Cattai Wetlands Future Direction Strategy

For Greater Taree City Council.

Gondwana Consulting prepared a “Future Direction Strategy” for Greater Taree City Council for the Cattai Wetlands – an area of nearly 500 hectares with a range of significant biodiversity, cultural heritage, tourism/recreation and landscape values located approximately 22 kilometres north of Taree on the NSW mid-north coast.  Council’s management of the Wetlands had been principally focused on water quality improvements, acid sulfate soils management and natural environmental benefits – including coastal wetland rehabilitation and floodplain management.

The purpose of the Strategy is now to “open up” the wetlands for the community and visitors to enjoy and appreciate as well as to identify possible regional ecotourism initiatives or economic benefits.  The Strategy also served to update the current plan of management and both consolidate and build on past gains in the environmental management and quality of the site.

Preparation of the Strategy involved a detailed assessment of the Wetlands’ values (including separate water quality and acid sulphate soils, biodiversity, and Aboriginal cultural heritage studies) and the area’s past management, a comprehensive constraints and opportunities analysis, review of Council’s visitor/stakeholders survey data, and consultation with those Aboriginal people/groups associated with the site.  Gondwana Consulting delivered a final draft Strategy which was endorsed by Greater Taree City Council for exhibition for public comment/review.

2013