Traps to reduce pollution flow

THREE pollutant traps installed just three weeks ago in the Cannonvale Botanical Garden’s creeks are already working to reduce pollution run-off into the waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

The traps have been installed by Whitsunday Regional Council in partnership with Reef Catchments.

Reef Catchments Program Leader Adam Folkers said they were part of a wider program to improve water quality and reduce the region’s environmental impact on the iconic Great Barrier Reef.

“The installation of the traps in Cannonvale will significantly reduce the level of sediment and nutrients entering Pioneer Bay (by 40 per cent and 30 per cent respectively), as well as capturing the vast majority of litter and other gross pollutants travelling within the three targeted waterways,” he said.

Mayor Jennifer Whitney said the initiative was also building on Council’s commitment to reducing nutrients and sediment entering the marine park “and follows Council’s recently completed upgrade of the Cannonvale sewage treatment plant, which now meets the strictest environmental standards for outfall”.

“Council has been working alongside Reef Catchments to install these three traps in the Cannonvale Botanic Gardens over the last couple of weeks and is pleased they will reduce gross pollutants by 93 per cent,” she said.

Reef Catchments have provided funding for the traps through the Australian Government’s Reef Program and have also facilitated on-ground support with their construction.

Council’s Director of Planning, Dan Staley, said Council’s environment officers would now undertake regular inspections “as well as our parks crew, who can undertake [maintenance] if need be”.

Mr Folker said Reef Catchments would be monitoring the type of litter caught by the traps and hoped to communicate these findings to Eco Barge Clean Seas.