{"id":10135,"date":"2025-10-23T06:21:03","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T06:21:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/?p=10135"},"modified":"2025-11-10T01:34:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T01:34:02","slug":"coolburns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/coolburns\/","title":{"rendered":"Cool burns in broadleaf tea-tree woodlands"},"content":{"rendered":"[mk_page_section bg_image=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/bltt-banner.jpg” bg_position=”center center” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_stretch=”true” enable_3d=”true” min_height=”500″ js_vertical_centered=”true” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” section_id=”donate” el_class=”donate-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”70px”][mk_fancy_title font_family=”none” align=”center”]PROTECTING BROADLEAF TEA-TREE WOODLANDS[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”67″][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1761261235639{padding-right: 36px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_left”][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”15″ visibility=”visible-sm”][mk_padding_divider visibility=”visible-tl”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” el_class=”terrain-title-2″]COOL BURNS TO REMOVE NON-NATIVE PINES[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”60″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”20″ visibility=”visible-nb”][vc_column_text el_class=”sub-head” css=”.vc_custom_1761263490391{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]NOVEMBER 2025[\/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1762738404470{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Cool burns have been happening in endangered broad leaf tea-tree woodlands in the Cardwell region to limit the spread of non-native pine trees.<\/p>\n

More than 130 hectares of woodland has been the focus, as organisations work together to better protect areas that are home to threatened species including the mahogany glider and ant plant.<\/p>\n

Terrain NRM has partnered with the Cassowary Coast Regional Council and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service on the project, which is happening in the Dallachy and Damper Creek areas.<\/p>\n

Helping an endangered ecological community<\/strong><\/p>\n

Broad leaf tea-tree woodlands are listed as an endangered ecological community by the Australian Government. They are found in high rainfall coastal lowlands and have a tea-tree canopy and diverse groundcover.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese woodlands aren\u2019t as well-known as our rainforests but they\u2019re just as important,\u2019\u2019 Terrain NRM\u2019s Tony O\u2019Malley said. \u201cThey are habitat for a unique community of plants and animals \u2013 from ant plants, carnivorous plants and 36 butterfly species to frogs and larger animals like mahogany gliders and cassowaries.<\/p>\n

\u201cHistorically they\u2019ve been extensively cleared. Less than 20 per cent of the original woodlands remain. So, we are working with willing landholders in key areas to support weed and pest control, and fire management.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the threat of pine wildlings to broad leaf tea tree forests had been highlighted at a project workshop.<\/p>\n

Pine wildling incursions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pine trees are one of the few exotic species that can germinate in, and take over, intact native woodlands, and seeds have the capacity to take root after blowing on the wind from nearby plantations.<\/p>\n

Cassowary Coast Regional Council\u2019s Damon Sydes said the woodlands also included some early trial patches of pines for timber plantations, planted in the 1960s and 1970s.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are treating the big trees with cut and paint herbicide and then using cool burns to clear out the pine seedlings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Slow controlled burns<\/strong><\/p>\n

He said cool burns were slow, controlled burns with low flames, undertaken in the \u2018sweet spot\u2019 between sites being too wet or too dry.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe go against the wind to keep the flames low enough to protect flowering grevilleas as well as epiphytes in the canopy,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese fires also reduce fuel loads, preventing wildfires from coming in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anita Dwyer from the Rural Fire Service Queensland said responsible fire\u00a0management protects lives and property while fostering biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.<\/p>\n

“By using fire strategically, we can reduce hazards, conserve habitats, and ensure a safer future for all,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Kennedy Valley cane grower David Singh said the recent cool burns had been welcomed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe lost 300 acres of standing cane in one of the worst wildfires over the years,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u201cThese controlled burns are an important management tool for this area.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789122720{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 34px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_right”][mk_padding_divider size=”206″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1762738415834{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Botanical surveys to monitor forests<\/strong><\/p>\n

The broad leaf tea-tree forest is monitored after the burns. Surveys, undertaken to assess the severity of the fires, confirmed they were slow cool burns, killing the small pine trees but not damaging canopy trees.<\/p>\n

This work is one of 20 \u2018Forest Resilience\u2019 projects which Terrain NRM is supporting in four threatened ecological communities – Mabi forest, lowland rainforest, littoral rainforest and broad leaf tea-tree woodlands \u2013 as well as wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest uplands.<\/p>\n

Activities range from weed and pest control work to fire management, wildlife-friendly fencing, revegetation work and conservation agreements.<\/p>\n

The Forest Resilience program is funded by the Australian Government\u2019s Saving Native Species program.<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1762738367741{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Download booklet: Broad leaf tea-tree woodlands<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Download factsheet: Fire in Broad leaf tea-tree woodlands<\/a><\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Pjc_ekdUvV4&t=10s”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section el_class=”grean-btn-sec” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”47″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_button dimension=”outline” url=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/broad-leaf-tea-tree-woodlands\/” align=”right” el_class=”green-btn” outline_skin=”custom” outline_active_color=”#175137″ outline_active_text_color=”#ffffff” outline_hover_bg_color=”#175137″ outline_hover_color=”#ffffff”]Read More[\/mk_button][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1-blog” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”105″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” align=”right” el_class=”terrain-title”]RELATED NEWS[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][vc_row fullwidth=”true” fullwidth_content=”false” id=”post_grid_filter_1″][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”grid_greate_3″ css=”.vc_custom_1743711316392{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\n

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