Mismanagement at Cowley Beach receives damning report card from DERM Principal Coastal Scientist Sel Sultmann

I sometimes strongly disagree with the management practices of the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management. In my story ‘Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Upset Ma:mu Traditional Owners and Conservationists at Ella Bay’, I was mightily unimpressed with their beach driving antics and lack of consultation with traditional owners.

Well there is another side to the coin and after reading a recent report by DERM Principal Coastal Scientist Sel Sultmann I was very (read extremely) impressed with his work. It seems like DERM have some staff that are well and truly on the ball and Mr Sultmann is one of them.

This report was prepared for the council after Mr Sultmann’s inspection of damage to Cowley Beach on the 15 October 2009. Sadly the document disappeared like a fart in a fan factory and despite repeated requests by Cowley Beach scientist Mr Richard Piper to council for access to this document it never materialised. I was carbon copied in to these emails to councillor Jennifer Downs and other council representatives but for some reason Mr Piper was never given a copy of this report.

Smelling a rat Mr Piper obtained the report via other means and I thought in the interest of transparency and fair play you good people might like to see the contents so here it is… enjoy!

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Green Turtles, Crocodiles and Ella Bay

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted a new story but trust me I have had a few big fish to fry lately!

Today Ma:mu/Mandubarra traditional owner James Epong and I were fortunate enough to be invited to give a joint presentation on local turtle nesting to the Cassowary Coast Regional Council.

The star of the show was a turtle we called 108 as it was the 108th green turtle hatchling to make its dash for the ocean from a nest only metres away from the Ella Bay Road.


Thursday, February 25, 2010

No fishing zones on Great Barrier Reef have benefited the overall health and resilience of this marine ecosystem

A few months ago I stated my support for a Coral Sea Heritage Park and although I would like to see more powerful bans on oil exploration within this proposed park my opinion has not changed.

Of course you can read the original story ‘Coral Sea Heritage Park - Great news for recreational fisherman!’

Well a bit closer to home than the Coral Sea is the Great Barrier Reef and scientists have recently reported on the reefs protected zones and the report card is good!

Cairns Post journalist Julie Lightfoot drew my attention to this report in her story ‘Plenty of fish in no-go zone seas’ on 25 February 2010.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Cassowary Scat/Tracks on the Beach in Front of Proposed Ella Bay Resort Complex/Urban Development

On Sunday 7 February 2010 I decided to go for a beach walk at Ella Bay.
I knew that both Barra Creek and Biggerabarra Creek had broken out to the sea and would block my travel but at the end of the day a short walk is better than no walk at all.

Being cut off from the northern end of the beach was not a problem a few days later when I brought the sea kayak along!

I’m glad I decided to make this trip as I was well rewarded for my enthusiasm as you will soon see.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Original Ella Bay Property Developer Warren Witt in Liquidation and Banned from Industry…Reports the Cairns Post

Talented Cairns Post journalist, Julie Lightfoot has beaten me to the punch once again with this story about disgraced original Ella Bay property developer Mr Warren Witt!
Click on image for larger view

This story is also available on line.

Of course Mr Witt is the property developer who launched the proposed Ella Bay resort complex/urban development and is therefore of some interest to me.

Related Posts with Thumbnails