Bribie Island Brochure - Moreton Bay Regional Council

Bribie Island is a sand barrier island bounded by the Coral
Sea to the east and Pumicestone Passage to the west.
THINGS WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT THE CATCHMENT
Bribie Island covers an area of 14,300 hectares, is 34
kilometres in length from the southern to northern tip, is
up to 12 kilometres wide and rises to 10 metres above sea
level.
Over 70 percent of Bribie Island drains into Pumicestone
Passage. Bribie Island contains numerous freshwater
wetlands that recharge groundwater aquifers and prevent
saltwater intrusion into the groundwater.
Pumicestone Passage is part of an internationally
recognised Ramsar wetland that provides a habitat for
important wildlife such as migratory shorebirds.
The Bribie Island catchment boasts a rich diversity of
plants and animals. The island is in an era of change with
increased numbers of residents calling it home. Help
preserve the diverse catchments of Bribie Island for future
generations to enjoy.
► Use bore water wisely
► Plant local, native,
WaterWise plants
► Avoid disturbance to
shorebirds
► Do not remove native
plants or flowers from
protected areas
► Take care with fires
where permitted
► Drive with care where
permitted on the island
► Be a responsible pet
owner
► Bin any waste, including
cigarette butts, fishing
line and hooks
► Control declared and
environmental weeds
► Keep our waterways
clean of litter, sediment
and other pollutants
► Use fertiliser sparingly
and dispose of
automotive oils,
chemicals and paints
properly
► Report injured native
animals, stranded
marine life or pollution
incidents to the
Environmental Protection
Agency Hotline on
1300 130 372
OTHER FACT SHEETS IN THIS SERIES:
► Issues Affecting our Catchments
► Caboolture Catchments: Burpengary Creek
► Caboolture Catchments: Caboolture River
COUNCIL PROGRAMS
Council continues to educate the community about
management of our waterways through a range of
programs such as Land for Wildlife, Urban Wildlife, Cities
for Climate Protection and the Catchment Education
program.
CARE FOR OUR CATCHMENTS SERIES
Bribie
Island
CABOOLTURE SHIRE COUNCIL
2 Hasking Street
Caboolture Qld 4510
PO Box 159
Caboolture Qld 4510
Call Centre:
Telephone: (07) 54 200 100
Facsimile: (07) 54 200 200
Email: csc@caboolture.qld.gov.au
Website: www.caboolture.qld.gov.au
Printed on Australian recycled stock using organic inks
VERSION 1 FEBRUARY 2007

History of the catchment
The Gubbi Gubbi people were the original inhabitants of
Bribie Island. Aboriginal artefacts still found today include
the remains of bora grounds, fish traps and shell middens.
Aboriginal artefacts are protected under the Queensland
Aboriginal Cultural Act 2003.
Matthew Flinders came to the Pumicestone Passage in
1799. However, the first European settlement was not until
1822. More recent events include:
► 1860s: pastoralists and timber-getters moved onto the
island
► Late 1960s: pine plantations established
► 1963: toll bridge opened and started Bribie Island on a
course of increased urban development
► Late 1970s and 1980s: development of the island's first
canal estate
Recreational options on Bribie Island
► Windsurfing or catamaran sailing on Pumicestone
Passage and the open waters off Woorim Beach
► The patrolled surf beach at Woorim is a venue for
regular surf carnivals, attracting swimmers and board
riders
► Water skiing and jet skiing in the calmer waters of the
Passage
► Surf fishing is popular at Skirmish Point, Woorim and
along the expanse of
the ocean beach
► Visit the bird hide at
Buckley's Hole, south
Bongaree, where
you will see some of
the 350 species of Fishing in Pumicestone Passage
birds that inhabit this
environmental park
► Follow walking tracks at White Patch to wild flowers that
are in season from July to November
Caboolture Catchments: Bribie Island
► Bicentennial Gardens, located near the Community Arts
Centre on Sunderland Drive, is wheelchair accessible.
A map of the walks is available
from the Arts Centre for a small
charge. For bird watchers, about
90 species of birds have been
sighted in this small area
► Camping in the Recreation
Reserve on the eastern side of
the island. Contact Queensland
Parks and Wildlife Service for a
permit to camp or four wheeldrive
permit to access these areas
Plants and wildlife
Park signage
The Pumicestone Passage became part of the Moreton
Bay Marine Park in 1986 to protect the fish breeding areas
around Tripcony Bight. Under the Marine Parks (Moreton
Bay) Zoning Plan 1997, Tripcony Bight is closed to fishing
and all forms of extractive use. Areas of Pumicestone
Passage and the eastern coastal rim of Bribie Island are
also identified under the state government Fisheries Act
(1994) as fish habitat, so approval is needed for any works
that could disturb, destroy or damage marine plants.
Bribie Island vegetation communities include heathlands,
coastal dunes, beach ridge vegetation, and freshwater/
estuarine wetlands of fringing mangroves. Fauna include
Dugong (Dugong dugon) and the Wallum Froglet (Crinia
tinnula). The Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis)
is one of over 30 migratory shorebirds of international
significance.
Melaleuca wetlands on the island tend to be acidic and
support three species of acid frogs not known to occur
together anywhere else in the world. These frogs now reside
in the coastal lowlands, which are in demand for residential
development.
Callitris columellaris, or Bribie Island Pine is one of three
native Callitris spp. It is not a member of the pine family,
although it resembles many of the exotic pines. Endemic to
the Sunshine Coast region, it is found across the island and
adjacent coastal areas.
Spring wildflowers create a visual feast of colour and
texture, plus a hive of activity for the birds and insects of
the region. Local groups on the island conduct wildflower
walks in these times. Swamp wallabies and squirrel gliders
can also be seen regularly.
Issues affecting Bribie Island catchments
Population growth and urban development has increased
stormwater runoff and disturbance to Acid Sulfate Soils.
Other environmental threats include wild fires, loss of
natural ecosystems (e.g. Melaleuca wetland and heath
communities) and increased demand for access to
groundwater.
Introduced exotic pine plantations
in the 1960s changed the
northern half of the island.
However, the central swale and
perimeter dune are part of the
“Bribie Island Recreation Area”.
Water supply
Coastal dunes
Caboolture Shire Council has operated a water treatment
plant on Bribie Island since 1961. This was upgraded in
1972 and again in 1981. The plant now draws water from
the freshwater aquifer on the island at between four and
five megalitres per day. Council regularly monitors the
water extraction to minimise environmental impacts. The
exclusion of seawater from the system is important to the
management of the island's freshwater aquifer.
CABOOLTURE SHIRE COUNCIL www.caboolture.qld.gov.au