Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee toasts success

Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee chairman Ian Mackay believes the committee structure is having an influence on the group’s success.

All set to look after the MRCCC in the coming year are deputy chairman Rob Priebe, secretary Annette Bourke, treasurer Margaret Thompson and chairman Ian Mackay.

WHEN an organisation has been going along relatively smoothly for more than 20 years, there must be something going right.

Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee chairman Ian Mackay said the committee structure appeared to be having a big influence on the group's success.

"Twenty-nine delegates from a wide geographic area of the Mary all get together almost as a family for the good of their river," he said.

"Delegates represent a wide range of groups and interests."

Mr Mackay said all delegates got on amicably and the fact staff had been with the MRCCC for over a decade contributed to success.

"We have other natural resource groups under our umbrella," he said.

"Groups such as Landcare all do their own thing but make an important contribution to the MRCCC's work."

A highlight of the year for the group was the acquisition of the committee's own building.

"It was unsettling to always be beholden to someone else for our office and other space," Mr Mackay said.

"We now have almost finished renovating the purchased house and are establishing a reference library and meeting room plus all our office space."

Work carried out included excavation to allow extra space and the installation of a 15kVA solar unit, plus over 60,000 litres of rain water storage.

Mr Mackay said the approximate 2000sq m block would be planted with native species, showcasing plants for fauna as well as suitable for erosion and sediment control.

The annual report detailed work done by various projects undertaken such as the continuing Water Watch Program that provides new and base line data on many of the streams in the Mary catchment.

There are 77 people involved in collecting 871 samples at 127 sites during the year.

Grazing Lands Workshops dealing with pasture species ID, forage budgeting and grazing Best Management Practices were held.

Two projects targeting riparian zones and nutrient run off went ahead with an average of $6720 grant funding per landholder which rose in value to $8888 with landholder input

Restoring riparian resilience targets landholders able to assist in helping habitat of the five threatened Mary River species - Mary River cod and turtle, Australian lungfish, giant barred frog and freshwater mullet.

In cooperation with the Macadamia Society, a feral pig monitoring and trapping project was instigated that focused on landholders sharing information while co-operating in control measures.

After a few problems in maintaining the supply of Mary River cod fingerlings for release, things have improved with Steve Poole as an around-the-clock volunteer.

To date, around 10,000 fingerlings are close to ready for release into catchment impoundments.