Friends of Wave Break Island

🌏 Today is World Dugong Day, and at we have a long history of conducting vital research and rescue operations to assist the majestic marine mammals.

In one of our longest running research projects, we proudly assist The University of Queensland on an annual health assessment of the species in Moreton Bay. These assessments, led by Dr. Janet Lanyon are conducted by a highly-skilled team of biologists and veterinarians who assess clinical health, body condition and reproductive status of the species to establish baseline clinical health parameters while also identifying the importance of protecting seagrass beds in the area.

Locally, dugong habitats stretch from the Gold Coast Broadwater right up to Moreton Bay, and we encourage all water users to do so respectfully and to go slow for those below!

Today we celebrate World Dugong Day!

Dugongs are truly unique marine mammals. They spend their lives grazing slowly across seagrass meadows, helping to keep these underwater ecosystems healthy and balanced. But their slow breeding rate and dependence on fragile habitats make them especially vulnerable to threats like seagrass loss, boat strikes, and entanglement in fishing gear.

At Watergum, we’re helping protect dugongs through community-led action and citizen science. We’ve collaborated with Dugong Sightings Gold Coast to encourage people to report sightings that help us better understand where dugongs are moving and how to can protect their habitat.

This data is shared with relevant governing bodies to support research and guide conservation actions that help protect these incredible animals.

If you see a dugong, report it to help protect this incredible species for generations to come!

📊 Submit your sighting here: https://arcg.is/1CmXSz

🌊 Join the Dugong Sightings GC group here: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/178aQt8xtN/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Dugong Sightings GC is proudly supported by the City of Gold Coast, Community Grants Program.

Week is coming, and now’s the perfect time to start planning how you will celebrate landcare in your community. This year’s campaign theme is ‘Experience Landcare’ and an opportunity to create awareness of landcare to the wider community, and for us all to promote the environmental, community and wellbeing benefits of getting your hands dirty to create healthier landscapes and waterways and help improve biodiversity. There are lots of resources for you to get involved! Read more https://landcareaustralia.org.au/.../campa.../landcare-week/ 3 to 9 August Landcare Australia National Landcare Network

40 years ago, the Gold Coast coastline changed forever.

The Gold Coast Seaway and Sand Bypass System officially opened, and 40 years later, it’s still quietly working away behind the scenes helping shape the coastline we know and love today.

Since then, the Seaway and Sand Bypass System have helped:

🏖 keep sand moving along our beaches
⚓ support safer ocean access for boaties and fishers
🌊 maintain access between the Broadwater and open ocean
The Sand Bypass System was also a world-first engineering solution.

Via GCWA

Wow!

🌿 Advocacy Matters 🌿

SCEC President Paul McDonald and CEO Lisa Malcolm recently participated in Ministerial Environmental Round Tables with Queensland Minister for the Environment, Andrew Powell.

Advocating on important environmental issues affecting the Sunshine Coast region, including the Inter-Urban Break, Protected Areas, the Sunshine Coast Waterways Authority, and non-lethal alternatives to shark nets.

A day of discussions between the Minister, Environment Department Directors, SCEC and representatives from all Conservation Councils across Queensland have helped secure several commitments from the Minister.

When delivered will improve environmental accountability and better protect biodiversity and the ecosystems upon which we all depend.

For more than 45 years, SCEC has continued to represent and advocate for the protection of the Sunshine Coast environment 💚

Learn more about Ministerial and SCEC’s Regional Environmental Round Tables: https://www.scec.org.au/environmental_round_tables

🤔💡Does anyone know why Wave Break Island doesn’t have the same environmental protection as Curlew Island? 📣

Google : Wave Break Island and the adjacent sandbanks in the Gold Coast Broadwater are critical high-tide roosting and feeding habitats for migratory shorebirds. These sensitive areas host internationally protected, threatened, and endangered species that undertake epic annual migrations

Just a heads up for everyone regarding this heavy weather and our local sewerage systems, and the creeks, canals and the broardwater.

First up, there is no need to panic or be overly concerned, please just be aware.

During prolonged heavy rain our local council sewerage systems, (mostly the sewage pump stations) do not have the capacity to handle the huge extra inflows due to storm water infiltration and illegal hook ups.

These extra flows are really massive, and the pump stations can NOT possibly handle these extra high flows.

So they simply fill up, and overflow into our creeks, canals and the broardwater.

Taking into account this overflowing raw sewage is vastly watered down with the storm water, and overflowing into large bodies of water, so this not a time to panic.

We all just need to be aware not to be playing around in our water ways and flood waters at this time, and for a few days after the heavy rain event is over.

Via Val Rigoli

A public servant role is to serve the public

The public have spoken, many times over!

It is time public servants listen and act accordingly

‼️ No development of Wave Break Island ‼️