The Wet Tropics has some of the most important wetlands in Australia and, also the most diverse. But many of these areas have been modified for industry, agriculture and urban development over many years – to the extent that almost 50 per cent of our swamps and 40 per cent of our river wetlands have been cleared.

We need healthy wetlands for many reasons. Swamps, marshes, mudflats and mangrove forests provide habitat for fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians. They’re also really good at sequestering carbon, filtering runoff and protecting our coastal communities from storm surges.

Environmental scientist Maria Vandergragt leads the Queensland Government’s Wetlands Condition Monitoring Program which has been tracking the health of freshwater floodplain wetlands across the Great Barrier Reef catchment area for the last eight years. Including 240 sites, it’s one of the most comprehensive, ongoing wetland monitoring programs in Australia.

Fifty of these sites are wetlands in the Wet Tropics region, including ones as far inland as Mount Garnet.

“Wetlands need a number of things to stay healthy including good hydrological connectivity, healthy buffer vegetation and good water quality,“ Maria says.

“Although people often talk about wetlands being the kidneys for the reef, they are more than this. They are also an important ecosystem in and of themselves and there is a limit to their capacity to absorb pollutants. If we push them too far, the problem will be pushed downstream. Too much sediment, for example, is a problem for wetlands because it makes them shallower.”

Pressures on wetlands include changes to habitat and water courses, pollutants and pest plants and animals, especially feral pigs.

Catherine Leigh, a freshwater ecologist on the team, says most of the wetlands being monitored are on private land, and about 300 landholders are voluntarily involved in the program.

“We collect data to track trends over time which helps decision-makers to make informed decisions about management of wetlands, including restoration initiatives to improve their health and resilience.”

The data feeds into the Australian and Queensland Governments’ annual Great Barrier Reef Report Card which measures progress towards water quality targets and long-term outcomes including improvements in the condition of our wetlands.

Results so far indicate that actions like protecting and restoring areas around wetlands, controlling pest plants and animals, managing livestock access and reducing barriers to natural water flow will help to improve wetland condition and resilience.

To find out more about the monitoring program and to view the report cards, visit https://www.reefplan.qld.gov.au/