Reedy Creek Reserve
Encyclopedia
Reedy Creek Reserve is a 452–hectare
nature reserve
on the coast of south-eastern Queensland
, Australia
, 3 km south of the expanding tourist township of Agnes Water
and borders the Deepwater National Park
. It is located 134 km north of Bundaberg
and 495 km north of Brisbane
. It is owned and managed by Bush Heritage Australia
(BHA), to which 450 ha of land was donated in 2004 by Michael and Dellarose Baevski.
for residential and recreational development. In a cooperative partnership with a local developer, Sunrise@1770, part of the donated property is being used for environmentally-sensitive residential housing in order to fund the management and protection of the remainder, with no more than 2% of the entire site being cleared.
woodland
, Melaleuca
forest
, Wallum
heath communities, Pandanus
-lined wetland
s and Cabbage Palm
s. Recorded animal species of conservation significance include the Beach Stone-curlew
, Grey Goshawk
, Delicate Mouse
and Dunmall's Snake
. A beach adjacent to the reserve is a breeding area for the endangered Loggerhead Turtle and will be managed by BHA.
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
on the coast of south-eastern Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 3 km south of the expanding tourist township of Agnes Water
Agnes Water, Queensland
Agnes Water is an increasingly popular tourist town on the coast of Queensland, Australia. It is located approximately 50 km east of the Bruce Highway, Queensland's major coastal route. Agnes Water has the most northerly surfing beach on Australia's east coast. At the 2006 census, Agnes Water had a...
and borders the Deepwater National Park
Deepwater National Park
Deepwater is a coastal national park in Queensland, Australia, 375 km north of Brisbane. It protects an area of sand dunes and coastal heaths in the Deepwater Creek catchment. The area is one of the few remaining pristine freshwater catchments on Queensland's east coast...
. It is located 134 km north of Bundaberg
Bundaberg, Queensland
Bundaberg is a city in Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Local Government Area of the Bundaberg Region and is a major centre within Queensland's broader Wide Bay-Burnett geographical region...
and 495 km north of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. It is owned and managed by Bush Heritage Australia
Bush Heritage Australia
Bush Heritage Australia is a non-profit organisation based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia that operates throughout Australia. It was previously known as the Australian Bush Heritage Fund, which is still its legal name. It purchases land, assessed as being of outstanding conservation value, from...
(BHA), to which 450 ha of land was donated in 2004 by Michael and Dellarose Baevski.
History
The coast of south-east Queensland is subject to extensive land clearingLand clearing in Australia
Land clearing in Australia describes the removal of native vegetation and deforestation and in Australia. Land clearing involves the removal of native vegetation and habitats, including the bulldozing of native bushlands, forests, savannah, woodlands and native grasslands and the draining of...
for residential and recreational development. In a cooperative partnership with a local developer, Sunrise@1770, part of the donated property is being used for environmentally-sensitive residential housing in order to fund the management and protection of the remainder, with no more than 2% of the entire site being cleared.
Flora and fauna
The reserve contains open CorymbiaCorymbia
Corymbia is a genus of about 113 species of tree that were classified as Eucalyptus species until the mid-1990s. It includes the bloodwoods, ghost gums and spotted gums. The bloodwoods had been recognised as a distinct group within the large and diverse Eucalyptus genus since 1867...
woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, Melaleuca
Melaleuca
Melaleuca is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae known for its natural soothing and cleansing properties. There are well over 200 recognised species, most of which are endemic to Australia...
forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
, Wallum
Wallum
Wallum, or Wallum country, is an Australian ecosystem of coastal south-east Queensland, extending into north-eastern New South Wales. It is characterised by floristically-rich shrubland and heathland on deep, nutrient-poor acidic sandy soils and regular wildfire. Seasonal changes in the...
heath communities, Pandanus
Pandanus
Pandanus is a genus of monocots with about 600 known species. They are numerous palmlike dioecious trees and shrubs native of the Old World tropics and subtropics. They are classified in the order Pandanales, family Pandanaceae.-Overview:...
-lined wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s and Cabbage Palm
Livistona australis
The Cabbage-tree Palm is in the Arecaceae family. It is a tall, slender palm growing up to about 25 m in height and 0.35 m diameter. It is crowned with dark, glossy green leaves on petioles 2 m long. It has leaves plaited like a fan; the cabbage of these is small but sweet...
s. Recorded animal species of conservation significance include the Beach Stone-curlew
Beach Stone-curlew
The Beach Stone-curlew, Esacus giganteus also known as Beach Thick-knee is a large, ground-dwelling bird that occurs in Australasia, the islands of South-east Asia...
, Grey Goshawk
Grey Goshawk
The Grey Goshawk, Accipiter novaehollandiae, the white morph of which is known as the White Goshawk, is a strongly built, medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.-Description:...
, Delicate Mouse
Delicate Mouse
The Delicate Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and possibly Eritrea.Its natural habitat is dry savanna....
and Dunmall's Snake
Dunmall's Snake
The Dunmall's Snake is a species of snake in the Elapidae family.It is endemic to Australia, with a pathcy distribution in south-east Queensland and the border area with New South Wales from Yelarbon, Texas, Queensland, and Ashford...
. A beach adjacent to the reserve is a breeding area for the endangered Loggerhead Turtle and will be managed by BHA.