On World Wetlands Day 2020 enjoy breakfast by the Bay while learning about Moreton Bay’s internationally significant Ramsar wetlands and Marine Park.
These wetlands sustain many species of endangered shorebirds as well as providing important habitats for dugongs, turtles and other marine life.
Other wildlife in this area includes koalas who seem to enjoy Cleveland’s sea breezes and coastal views. Many people get to see their first koala in the wild during a short guided walk around G.J. Walter Park and nearby streets.
World Wetlands Day 2020 details
- Sunday 2nd February 2020
- From 8:00am to 11:00am
- G.J. Walter Park in Cleveland (between the Grand View Hotel and the Toondah Harbour ferry terminal)
- Event hosted by Redlands2030, Birdlife Australia and ACF Community Bayside
World Wetlands Day 2020 activities
- Enjoy free breakfast: sausage sizzle, tea, and coffee
- Listen to music by the band Ankor together with songs from Simon and Troy
- Help paint and decorate a mobile mural illustrating wetland themes
- Hear from experts talking about mangroves and other key parts of our wetlands
- Take a short walk to meet the nearby Toondah koalas
- Observe migratory shorebirds feeding on the valuable mudflats
- Learn about the annual Cicarda Awards for young film-makers
- Find out about threats to the Moreton Bay Marine Park
- Make decision-makers aware of community opposition to wetlands destruction
- Enjoy the Park’s playground, picnic facilities, foreshores and off-leash area
Moreton Bay’s wetland biodiversity
World Wetlands Day marks the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands signed at Ramsar in Iran on February 2 in 1971. This international agreement (or treaty) known as the Ramsar Convention protects many internationally significant wetlands including Moreton Bay.
Wetlands and Biodiversity is the theme for 2020. Wetlands are rich with biodiversity and are a habitat for a dense variety of plant and animal species. The latest estimates show a global decline of biodiversity, while wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests.
Much of Moreton Bay was declared a State Marine Park in 1992. The following year, many parts of the Bay together with some nearby wetlands were given international protection through listing of the Moreton Bay Ramsar site.
“The site meets all nine criteria for the designation of wetlands of international importance. It is notable for its large size, diversity of wetland habitats, connectivity between wetland types, as well as diverse flora and fauna that includes threatened species and ecological communities. It contains seagrass, sandy and muddy tidal flats and subtidal areas, saltmarsh, mangroves and coral communities, freshwater wetlands, as well as ocean beaches and dunes.
The site includes one of the most extensive intertidal areas of seagrass, mangrove and saltmarsh communities on the eastern coast of Australia, and is valuable for supporting fisheries resources, waterbirds and marine megafauna of conservation significance.
Threats to Moreton Bay’s wetland biodiversity
G.J. Walter Park abuts the site proposed for construction of 3,600 apartments next to Toondah Harbour in Moreton Bay. The long story of this project is told in Toondah Harbour – the illustrated history.
This residential development project is supported by Redland City Mayor Karen Williams and a number of incumbent councillors who will all be seeking re-election on 28th March 2020
While this residential development project was instigated by the Campbell Newman LNP Government in 2013, it is has been supported by the Pallaszczuk Labor Government since 2015. There will be a state election in October 2020.
Community opposition to the construction of multi-storey apartments on Moreton Bay’s wetlands is growing steadily.
Now is the time to have your say about the Toondah Harbour project.
A petition to the Queensland Parliament will be launched on World Wetlands Day 2020 calling for a formal Commission of Inquiry into the Toondah Harbour project.
Be part of World Wetlands Day 2020
PLACE: G.J. Walter Park in Cleveland
DATE: Sunday 2nd February 2020
TIME: From 8:00am to 11:30am
Redlands2030 – 15 January 2020
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
One Comment
I am now on route to Borneo and will soon investigate the shocking situation in Sandakan, Borneo, where the Malaysian and Indonesian governments have allowed developers to destroy thousands of acreas of orangutan native forest in order to make big money from palm oil plantations. The ray of light is that finally these governments have realized that orangutans, proboscis monkeys and sun bears all face extinction because of human greed so it is now illegal to destroy any more forest. So what has this got to do with the Toondah Proposal to dredge 42 hectares of protected Ramsar wetland for nothing more than commercial profit? The Mayor of Redland City Council has stated that 10-storey blocks of units constructed out in the Bay will be crucial for tourism on North Stradbroke Island. What a load a nonsense. Responsible members of council and government know that we need to protect migratory shore-birds from facing the same fate as the orangutans of Borneo. One of those shore-bird species in Moreton Bay, the Eastern Curlew, is already critically endangered. We need our three levels of government to protect the habitat of these birds instead of supporting inappropriate and unnecessary commercial development.