Welcome to Boondall Wetlands
History and Environmental Significance
Indigenous Australians have lived at Boondall Wetlands for a long time and continue to
have links with this land. The wetlands contained campsites and ceremonial grounds
where food, fibre, medicines and other resources were gathered.
In 1863, the Catholic Church acquired 3000 acres of “Nudgee lands”. They cut timber,
grew small crops and grazed cattle. Council acquired this land in the 1960s. In the 1970s
and 1980s the wetlands were planned for development. Public concern
resulted in the creation of the Boondall Wetlands Reserve in 1990. The Environment
Centre was opened in 1996.
The Wetlands have ties with the Yatsu-Higata Tidelands of Japan as part of the EastAsian Australasian Shorebird Reserve Network. Large numbers of international migratory
shorebirds visit to feed between September and March each year.
A Wildlife Refuge
Boondall Wetlands has a diversity of wildlife. Flying foxes, possums, squirrel gliders,
frogs, reptiles and butterflies can all be found within the reserve. Boondall has an
amazing variety of birdlife.
Birds to see:
 Black-shouldered and brahminy kites, Australian kestrels and ospreys patrolling
wetlands for food.
 Whimbrels, godwits, plovers, tattlers, sandpipers and curlews on the mudflats
 Ducks, egrets, herons and cormorants foraging within the wetlands.
 Kingfishers hunting for small fish in the mangrove forests.
 Rainbow bee-eaters on the mangrove boardwalk
Ramsar Convention
To help protect wetlands around the world, an international treaty known as the Ramsar
Convention was signed in the Iranian town of Ramsar in 1971. It recognised the
significance and value of wetlands and responded to the degradation of wetlands
worldwide.
Each country that signed the Convention has an obligation to nominate wetlands to the
Ramsar list of Wetlands of International Importance. Once a wetland is declared a
Ramsar site, it must be maintained and managed to conserve its values. Australia has 49
declared Ramsar sites, including Moreton Bay.
Moreton Bay – a Ramsar site
Moreton Bay is one of Australia's largest Ramsar sites, covering more than 110,000
hectares. The Moreton Bay wetlands are diverse, ranging from perched lakes to offshore
sand islands, inter-tidal mud flats, marshes, sand flats and mangroves.
Moreton Bay is internationally important to migratory shorebirds. Of the 43 international
migratory shorebirds that visit Australia each year, 32 also visit Moreton Bay's inter-tidal
flats. Moreton Bay is part of the East Asian Australasian flyway, the migratory path that
shorebirds travel between the northern and southern hemispheres each year. Between
September and March, Moreton Bay is the feeding and roosting site for more than 50,000
international feathered visitors. The birds feed and store energy for their flight back to the
Arctic or sub-Arctic regions where they breed.
Boondall Wetlands – a brief history
Boondall Wetlands lies at the edge of Moreton Bay and includes more than 1000
hectares of tidal flats, mangroves, salt marshes, melaleuca wetlands, casuarina forests,
grasslands, open forests, woodlands and estuarine environments.
Indigenous Australians have lived at Boondall Wetlands for a long time and continue to
have links with this land. The wetlands contained campsites and ceremonial grounds
where food, fibre, medicines and other resources were gathered. The Nurri Millen art
totems in the wetlands celebrate this culture.
In 1863, the Catholic Church acquired 1214 hectares of “Nudgee lands”. They cut timber,
grew small crops and grazed cattle. Nudgee Beach was part of the church lands and the
Tabbil-ban dhagun area was a popular seaside camping resort.
In 1976, development was planned for the wetlands. Public concern resulted in Brisbane
City Council creating Boondall Wetlands Reserve in 1990. The Boondall Wetlands
Environment Centre was opened in 1996. The wetlands have been protected and the
area has been steadily expanded through subsequent acquisitions using funds from the
Bushland Preservation Levy.
Boondall Wetlands are part of a chain of coastal wetlands near Moreton Bay that are
listed under the Ramsar convention as internationally important wetlands for the
international migratory shorebirds. The wetlands have ties with the Yatsu-Higata
Tidelands of Japan as part of the East Asian Australasian Shorebird Reserve Network.
Boondall Wetlands, Kedron Brook Wetlands and the Northeast Wetlands are Brisbane’s
largest wetlands. Council manages the wetlands with assistance from the community to
conserve the fragile wetland habitats and provide nature-based recreation opportunities.
What is a wetland?
Wetlands are among the most dynamic habitats on earth. They are highly productive,
complex and fragile ecosystems that are vitally important for the earth. Wetlands occur in
many different forms. Coastally they may occur as beaches, seagrass meadows, coral
reefs, inter-tidal sand, mud or salt flats, mangrove forests, casuarina wetlands, salt
marshes and hypersaline flats. Inland they may be melaleuca wetlands, billabongs, lakes,
pools and marshes, ephemeral water bodies, overflows and alpine glacial lakes.
Wetlands can be natural or artificial, permanent or temporary. The water within these
wetland systems can be static or flowing, fresh, brackish or saline. Each wetland type has
a unique ecosystem of plants and animals that depend upon it for food, water and
habitat.
Importance of wetlands
Many wetlands are areas of great natural beauty. However, in the past they have often
been overlooked and considered as areas of wasteland. Wetlands have been and
continue to be the target of 'reclamation' projects – where they are dredged, cleared and
filled to make them more 'useful'.
It is now widely accepted that wetland ecosystems are valuable and perform many
functions. Wetlands are a major part of the water cycle and have been described as the
'kidneys' of the landscape because of their ability to cleanse polluted water. Wetlands are
important for performing the following functions:

 Flood control – Wetlands move and store floodwaters.
 Groundwater replenishment - Wetlands are essential in replenishing
groundwater supplies.
 Shoreline stabilisation - Coastal wetlands protect coastal areas against wave
disturbance, erosion and extreme weather conditions.
 Sediment and nutrient retainment - Wetlands improve water quality by helping
to remove excess water-borne nutrients and sediments. This also protects marine
ecosystems from these pollutants.
 Climate change mitigation - Wetlands act as significant carbon sinks, they are
critical in the carbon cycle and can play a role in mitigating climate change and its
effects.
 Water purification - Plants and soils in wetlands play a significant role in purifying
water, removing some nutrients and even some toxic chemicals.
 Biodiversity protection - Wetlands enhance and support biodiversity through the
provision of habitat for a diverse range of animal and plant assemblages. Some
are essential stopover points, feeding and breeding grounds for migratory
shorebirds. Coastal wetlands are also valuable fisheries habitats and nursery
grounds for numerous marine creatures.
 Cultural, recreation and tourism purposes - Wetlands are often areas of
cultural, educational and recreational significance.
Threats to wetlands
Worldwide, wetlands are under threat from human activities. Most threats relate to
increasing human population pressure and increased demand for resources and land,
particularly in coastal areas. It has been estimated that 50 per cent of Australia's original
wetlands have been cleared since European arrival. In developed coastal areas where
human demand is greatest, this loss may be greater. Many remaining wetlands have
become badly degraded. Pollution and waste pose as major threats to the health of
wetlands – various rubbish items and water-borne pollutants wash in from drains and
waterways and illegal dumping of waste in wetlands have major negative impacts on
wetlands.
Exotic weeds and feral animals also kill and out-compete native plants and animals and
upset the healthy, natural balance of the wetlands. Frequent fires also devastate
wetland areas that rarely burn naturally, providing favourable growing conditions for many
weeds. Unsustainable recreational activities and exploitation of wetland resources
(such as over-fishing) also threaten the future of our wetlands.
Ramsar Convention
To help protect wetlands around the world, an international treaty known as the Ramsar
Convention was signed in the Iranian town of Ramsar in 1971. It recognised the
significance and value of wetlands and responded to the degradation of wetlands
worldwide.
Each country that signed the Convention has an obligation to nominate wetlands to the
Ramsar list of Wetlands of International Importance. Once a wetland is declared a
Ramsar site, it must be maintained and managed to conserve its values. Australia has 49
declared Ramsar sites, including Moreton Bay.
Sources
- Wetland: values and functions, Pamphlet series, Ramsar, www.ramsar.org
- Wetlands: let's get wise, Pamphlet, National Wetlands Program, Environment Australia
- Wetland Vegetation (2001) Greening Australia, www.qld.greeningaustralia.org.au
- Wetlands: More than just wetland - Moreton Bay, Department of Environment.