The coastal wetlands host regionally significant populations of
breeding waterfowl and waterbirds and are of international
significance as migratory wader bird habitat. Coastal wetlands
including adjacent seagrass meadows provide regionally significant
fish habitat and nursery areas and are recognised as a productivity
hotspot supporting the fishing industry.
The coastal Townsville- Burdekin wetland area is one of the
most extensive on the Australian east coast and part of it is
listed under the International
RAMSAR Convention. You can find information on
Australia's sites in the Directory of Important Wetlands in
Australia in the Australian
Wetlands Database.
Australia is signatory to bilateral agreements,
the China and Japan Migratory Bird Agreements, for the
protection of migratory species, most of which are wetland birds.
Almost half of the migratory species listed under these
agreements occur in our wetland areas.
Significant areas of intact wetlands dominate parts of the Lower
Burdekin and Haughton River floodplains. These areas form part of
the Bowling Green Bay National Park. Bowling Green Bay wetland
constitutes an asset of international significance and is one of
Queensland's few RAMSAR-listed wetlands.
Bowling Green Bay National Park has many significant features.
These include its:
- diversity and extent of wetland types;
- representation of the richest coastal wetland habitats typical
of the coastal wet-dry tropics of northeastern Australia;
- role in protection against erosion by cyclones;
- provision of an important bait fish, finfish and
crustacean nursery, providing critical habitat at stages in their
lifecycle;
- provision of feeding grounds for vulnerable species such
as dugongs, estuarine crocodiles and green turtles, and several
bird species;
- abundance and diversity of avifauna and role in sustaining the
genetic diversity of the region, which is dependent on
maintenance of the site for continued use. The site is of special
significance as breeding and feeding habitat for brolgas and magpie
geese, and seasonally supports a wide range of waterbird species
well in excess of 20,000 individuals;
- support for substantial numbers of all Australian waterbird
groups, including post breeding populations of 4,000 brolgas,
magpie geese (10,000), and various species of Anatidae
(4,000-5,000). Although population sizes are poorly known in
northern Australia, it is likely that, seasonally, populations of
brolgas exceed 1% of the total population.
Other significant wetlands listed in the
Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia located the in the
Burdekin Dry Tropics region include:
Brigalow Belt
- Burdekin Delta Aggregation
- Burdekin-Townsville Coastal Aggregation
- Lake Dalrymple
- Ross River Reservoir
- Southern Upstart Bay
Desert Uplands
- Cauckingburra Swamp
- Doongmabulla Springs
Einasleigh Uplands
- Great Basalt Wall
- Lake Lucy Wetlands
- Minnamoolka Area
- Poison Lake
- Wairuna Lake
- Walters Plains Lake
- Valley of Lagoons
Marine areas
