Logan & Albert Conservation Association

A great collaborative effort from the community has removed unsightly rubbish from a section of the Logan River. Logan Village Scouts got together with Logan and Albert Conservation Association (LACA), VETO Energex Towers Organisation (VETO) on Sunday 24 March 2013 to clean-up the Logan River and Larry Storey Park at Waterford. Our cleanup was supported by Healthy Waterways, Logan City Council and Clean-up Australia. The Clean-up Australia activity had to be postponed from earlier 3 March because the Logan River experienced a minor flood and safety for our rubbish collectors was a first priority.
Boat owners Greg Lord, Gary Hastings and Denis Higgins assisted us with the Clean-up on the river while the land team scouted the Larey Storey Park area for litter.

Regular river boaties and  those who enjoyed their first time on the river are keener than ever to have wider community appreciation and enjoyment from Logan's greatest natural water asset.

                   World Wetlands Day 2 February 2013

                   Wetlands and Water Management.

                     Wetlands are not wastelands.

The key objective of World Wetlands Day 2013 is to raise people's awareness of the interdependence between water and wetlands, to highlight ways to ensure the equitable sharing of water between different stakeholder groups and to understand that without wetlands there will be no water.

Cartoon by Seppo - Finnish environmentalist.

The importance of wetlands to the world has been recognized in the international Ramsar Convention signed in 1971. Wetlands  include lakes and rivers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands and peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas and tidal flats, near-shore marine areas, mangroves and coral reefs, and human-made sites such as fish ponds, rice paddies, reservoirs, and salt pans. There are 163 contracting countries and area governed by wise use protocol is 197,347,539 hectares.

 Moreton Bay in SEQ south east Queensland is number 631 joined since 22 October 1993. See complete site list here.

This makes the health of Logan and Albert Rivers doubly significant as they contribute to the health or otherwise of Moreton Bay. Unfortunately the Healthy Waterways Report Card for these waterways is lower than acceptable ie not healthy.

Despite the number of horrendous unsustainable development or infrastructure processses being proposed in Logan, Gold Coast, Scenic Rim and Ipswich, community strength and energy to defend the natural assets of the region remain strong and continue to strengthen. SEQ has significant biodiversity values that are appreciated by longterm residents in the region and we are determined to protect them despite the unreasonable economic pressures and expectations that big business, state government and corporations want to impose. 

Pre-election promises of the Campbell Newman led LNP government have been broken and the local members must also feel our disappointment. A platform based on the four pillars of economy, construction, tourism and agriculture leaves both natural and built  environment out of the equation.

Click on image to read article.

Disinformation is also challenging to deal with - especially when government changes the rules to suit its 'development at any cost' agenda - cost being only dollars for construction. Follow detailed history at VETO's website for analysis of issues an alternatives. Queensland Minister McArdle's approval of the second Loganlea to Jimboomba 110kV powerline allows Energex to continue to "Gold Plate" their network with more "poles & wires" when other alternatives are available.

Santa has been a regular visitor to the privately owned Berrinba Sanctuary over the years but this year he is celebrating with the owners opening its gates to the wider community.

Visitors on the day will be treated to a range of activities and children will receive a free gift from Santa. Read about the festivities on WEEKEND NOTES. Read article here.

This an open day but not official opening day - that is yet to be planned and will be a very very special day for wildlife caring community.

Lots of fun, buy your lunch, listen to the singers, enjoy the natural bushland setting and maybe see a koala snoozing in nearby tree.

You will an Australian carnivorous marsupial even rarer than our vulnerable koala - a captive bred Dasyurus maculatus - the Australian native cat - or spotted-tailed QUOLL, Tiger quoll, tiger cat, yarri (in Herbert River District), burrumbil (Mulgrave River and Atherton Tablelands, north Queensland). Wildlife Queensland provide information about the quoll here.

Animal tracks and scats provide information about wildlife around as do the unique sounds produced by animals and birds. Listen to the sound made by a quoll on this page where you can also see its tracks and scats. 

You will meet many people  who care about Australia's unique wildlife and the essential habitat needed for them to survive. Berrinba Sanctuary - on the edge of Logan not far from Karawatha Forest which is part the recently gazetted wildlife corridor Flinders Karawatha Corridor - is home to many such flora and fauna.