Mosaic Map: NRM funded projects
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Cooroy Creek a Catalyst for Action
'Tree changers' are a vital ingredient in the success of efforts to restore vegetation along Cooroy Creek inland from Noosa.
"This area became a priority because of initial community interest," said Nick Willis, project officer with Noosa and District Landcare Group Inc which managed the project.
"There are a lot of people moving into the region who are interested in environmental issues and who want to plant trees, and that means we have high participation in projects like this one.
"Cooroy Creek was reasonably well vegetated at its headwaters, but the section through the Cooroy town area was quite degraded, so this was the area we focused on first."
Funding
The Australian Government contributed $45,000 to the project which was supported by Noosa Shire Council, Burnett Mary Regional Group and private landholders.
Activities
The Council put in a major effort to remove camphor laurel along the creek bank and volunteers then followed up by replanting native trees and shrubs.
"This is a fantastic example of a working partnership," said Nick. "There's no point in chopping down exotic vegetation without replanting soon after that."
New plants were protected by fencing off the creek banks from stock and providing alternative watering points away from the stream. Limiting livestock access to the creek also helped control bank erosion.
Initial efforts on public land around Cooroy Creek in the town encouraged private landholder interest.
Achievements
The statistics on what the project achieved are impressive.
They include plantings of more than 8,000 natives along 12 kilometres of creek bank, including Weeping Lilly Pilly, Flooded Gum, Giant Water Gum and Forest Red Gum. Project participants also completed 3.15 kilometres of fencing along Cooroy Creek. As well as this, ten property and reserve management plans were completed, 15 conservation covenants developed and 14 voluntary conservation agreements negotiated with landholders.
The Cooroy Creek project also became a major catalyst for action on a much wider scale.
"It sparked support for a much more extensive project which is now underway in the region, the Black Mountain Range Catchments Project," said Nick.
"Many of the landholders who were originally involved in the Cooroy Creek Project are also involved in this initiative which involves six catchments."*
*see Crossing the catchments for conservation.
More Information
- Nick Willis, project officer, Noosa and District Landcare Group Inc: (07) 5485 2155
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