COMMUNITY
The Port of Thursday Island 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 26 full-time equivalent jobs, and that a further 40 flow-on jobs were generated by port-related activities. In total, these 66 jobs earned an estimated $3 million in household income during the 2001/2002 financial year.
PCQ actively supports and engages with the communities surrounding the Port of Thursday Island. In the last two years, PCQ has undertaken a range of local community support initiatives, including sponsoring maintenance of the Thursday Island Child Care Centre.
ENVIRONMENT
Coral reefs occur along the coastlines of some areas of Thursday and Prince of Wales Islands, and in the channel between Thursday and Horn Islands. These communities typically contain high diversities of benthic invertebrates, which in turn support communities of fish. The channel between Thursday and Horn Islands also contains pearl oyster beds, which contribute to local commercial aquaculture operations.
Extensive and diverse seagrass meadows are located throughout a large proportion of the port area. Eleven species of seagrass in 33 individual meadows were identified in a 2002 survey, with a total of 1503 +/- 240 hectares of seagrass mapped. The majority of the seagrass area (1,057 ha) had between 10-50% cover of seagrass. A further 386 ha had greater than 50% cover. The remaining 60 ha had less than 10% cover. The majority of seagrass habitat was found on sand/mud/shell sediments. The maximum depth at which seagrass was found was 10.4 metres below MSL.
The Port of Thursday Island reportedly contains some of the best examples of seagrass meadows that have been identified in Queensland, featuring 11 of the 15 currently recognised seagrass species in Queensland.
The seagrass meadows in the region are a source of food for turtles and dugong. The area is an important area for dugong in Australia.
Six species of turtle have been recorded in the port area. These are the Green turtle (Chelonia mydas), Flatback turtle (Natator depressus), Hawksbill turtle (Eretomochelys imbricatta), Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) and Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta). Green, Flatback and Hawksbill turtles have been recorded nesting on some islands in the Torres Strait, however they have not been recorded on Thursday Island itself.
Dugong and turtle form part of the traditional diet of the Kaurareg and islander peoples. They are still hunted in the region. Green turtles are the predominant species of turtles captured.
The coastline within port limits comprises a diversity of habitats featuring coral and rocky reefs, mangrove communities, bird rookeries, seagrass meadows, spawning grounds and offshore fisheries.
PCQ has undertaken the following environmental initiatives at the Port of Thursday Island:- development of oil spill response and emergency response plans;
- marine resource mapping;
- development of a port environmental management plan; and
- a cultural heritage survey.
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