Misty Mountain Trails
Wet Tropics of North
Queensland, Australia
Photo: Dave Kimble, 2002
Cochable
Creek Road :
The environmental problems associated with opening 9
kilometers of road within the World Heritage Area to public vehicles, and
associated day facilities.
ã MBEMG, 2003
Mission
Beach Environmental Management Group Inc.
Lot 11, Lindsay Road, Carmoo, 4852
Queensland, Australia
email: Dave.Kimble@Lizzy.com.au
ph/fax
: +61 7 40 689270
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Source: ABC-TV
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The Wet Tropics World
Heritage Area
The Wet Tropics Management Authority (WTMA) came into existence in 1988, and
after much consultation, produced its Management Plan in 1998. This plan was
intended to set the management agenda for the next 25 years, including a
zoning scheme for different parts of the World Heritage Area.
But the Plan is not set in
concrete, and it is possible to rezone areas and reclassify roads. The very
first rezoning process is happening at the moment (early 2003), and refers to
changes needed to accommodate parts of the Misty Mountain Trails project.
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Source: NASA Landsat 7
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Misty Mountain Trails
The Misty Mountain Trails
form part of the Queensland Heritage Trails Network. It is a project proposed
by the Shire Councils of Cardwell, Johnstone, Eacham and Herberton, and
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS), and involves about 150
kilometers of walking tracks based on old logging tracks and powerline
maintenance tracks.
These tracks are in remote country and walkers will have to be aware of the
risks, and be self-sufficient. It is an ideal opportunity for a guided expedition
operator because individuals and small groups will find the logistics of
getting to and from the track-heads, that themselves are fairly remote, to be
difficult without outside organisation.
So long as 'best practice' bushwalking techniques are used, the environmental
impacts will be manageable.
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Source: Wet Tropics Management Authority
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Cochable Creek Road
But there is another component of the Misty Mountain Trails project in the
mountains behind Tully that involves opening up the lower end of the 'H' Road
and the Cochable Creek Road to public vehicles, and including 'day
facilities' at the new trackhead at the Cochable Creek Causeway campsite.
This would mean that 9 kilometers of road that is currently only used by
Powerlink to service high voltage powerlines would be open to anyone applying
for a WTMA permit, including 2-WDs and guided tour buses. And, of course,
once someone leaves the gate unlocked, well then everyone can go for a drive.
The problem with vehicles using the road is that vehicles have a much
greater environmental impact than bushwalkers.
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Source: University of Minnesota, 2001, J
Beckerman
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Phytophthora
Phytophthora cinnamomi is a species of primitive fungus that attacks
tree roots and causes die-back in forests in widely different parts of
Australia and around the world.
"There is no
available treatment for areas infested with Phytophthora. The only measures
available for reducing Phytophthora damage are quarantine measures which aim
to prevent transportation of this pathogen into new areas."
- Powerlink Draft EIS, 2002
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The Powerlink Draft EIS
(C&B April 2002) also states at Part C, Section 19.5.4 -- Pathogens
"... quarantine
measures can be quite onerous and it can be difficult to obtain
compliance. Of critical importance is
that measures be taken to prevent soil and water from known infestations near
Cochable Creek from being moved to other areas. Soil and water from these areas also need to be prevented from
coming in contact with passing vehicles.
This may require a ban on use of untreated water pumped from creeks
within the area (or use of temporary water treatment facilities.) It also may require a careful rebuild of
road sections near known Phytophthora outbreaks to ensure that infected water
or mud never contacts passing vehicles.
These road works would need to be carefully planned to ensure that they
do not disperse Phytophthora. A formal
assessment of Phytophthora risk and management strategies would be required if
one of the inland options was to proceed."
Phytophthora is present in the
Cochable Creek area and is spread by its spores being washed or blown onto
roads and then splashed along the road by vehicles driving through puddles. The
Federal Government has recognised Phytophthora as a 'key threatening process'
and has developed a Threat Abatement Plan.
It says, "Although
[Phytophthora is] considered to be restricted to the wet coastal forests,
many of these areas are designated as conservation reserves or state forests
and are managed for recreation and conservation purposes. Visitor access and,
therefore, the risk of spread is also considered a problem that will need to be
addressed."
Exactly - the risk of spreading Phytophthora along the Cochable Creek
Road by public vehicles needs to be addressed. The current Environmental Impact
Management Plan addresses Phytophthora problems with respect to bushwalkers and
track maintenance workers, but not public vehicles. How can the public be
expected to wash down their vehicles with high pressures sprays and
disinfectant at all the checkpoints?
The management tools available to deal with Phytophthora are limited to
mapping, monitoring and identifying pathways for spread, and "prevention
of dispersal into unaffected areas".
How can QPWS claim the spread of Phytophthora is being prevented whilst
at the same time opening up the road to the public?
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Source: JCU, SJ Richards
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Amphibian Chytrid
fungus
The fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is known to kill many
amphibians including stream-dwelling frogs such as the endangered Common
Mistfrog, Mountain Mistfrog and Waterfall Frog that are known to have been in
this area in the past. Its management is described in the Threatened Frogs
Recovery Plan 2000 as "presenting an immediate and potentially
devastating threat to frog populations throughout the world, in north-eastern
Queensland and other parts of Australia."
The Plan recommends disinfecting vehicle tyres when moving between different
catchments and broadly similar management practices as for preventing
Phytophthora spread, i.e. quarantining infected areas from vehicles.
How can opening the road to public vehicles do anything but help spread
this fungus?
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Source: Chakoro Nature
Reserve
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Cassowary-Human-Vehicle
interactions
The Recovery Plan for the Southern Cassowary, by QPWS April 2002, states :
"The following activities are likely to affect cassowary populations:
(3) Road construction and road upgrading resulting in habitat fragmentation,
... and exposure to vehicles or increase in vehicle speed
(5) Recreation area
development resulting in ... exposure to hand feeding and subsequent conflict
with visitors.
This proposal is a textbook case of what not to do, as far as
cassowaries are concerned.
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Source: Chakoro Nature Reserve
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If drivers see a
cassowary near the road they will certainly stop and let their passengers out
to photograph the bird, and will be tempted to offer food to bring the bird
closer. Cassowaries quickly learn that if they hang around the road they will
get fed, and then they deliberately stand in the road to force vehicles to
stop. If this occurs at a blind corner (and there are many of these on the
Cochable Creek Road) the cassowary is in danger of being run over. This
scenario has already occurred at the well-known cassowary siting spot at
Lacey Creek near Mission Beach.
At the Cochable Creek campsite, cassowaries will also hang around the picnic
area and try and steal food. If someone withholds food, it is possible that
the bird will kick out to try and get what it wants. This can be a very
frightening thing for unsuspecting day-trippers, and has led to the
construction of a fence around the picnic tables at Licuala Forest near
Mission Beach.
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TULLY TIMES , 5TH SEPTEMBER,
2002
Illegal feeding sparks Cassowary
incidents
Cassowary aggression in the
Licuala area at Mission Beach has resulted in a management program aimed at
reducing public interaction with the birds. Queensland Parks and Wildlife
Service (QPWS) Senior Ranger Rusty Smith said cassowaries were reportedly
approaching people and demonstrating threatening behaviour.
"People
unlawfully feeding cassowaries appears to be attracting them to the site",
Mr Smith said. "Cassowaries are dangerous birds and can cause serious injury,
and at least one person has been killed by a cassowary attack". Mr Smith said it was an offence to disturb
or feed dangerous animals, including cassowaries and the penalty could be as
high as $3000. "QPWS Staff will undertake surveillance of the area of the
area and offenders will be prosecuted," Mr Smith said. Additional warning
signs will also be erected.
"If this approach does not curb the current situation at Licuala, the area
will have to be temporarily closed to remove the influence of humans until the
birds settle down." Mr Smith pointed out that public interaction with
cassowaries would be managed for public safety and the well-being of the
endangered cassowary.
"This is important if we are to continue our close relationship with the
birds in the local area, while enjoying access to the many natural
attractions." Any person experiencing encounters with cassowaries is asked
to contact QPWS on 40466600.
Opening Cochable Creek campsite to
day visitors will only exacerbate cassowary-human interactions.
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Source: Dave Kimble, 2002
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Impact of road
maintenance on water quality
This photo was taken in November 2002 and shows grader spoil at the edge of
the 'H' Road which will cause large puddles on the road in the wet season
until the whole lot is washed away and into the local creeks.
Spoil like this lines the entire 9 kilometers to Cochable Creek, and at the
time of the photo had been like this for 5 months. It was still like this on March 9th, 2003.
QPWS claims that their Impact Mitigation Plan will overcome all problems, but
you only have to look at this mess to see that they do not have the resources
to make sure road maintenance is done to acceptable standards.
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Other impacts of roads on wildlife
1 Dust, noise and smell acts as a barrier for many small creatures, causing
fragmentation of habitat.
2 Vehicles are strongly implicated in the spread of noxious weeds.
3 Road kills
4 Illegal off-road driving
5 Illegal hunting
6 Illegal native plant removal
Impacts of opening the road on walkers
The intrusion of vehicles will destroy any sense of a 'wilderness experience'
for walkers on this stretch of track.
If vehicles are driving the road regularly then there will be a lot of dust
being disturbed and left coating the vegetation. This will seriously detract
from the enjoyment people can currently get from walking the track.
Indeed it is fair to say that no one will want to walk this 9 kilometre track
any more when there are buses and cars driving past. The effect of reclassifying
this road will be to close 9 kilometres of walking track to walkers. This is
the direct opposite of what the Misty Mountain Trails project was created to
achieve.
Source: Dave Kimble, 2002
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The solution
The road should not be reclassified for public vehicle use - it should be
left as a walking track and occasional maintenance vehicle track.
The proposed car park and day visitor area could then be located near the
start of the H Road on Cardwell Shire's Recreation, Camping and Water Reserve
on Lot 34 CWL 2014. This area can be seen on the far bank of the Tully River
in our opening photo.
Nevertheless WTMA has
given its approval and Queensland Environment Minister, Dean Wells, has
too. The Federal Minister has already
indicated that he will go along with WTMA.
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Update
So
the first change to the Wet Tropics Management Plan was bulldozed through
without any of the public’s concerns being addressed.
The next step was for
QPWS to finalise the Walk Management Plan.
WTMA claimed this was supposed to be the forum for considering whether
the road should be opened, and under what management conditions. But consultation was minimal and
consultation with MBEMG was limited to asking our opinion on the completed plan
just 3 days before the plan was publicly announced.
It is clear from all
this, that WTMA was intent on pushing this pro-tourism, anti-environment plan
through, regardless of the opposition.
MBEMG was strung along with platitudes and promises, which WTMA and QPWS
staff knew were worthless.
What a disgrace.
Dave
Kimble, Secretary MBEMG
