Cooktown Trip (Group 27) - Environmental Disaster Near Finch Bay - Cooktown

I was astounded to see this. I went for a walk through a lot of the area but it is really extensive and I just saw a bit of it. All these dead trees like someone had killed them. I am doing this posting in three groups. This is the first.

 

I took lots of photos and recently I contacted the Cooktown Shire Council by email and phone and spoke to the man who handles the environment for the Shire. He explained that for the 2 years 2001 and 2002 there was very reduced rainfall and this whole wetlands area dried up with the water table rising allowing the salt water to rise and contact the roots of these magnificent paperbark trees. (melaluecas). These are the swamp tea trees that can be hundreds of years old and can be massive. As a result they died and that allowed the whole area to be infested by weeds (more on that later). I think this swamp must drain into the small creek that exits at Finch Bay

 

This is the sign just off the Finch Bay Road and must be to highlight who is trying to do something about it. I know for sure that it is mainly the Cook Shire - no help from the Queensland Govt which shows little interest in anything outside south east Qld.

Done