Cynthia Lui MP
Member for Cook
MEDIA RELEASE
Five exciting wildlife conservation projects in the Cook Electorate will share in nearly $400,000 to monitor and protect native animals and their habitat under the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s Community Sustainability Action Grant program.
The Community Sustainability Action grant program provides funding to eligible recipients for projects aimed at conserving Queensland’s natural and built environment and to protect our unique wildlife.
The Member for Cook, Cynthia Lui MP said the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s strong health response to the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that we can now start to deliver our plan for economic recovery.
“Queenslanders will not forget the LNP’s disastrous record on the environment and threatened species. Under Deb Frecklington and the LNP habitat loss quadrupled when they tore up Labor’s vegetation management laws in 2013.
“Since 2015, the Palaszczuk Labor Government has taken strong, sensible action to repair the damage done to Queensland’s environmental protections and to support a thriving balance between the environment and the economy.
“These grants are another example of how the Palaszczuk Labor Government is ensuring the natural and cultural values of Cook are protected while supporting economic recovery and creating jobs,” Ms Lui said
The Member for Cook, Cynthia Lui MP said the Tablelands based Tree Kangaroo and Mammal Group (TKMG), would receive $35,005 to monitor a remote population of yellow-bellied glider on the Mt Windsor National Park Tableland north of Mareeba.
“The TKMG will conduct three surveys over three years, to monitor the yellow-bellied glider and to measure its resilience to wildfire and high summer temperature conditions,” Ms Lui said.
TKMG president Adjunct Professor Peter Valentine said the group believed the Windsor Tableland population of the threatened Yellow-bellied Glider Wet Tropics subspecies (fluffy glider) was the strongest in the Wet Tropics.
“The project involves the use of songmeters, installed within the home range of each glider group, to record presence and absence data. The majority of the grant funds ($35,005) will be used to purchase and install the songmeters,” Professor Valentine explained.
Ms Lui said the Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation would use the $100,000 grant to find the Chin’ka (northern quoll) and the Lyipti (Cape York Rock-wallaby) in the Kaanju Ngaachi Indigenous Protected Area near Lockhart River.
“The Traditional Owners will use camera monitoring techniques on 20 sites and create a data collection program. They will also undertake two surveys that will inform future fire management and feral animal control.” she said.
Another organisation South Endeavour Pty Limited plans to study fire, climate change and gamba grass impacts on Alkoomie Nature refuge west of Cooktown with a $90,885 grant.
This project aims to improve climate change resilience and reduce habitat loss for threatened species such as the northern quoll and ghost bat populations in the Alkoomie Nature Reserve.
They will treat 880ha of gamba grass infestation with chemical weed management which will improve fire management in the area.
Ms Lui said the Bromley Aboriginal Corporation will use the $72,177 grant to maintain the population of the palm cockatoo in the Bromley Native Title Area.
“This project aims to restore traditional fire management practices to prevent further loss of nesting and foraging habitat. They will undertake a two-week survey to identify suitable habitat and prepare an online land management plan to help build the resilience of the species,” she said.
Sharks and Rays Australia Pty Ltd will receive $99,510 in funding over three years, to survey and monitor sawfish in the Kowanyama/Mitchell River area and Rinyirrum/Lakefield National Park.
Three Indigenous ranger groups will join forces to undertake regular data collection field trips and to educate the local community and school students about sawfish conservation.
To date, more than $10.5 million has been allocated to 293 recipients through the Community Sustainability Action Grant program.
“The Deb Frecklington and the LNP don’t value the environment and if they win government, they will cut their way through our vital wildlife conservation sector to deliver on their unfunded election commitments,” Ms Lui said.
“Now is not the time to risk the LNP’s cuts and environmental vandalism. Queensland’s ongoing economic, environmental and health recovery requires leadership and stability, and Deb Frecklington and the LNP are a risk to our recovery and the environment.”
This round of Community Sustainability Action grants is funded from the Queensland
Government waste levy.
ENDS
Media Contact – Cook Electorate Office – 4223 1100
