Jacky Jacky Creek

Conservation and cultural values

Jacky Jacky Creek catchment is without doubt a global treasure. It is an area of great ecological diversity and sharply changing habitats. The southern end of the catchment supports the stunning white silica dune systems of the Shelburne Bay area, with some dune systems reaching 100m in height, and perched freshwater lakes similar to those found on Fraser Island. This wild area, of great international natural and cultural significance, is part of one Australia’s longest standing National Park proposals.

Savannah woodlands mark the western fringe of the Jacky Jacky Creek catchment, while the north is home to the undisturbed Escape River-Kennedy Inlet system, the site of Australia's largest mangrove forest (some mangrove trees reaching 15m high) as well as Queensland’s biggest pearl oyster site.

The fresh, natural flows of the Jacky Jacky Creek system are also the lifeblood of diverse and dense seagrass beds (underwater forests teeming with aquatic life, including Dugongs), as well as the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef to the east.

In this diverse complex of streams, wetlands, lakes and estuaries, you can find a vast array of special wildlife including a stalking Saltwater Crocodile in the estuaries, Red-capped Dotterals nesting on sand dunes, the spotty Mangrove Monitor feeding in the dense mangrove forests and Cape York Melomys foraging for fruit in the vine forests.

It is also a fisherman’s dream, with an abundance of catch like Barramundi, Threadfin Salmon and Mangrove jack.

The top end of the Jacky Jacky Creek catchment makes up the Jardine River National Park and Heathlands Resource Reserve, a 400,000 ha wilderness area famous for its rich tropical natural and cultural heritage.

The Yaddhaigana and Wuthahti people are the traditional owners of the Jacky Jacky Creek catchment area and maintain strong cultural and spiritual connections with the land and rivers. The traditional ecological knowledge and health of these communities is in turn critical to the ongoing health of this wild river system.

Threats

Conservation groups (including The Wilderness Society), together with traditional owners, campaigned over two decades to save the stunning dune country of Shelburne Bay from sandmining, which culminated in the canceling of all mining leases over this irreplaceable area by the Queensland Government in 2003.

With the threat of mining gone, the current threats to the health of the Jacky Jacky Creek catchment are feral animals like wild pigs, invasive weeds and inappropriate fire management (non-Indigenous traditional burning). Wild River protection, as well as the Indigenous Wild River Ranger program, will help address these impacts.