Burdekin Community Action Plan Project Prospectus | Page 3

BURDEKIN DRY TROPICS COASTAL COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN PROJECT PROSPECTUS | 3 pics

businesses , government , and community groups use coastal areas for industrial and recreational purposes .
Nywagi , Manbarra , Wulgurukaba , Bindal , and Juru Traditional Owners of sea country have the longest and deepest connection with the coastal region ’ s natural resources , and play an important role in protecting them for future generations .
Developing the Community Action Plan
The Burdekin was one of five coastal regions along the GBR shoreline tasked with developing a Community Action Plan . Each plan aimed to engage local communities in strategically planning , implementing , monitoring , and celebrating actions to increase reef resilience in alignment with the Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM Plan .
The Great Barrier Reef Foundation engaged NQ Dry Tropics to develop the Burdekin Community Action Plan , in partnership with Reef Ecologic . The process used the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation to develop projects that would help protect the GBR in the long term .
Workshops held at Townsville and Ayr supported Traditional Owners , coastal and marine community groups , young people , management agencies , natural resource management groups and local councils to collaborate and develop “ roadmaps ” for change . Community groups identified biological attributes across the GBR and associated coastal zones as “ values ” in need of protection . Significant pressures to these values were identified and categorised based on the IUCN Threat Classification scheme . During the situation analysis stage , human behaviors that contributed to pressures on values were identified and then shaped into roadmaps for change .
The projects
Four priority projects :
1 . Improving Nesting Success for Sea Turtles at Cape Upstart in Abbot Bay : An integrated management program that protects turtle nests and reduces threats .
2 . Upstart Bay Marine Megafauna Protection : A citizen science project to protect turtles , sawfish , dugongs , and other marine megafauna at Wunjunga Beach .
3 . Community Wetland Restoration at Parker ’ s Lagoon : A project focused on community plantings , weed management , and education at a wetland in Ayr .
4 . Mundy Creek Natureway Regeneration Project : Improving the condition and extent of riparian networks in Townsville through community events and strategic partnerships .
The pilot projects included in this prospectus use the roadmaps for change as a basis to develop projects to deliver long-term benefits . These projects are broadly supported by local community members and groups , Traditional Owners , conservation groups , relevant local and state government agencies , and other stakeholders .
Should they be funded , these community-driven projects would improve the condition and extent of biological values of the Great Barrier Reef , and deliver environmental , economic , and cultural benefits .