Preserving the natural environment
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The combination of a disused sand mine site, several sugarcane fields and a patch of remnant rainforest has been resurrected as an abundant vital wetlands. The $3 million Cattana Wetlands project saw 80 hectares of degenerated land, previously used for farming and sand mining, transformed into a nature conservation park featuring walking tracks, boardwalk, interpretative signage, bird hides and picnic areas.
Home to a significant range of wildlife and plant communities, locals, visitors and future generations can now easily access and experience the true beauty of this unique natural environment.
"In the late 1990s Council and the community worked together on a greening plan for the area between Smithfield and Yorkeys Knob and as part of that exercise came up with a master plan for Cattana that included the lake that had sprung up in the quarry," said CRC’s Natural Areas Coordinator, Russell Wild. "The site included 30 hectares of Feather Palm forest, a component of the lowland rainforest that was once extensive in this area but is now present only in remnant patches.
"Feather Palm forests provide valuable habitat for wildlife and help to maintain local water quality as they act as part of the natural vegetation system that filters stormwater and local drainage."
CRC has successfully turned the disused degenerated land into a significant recreational opportunity for the community and visitors.
Within close proximity to the Cairns airport and CBD, and close to other regional commercial and tourism facilities, the park provides a major opportunity for educating the community about the importance of protecting natural habitats. The gentle topography and the accessible location meant that, with appropriate design, the park could cater to people with special mobility needs.
Around 400 metres of exposed aggregate concrete paths, a 400 metre boardwalk with ramps, disabled toilets and wheelchair friendly picnic tables enable all users to easily access the area.
"Construction methods were specifically chosen to minimise disturbance and vegetation loss," Russell Wild said. "We used self screwing galvanised piles when constructing foundations for the 400 metre boardwalk through the Feather Palm forest. This enabled us to minimise machinery use and was the least disruptive way to construct such infrastructure in a highly ecologically sensitive environment."
Construction through this sensitive environment was also carefully managed in terms of erosion and sediment control. Water quality run off needed to be managed to ensure the area was not loaded with nutrients or contaminants that could damage the forest.
"The site is subject to flooding and considering its impressive environmental benefits, Council chose recycled plastic for the boardwalk treads," he said. "This innovative construction material is produced directly from kerbside pickup waste and is equivalent to recycling around 600,000 plastic two litre milk containers saving 1,186 cubic metres of landfill."
Joists and bearers for the boardwalk were constructed using composite fibre, chosen for its comparable price, longevity and minimal ongoing maintenance requirements. Construction materials for the boardwalk were manually carried through the forest to minimise disturbance to the environment.
