ABORIGINAL NRM| APRIL 2016

Restoring Pumicestone Passage

A new community driven program
is underway in the Pumicestone
Passage that will aim to improve water
quality, marine habitat, fish stocks and
seagrass growth through shellfish reef
restoration.
Shellfish reefs provide numerous
important ecosystem services for
our marine environments. Bivalve
shellfish such as oysters and mussels
are a crucial element of our marine
ecosystems. They are natural filters
of our waterways, provide a source

of food and structured habitat for

a number of different fish species,
and reduce shoreline erosion by
dampening wave action and stabilising
sediments.
Over the last 100 years, shellfish
reefs have deteriorated greatly in the
Pumicestone due to development,
natural disasters and declining water
quality, and today less than 5% of
shellfish remain in the passage1.

Hello!
Welcome to the April edition of
the Aboriginal Natural Resource
Management newsletter for 2016.
This newsletter shares the first stages
of a successful community project in
Pumicestone Passage, and takes a
look at the progress of Green Army
cadets on North Stradbroke Island.
This edition will introduce a new
section to the newsletters, in getting
to know more about some of the SEQ
Catchments staff.
There are also a range of upcoming
events and funding opportunities
currently open that may be of interest
to you.
I hope you enjoy this months
newsletter. Feedback and comments
are always welcome and appreciated.
Bree Pinner
Traditional Owner and Indigenous
Engagement Support Officer &
Coastal Support Officer

Photo: Archaeologist Michael Strong, Historian Ray Kerkhove and SEQ Catchments Bree
Pinner with Traditional Owners Sean Fleischfresser, Melinda Serico, Fred Palin, Kerry Jones
and Uncle Nurdon Serico

bpinner@seqcatchments.com.au

Green Army:
Where are they
now?
In April last year, we shared a
story about Quandamookas
young Green Army team working
to restore natural and cultural
landscapes on native title land on
North Stradbroke Island.

Photo: Dr Ben Diggles inspects remnant Oyster banks in the passage

This project is made possible with
funding through the Australian
Governments National Landcare
Programme, the Queensland
Governments Healthy Country
Programme, Moreton Bay
Regional Council, Unity Water
and the Pumicestone Passage
Fish Restocking Association. It
will investigate various methods
for restoring shellfish reefs in the
passage in order to improve the
water quality.
As well as ecological values, shellfish
are culturally significant to Traditional
Owners across SEQ.
Joondoburri elder Fred Palin
acknowledged that the restoration
of shellfish reefs is naturally close
to the heart of the Traditional
Custodians.
They are not only important for our
cultural heritage but also for the key
role they play providing ecosystem
services to the marine ecology of the
region.

Moreton Bay Regional Council

Mayor Allan Sutherland said council
had contributed $20,000 to the first
stage of the shellfish reef trial to
help deliver further improvements
to water quality in Pumicestone
Passage.
We all have a responsibility to
do what we can to protect and
improve our waterways for future
generations, Mayor Sutherland said.
Based on what scientists know
about the importance of shellfish
to marine ecosystems, the trial has
the potential to help deliver further
improvements to water quality in
Pumicestone Passage.
Its early days yet, but the shellfish
reef trial could complement the
ongoing results weve achieved as
a community in the Pumicestone
Passage catchment.
For more on this story see: https://
au.news.yahoo.com/video/
watch/31094983/pumicestonepassage-repair-project/#page1
1. Diggles, B. 2013, Historical epidemiology
indicates water quality decline drives loss
of oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) reefs in
Moreton Bay, Australia, New Zealand Journal
of Marine and Freshwater Research, vol. 47,
no. 4, pp. 1-21.

Photo: Traditional Owner Fred Palin talks

about reef restoration

Some of the Green Army

graduates are now working
as community rangers with
Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee
Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC),
continuing work on the island
and maintaining a personal
connection to country. SEQ
Catchments and ABC 612 visited
the rangers to find out about their
work on North Stradbroke as
Quandamooka rangers.

This project is supported by SEQ

Catchments, through funding from
the Australian Governments National
Landcare Programme and the
Queensland Governments Healthy
Country Programme.

Photo: QYAC rangers hard at

work
The Green Army program was an
important first step in training the
young Quandamooka rangers.
Darren Burns, QYAC Aboriginal
land and sea management
coordinator, said the Green Army
program was important for the
young Quandamooka team,
providing the opportunity to
connect to country.
Its the island youth and its
important for them to stay on the
island and grow through learning
about working on their country,
he said.

Quandamooka man Jacob

Martin, has used training and
skills learned from working with
the Green Army in his work as a
ranger.

Meet your local

Area Manager

Its what our people have done

our whole life, generation after
generation, looking after the
country he said.

PDonatiu@seqcatchments.com.au

Paul Donatiu
Southern Area Manager

Chief executive of Quandamooka

Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal
Corporation, Cameron Costello,
said the changes in the younger
generation involved in the
program helped the whole
community.
The obligation that is bestowed
on them by their elders to go in
and restore these areas where our
ancestors have been walking for
tens of thousands of years for
us its a very great honour he
said.
They are doing a great service
for their people and for the
broader community and caring for
country is something they can be
involved with.
This story is adapted from 612
ABC Brisbane.
For ABCs full story visit http://
www.abc.net.au/news/201512-16/meet-australias-firstindigenous-green-armystradbroke-island/7032638

Theres a lot happening on the

Gold Coast at the moment. Some
excellent weed removal and riparian
protection projects in the upper
valleys, lots of educational projects,
and some amazing beach care
and mangrove watch work. Being
physically based in the Griffith
Centre for Coastal Management is
a huge bonus, and a great chance
to connect with their research and
community education programs.

Events, Resources,
Opportunities
National Reconciliation Week 27
May - 3 June
Theme: Our History, Our Story, Our
Future
Paul is SEQ Catchments Southern
Area Manager and covers the
Gold Coast region. Paul has a
study background in architecture,
psychology and environmental
management, and has worked for
Greening Australia, WWF and the
National Parks Association.

Where are you from?

Im originally from North
Queensland where my family was
part of the sugarcane farming
community around Innisfail. I have
great memories as a kid roaming the
farm, swimming at the Boulders and
fishing in the local creeks. We moved
to Brisbane when I was 7, but we still
took most of our holidays in the bush
or by the beach.

What are you most

passionate about in Natural
Resource Management?

Photo: QYAC ranger Jacob Martin

What are you working on at

the moment?

Throughout my teens I bushwalked

in lots of SEQ national parks,
especially Lamington, Springbrook
and DAguilar. Some of the best
moments were going out after a big
rain and checking out some of the
awesome waterfalls in these parks.
Parks are the ideal, but the real
challenge is to live sustainably in
the other 95% of Queensland not in
Park.

This year, National Reconciliation

week will reflect on our national
identity and the place of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander histories,
culture and rights in the nations
story.
National Reconciliation Week is a
time to share culture and histories,
connect with communities and
celebrate reconciliation efforts.
For more information on National
Reconciliation Events visit:
www.reconciliation.org.au

Quandamooka Festival
July - September 2016
Quandamooka Festival 2016 will
take place across the Redlands,
Moreton Bay and Brisbane area.
The festival will include cultural
tours, Traditional song and dance,
music, art exhibitions, workshops,
film nights, Traditional food, markets,
whale watching tours, storytelling,
weaving, sand art, sporting events,
speakers forums and much more.
Opening events will take place the
first weekend of July.
Watch this space: http://
quandamookafestival.com.au/

NAIDOC week, 3 - 10 July 2016

(National Aborigines and Islanders
Day Observance Committee)
Songlines: The living narrative of
our nation
The theme for NAIDOC 2016 has
been announced. Songlines: the
living narratives of our nation, will
promote the significant spiritual
and cultural connections to
country that are encompassed in
dreaming tracks across Australia,
otherwise known as songlines.
For further details, visit: http://
www.naidoc.org.au/
NAIDOC 2016 grant funding
round
The 2016 NAIDOC Grant Funding
round will open at 9.00 am (AEST)
on Tuesday 29 March.
Funding this year will be
available under the Indigenous
Advancement Strategy to help
communities to celebrate NAIDOC
Week.
The Australian Government will be
accepting funding submissions
for local activities and events,
held during NAIDOC Week, to
celebrate with your community.

Green Army, Round Five

The Department of Environment
have announced applications
for round five of the Green Army
Programme will be opening soon.
This round of funding invites
proposals over a two to three year
period, using multiple Green Army
teams, to achieve environmental
or heritage outcomes.
For more information please visit
http://www.environment.gov.au/
land/green-army/projects/round-5
Indigenous Advancement
Strategy
The Indigenous Advancement
Strategy grant guidelines have
been revised and funding will now
be delivered largely through two
streams:
- Community Led grants, and;
- Tailored Assistance Employment
Grants.
Applications are currently open,
however potential applicants must
discuss their proposal with their
local Prime Minister & Cabinet
Regional Network office, by calling
1800 079 098.

More information on how to apply

and all of the documents you need
including the Application Form
and the Application Kit will be
available from 9.00am on Tuesday
29 March on the Department
of Prime Minister and Cabinet
website.
For further information, visit:
https://www.dpmc.gov.au/
indigenous-affairs/grants-andfunding/funding-under-ias

SEQ Catchments
Level 2, 183 North Quay, Brisbane 4000
Ph: 3211 4404
Fax: 3211 4405

Bree Pinner
Traditional Owner & Indigenous
Engagement Support Officer
E : bpinner@seqcatchments.com.au
M: 0437 645 127

This newsletter has been developed with support from the

Australian Governments National Landcare Programme.

For more information visit: https://

www.dpmc.gov.au/indigenousaffairs/grants-and-funding/
funding-under-ias
National Library of Australia
Community Heritage grants
Grants of up to $15,000 are
available for community groups
to help manage and preserve
nationally significant cultural
heritage.
Types of projects that may be
funded include significance
assessments of collections;
preservation needs assessments
of collections; conservation
activities and collection
management; and training
workshops.
The 2016 grant round will close on
May 9.
For more information or to apply,
please visit: https://www.nla.gov.
au/awards-and-grants/chg