BOS — Habitat Enhancement and Restoration

BOS — Habitat Enhancement & Restoration Project

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Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) has commissioned an enhancement and restoration project for high value habitat areas for threatened and migratory species listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

The Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Project meets compliance requirements under our Biodiversity Offset Strategy (BOS) and forms part of a Federal Government condition for the Western Basin Dredging and Disposal Project.

Project areas

The following high priority areas have been identified in order to maintain or enhance the diversity and increase the resilience of threatened and migratory species in the Port Curtis bioregion:

Curtis Island
Facing Island.

The criteria used to define priority restoration and/or enhancement sites are based on maximising ecological benefits for the broadest range of EPBC Act listed threatened and migratory marine species, while taking into account constraints associated with costs, environmental approvals, land tenure and social considerations.

ENVIRONMENT

	Air
	Water
	Habitats
	Megafauna
	Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Program
	Compliance and Monitoring
	Sustainability
	Biodiversity Offset Strategy
	Partnerships
	Environmental Reports and Documents
	Flying Foxes

Project Works

The project will commence with a bio-condition assessment in the project areas followed by on-ground restoration works to assist in preserving key habitats for EPBC listed megafauna and migratory shorebirds.

The project will include:

Biocondition Monitoring — on-ground monitoring to assess the ecological condition of the identified habitats.
Revegetation — suitable native vegetation will be planted to replenish areas where vegetation cover has been reduced.
Weed Control — weed eradication activities will occur as part of the Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Project.
Marine Debris Clean-Ups — removal of debris from beaches in the region at organized events.
Fencing and Signage — installation and repairs to fencing will occur to reduce access in some areas requiring habitat enhancement and restoration works. Informative signage will be installed to educate and communicate the importance of the habitat and associated fauna.
Ecological Monitoring — annual ecological monitoring will be conducted to assess the effectiveness of the restoration activities.
Community Engagement and Education — an ongoing education campaign will be developed to raise the awareness of the significance in preserving habitats for threatened and migratory species in our region.

Community consultation

In 2015, GPC met with the Curtis Island and Facing Island communities to provide an overview of the project:

Project staging and timing

The project is in the planning stages. A more detailed timeline will be available once the Project Plan is finalised.

More information

For information about the Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Project or to join our mailing for project updates, please email or phone our Corporate and Community Relations Team on 1800 243 GPC.