Bulimba Creek (Queensland)

The Bulimba Creek catchment has it sources in the marshy parts of the suburbs of Runcorn and Kuraby in the south of Brisbane. It then flows in a northerly direction through the suburbs of Mansfield, Mackenzie, Carindale, Murarrie and Lytton, before meeting the Brisbane River along the Lytton Reach. The creek was originally known as Doboy Creek. [cite web |url=http://www.ourbrisbane.com/suburbs/murarrie/history |title=History of Brisbane's Murarrie |accessdate=2008-05-24 |format= |work= ]

History

In the late 1860's the "Walrus", a large paddle steamer built at Cleveland, was converted to Australia's first floating distillery with the addition of a steam driven sugar mill on board. [cite book |title=Stories of the Southside |last=Roberts |first=Beryl |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1991 |publisher=Aussie Books |location=Archerfield, Queensland |isbn=094733601X |pages=73 ] The "Walrus" navigated the lower reaches of Bulimba Creek and the Brisbane River before servicing areas along the Nerang, Albert and the Logan Rivers to the south.

Bulimba Creek itself is currently impacted primarily by urban and industrial development. In the past the creek corridor was extensively cleared for cropping and then grazing in the early part of the last century with some remnant vegetation remaining. In some areas the reduction in rural industries has allowed riparian vegetation to regrow Fact|date=April 2007.

Parks

The catchment has a nature reserve network, mainly of protected hills, including Karawatha Forest, Toohey Forest Conservation Park and Mt Gravatt Outlook, Belmont Hills, Whites Hill and Pine Mountain, Seven Hills and Oates Hill. The creek feeds the Runcorn Water Reserve, Tingalpa Wetlands, Nungubba Swamp, Dairy Swamp, Lyndon Wetlands, Iona Wetlands, The Bulimba Creek Oxbow and Minnippi Parklands.

Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee

The Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee is assiciated with the Landcare Group and is run by volunteers. Formed in 1997 and incorporated in 1999, it supports smaller groups and individuals involved in Bushcare, Catchment Care, Nature conservation and envirornmental education and awareness.

Known as the B4C, the group is involved in protecting and rehabilitating waterways, corridors, remnant bushlands and wetlands. It was the first urban Queensland group to win a State Landcare award in 2000 Fact|date=April 2007. In 2005 the B4C won the prestigious Thiess National Riverprize Fact|date=April 2007. Recent successes in protecting the envirornment by the B4C include securing the Weekes Rd, Carindale Bushlands and Oates Hill Reserve from the State Government, sving the Wishart Bushlands from development Fact|date=April 2007, saving the Bulimba Creek Oxbow and negotiating a major rehabilitation project to restore this saline wetland of 30 ha Fact|date=April 2007.

The B4C has its own foundation "the Bulimba Creek Environment Fund", which provides small grants to members of the community to get involved in environmental issues, education and training. B4C has its own catchment centre and community nursery and is in the process of moving to the old Carindale Nursery, now owned by Powerlink. It intends to set up the Southside Sustainability Centre there and place a sustainable small home there for its volunteer centre and offices. Permaculture gardens and food forest zones and community nursery will also be developed.

Threatened species of Bulimba Creek

Many of the nature reserves have threatened species. For example is Whites Hill the Powerful Owl, Grey-headed Flying Fox, Velvet Gekko and Grey Goshawk are all threatened. Flora at risk includes Shirley's Tuckeroo and Macadamea integrifolia.

Karawatha Forest is the reserve with the highest number of species and has five different species of Glider Possums. It also has a fauna overpass constructed over the four lane road, along with underpasses, rope ladders and exclusion funnelling fencing. The project was undertaken by The Griffith University Fauna Unit and Dr Darryl Jones.

ee also

*Brisbane native plants
*Tingalpa Creek

References