COMMUNITY
The Port of Mourilyan is a key asset to the communities that surround it.
An economic impact study commissioned by PCQ in 2002 found that the port accounted for an estimated 25 full-time equivalent jobs, and that a further 38 flow-on jobs were generated by port-related activities. In total, these 63 jobs earned an estimated $19 million in household income during the 2001/2002 financial year.
PCQ actively engages with the communities surrounding the port.
At Mourilyan, PCQ facilitates a regular Port Advisory Group forum, to discuss issues of mutual interest. The key aims of the forum are:- to enable PCQ and major port stakeholders to better understand community perspective; and
- to enhance community understanding of the needs of the working port.
ENVIRONMENT
The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area covers the waters to low water mark along the coastline in the Mourilyan region. Mourilyan Harbour itself is not included in this World Heritage area because these are internal waters of the State, but the remainder of the waters within the port limits are within this World Heritage Area.
Seagrass in the Mourilyan Harbour has been monitored by PCQ since 1993. The area of seagrass in Mourilyan Harbour typically varies between 65 to 71 ha in summer, and 47 to 68 ha in winter. Meadows in Mourilyan Harbour are mostly low biomass along the shallow banks within the harbour and the periphery of Armit and Walter creeks. High biomass meadows are located along the Seaforth Valley mangrove fringe, the sand banks between Armit and Walter Creek mouths, and adjacent to Lily and Bradshaw Islands.
There are large areas of vegetation surrounding the port facilities. In the western areas of the port land holding, between Armit and Walter Creek, there are mangrove forests and an area of mesophyll vine forest on Ethel Hill.
On the eastern side of the harbour, mangroves occur on port land designated as an Environmental Buffer Area. The mangrove zone varies in width from several metres at Camp Point (near the harbour entrance) to several hundred metres in the Seaforth Valley area. Rainforest lies behind the mangroves.
Rainforest exists at Goodman Point on the north west side of the harbour entrance. The rainforest shows signs of considerable disturbance in the past, with sections dominated by regrowth around 30 - 40 years old. The vegetation on the steeper slopes to the north is considered to be significant, and contains large specimens of Lepidozamia hopei and Intsia bijuga.
PCQ has undertaken the following environmental initiatives at the Port of Mourilyan:- water quality monitoring;
- seagrass monitoring;
- environmental resource mapping;
- development of a port environmental management plan;
- development of a revegetation masterplan;
- significant allocation of land for environmental buffering;
- development of oil spill response and emergency response plans; and
- a cultural heritage survey.
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