According to the press communiqué of the council a new plan for marine plants in Cairns has been worked out that will strike the right balance between development and the protection of marine plant habitats. The Council is said to have worked closely over the past three years to develop the Marine Plant Management Strategy for Cairns, which will give council the capacity to remove vegetation from flood prone areas while still protecting important marine habitats.
Cairns Regional Council Mayor, Val Schier was speaking at the launch of this plan saying that the strategy would help the state government and Council to better manage marine plant communities such as mangroves in waterways around Cairns. He further said that this comprehensive strategy is the first to be completed in Queensland with more to come on stream in Townsville and Brisbane.
As per the information new plan will see the restoration of degraded marine plant communities to achieve long-term protection of fish habitats. Fisheries Queensland managing director Jim Groves said local governments often found themselves walking a tightrope in balancing development and the protection of the environment.
Groves also informed that the management strategy provides for mangrove protection and restoration. He added that the management and protection of fish habitats is important not just for the environment, but for our commercial and recreational fisheries.
Fisheries Queensland senior fisheries scientist Louise Johns said councils were under pressure from growing populations and the needs of the community to seek balanced development.
