Apr 28 2015
Murrul is here
It murrul in Broome and the smell of watttles beginning to flower is perfuming the air. © Kandy Curran
Murrul is here (Yawuru season, little wind or rain, humidity drops, April-May) and the wattles are beginning to flower. Yawuru people, the traditional owners of Broome, live by the six seasons. ‘These seasons bring with them cultural rules and responsibilities, how to look after the country, plants and animals. There are rules about when certain animals can be eaten and by whom, and responsibilities about not wasting what can be eaten (Planning for the future: Yawuru Cultural Management Plan, 2011).
Apr 3 2015
Call for upgrade of wastewater ponds
A large Lyngbya bloom over the seagrass meadows between the Port and Dampier Creek prompted a collaborative response from agenices and RBWG.
A severe bloom of toxic blue-green algae has again appeared in Roebuck Bay, with the blooms triggered by nutrients, particularly nitrogen, entering Roebuck Bay. Nutrients come from multiple sources in Broome. Studies undertaken by the University of WA show that a source of nutrients entering Roebuck Bay is the ponds at Broome South Wastewater Treatment Plant, and wastewater re-use on Broome golf course.
Water Corp findings in February 2014 showed that 91000KL of semi-treated wastewater per year was seeping from the Broome South Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant is adjacent to Town Beach/Simpson Beach, where the thickest Lyngbya blooms are occurring.
Kandy Curran, Project Manager of the Roebuck Bay Working Group Inc (RBWG), said: ‘Every effort must be made to prevent pollution from entering Ramsar and National Heritage listed Roebuck Bay. Lyngbya blooms are devastating to seagrass, the main food of marine animals including turtles and dugong. The RBWG have written to Water Corp, Department of Environment Regulation, and the State.