Morandini Investments, lessees of the 85-hectare block behind Club Tropical and the Lee Point Caravan Park plan to build a golf course on this vacant land. The Friends of Casuarina Coastal Reserve have written a submission for consideration by the proponents and the Development Consent Authority. You can read it here.
Weeds, especially pasture escapees like Gamba and Mission Grass increase the risk that uncontrolled fires pose to Top End forests and woodland. Parks and Wildlife, the Gamba Army, Landcare Groups and Adopt a Spot volunteers are all working to reduce these weeds in Casuarina Coastal Reserve.
This recent research highlights the effects of not acting quickly and decisively to control weed infestations.
Our Story
Just before sunset one August day twenty years ago about a hundred people, me and my family included, watched baby Flatback Turtles make their way into the shallows at Casuarina Coastal Reserve. The ranger said when we went to bed that night those tiny turtles would still be swimming out to sea. He said that if all went well in about twenty years those turtles would return to the very same beach to lay their eggs. This year could be that year.
Twenty years ago the beach where the turtles nested was fringed by tall Casuarinas. Those trees are gone now, victims of arson events. That part of Casuarina Coastal Reserve now has very little plant diversity and not much in the way of habitats for small mammals, reptiles, birds and insects. As a landcare volunteer I’ve helped restore native vegetation at a few sites in the Reserve, but I realised that landcare alone isn’t enough to protect the natural values of the place. I wondered if other people thought the Reserve was under threat.
In March 2022 six Darwin locals met to consider the state of Casuarina Coastal Reserve. The consensus was that it’s a special place but it’s on a trajectory downwards. I agreed to organise a meeting to find out if other people agreed and wanted to do something about it.
In May thirty-five people came together at Dripstone Picnic. The group included runners, birdwatchers, cyclists, picnickers, beach walkers, dog walkers, academics, botanists, landcarers and many more who know and love the Reserve. They shared what they value about the Reserve, what they believed the threats to be, their vision for the place and what actions should be taken to look after it. Many of those present were worried about the Reserve’s future.
Soon after that meeting a group of twelve began to meet regularly. They decided it was important to become a legal entity and in September the Friends of Casuarina Coastal Reserve was incorporated (FCCR). FCCR now has a committee of seven, has held a planning day, is building a social media presence, has met with government policy makers and written to NT Ministers about the Reserve’s management and its future.
FCCR is dedicated to recognising, protecting, enhancing and caring for the natural values of Casuarina Coastal Reserve. It is already taking action to change the future for this special and well-loved part of the Top End.
Deb Hall
Friends of Casuarina Coastal Reserve is in tune with lots of the people who had a say about the NT Parks Masterplan. 39,597 people viewed the Facebook posts or the website; there were 426 email submissions and 171 people responded to the ‘have your say’ survey questions.
Here’re some highlights that relate to our much loved local Reserve:
‘People want their parks to stay, and they want the biodiversity and cultural values respected and protected (page 5).’
‘People want more parks, and…they wish to see the natural qualities of our parks and reserves preserved when considering development for tourism or recreational access (page 5).’
‘A strong preference was shown for new development to be balanced with looking after country, and for infrastructure to be kept simple and low key (page 6).’
‘Overwhelmingly, people stated that they believed that the parks estate should be expanded for the protection of biodiversity‘(page 7).
‘Very strong support was provided for Parks and Wildlife Rangers confining their management efforts to those areas that are managed for national park and reserve-related purposes where their focus should be on core functions such as the conservation of biodiversity‘ (page 7).
‘An overwhelming majority believe that the management of parks and reserves should be linked with health and wellbeing outcomes’ (page 8).
‘A very high level of support was displayed for the view that the park estate should be considered as the cornerstone of biodiversity conservation in the Northern Territory’ (page 9).
‘A frequently expressed view was that Territory parks should be leading protected area management and a role model for biodiversity conservation’ (page 9).
‘The majority of respondents highlighted that the balance between biodiversity conservation, recreation and tourism needs to strongly favour biodiversity and protection over development’ (page 9).
‘Respondents expect that the majority of Parks and Wildlife resources should be allocated to protecting natural values‘ (page 9).
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