Ensuring Wild Duck Island remains wild (2024)

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How we took an island with a decaying abandoned resort and turned it into a conservation haven for nesting turtles.

Wild Duck Island abandoned resort, image taken in 2021. Photo credit: © GBRMPA

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An important rookery for flatback turtles, Wild Duck Island was, until recently, also the graveyard of a decaying abandoned resort. Thanks to our successful restoration project, all construction waste has been removed and the island returned to the best state to foster natural regeneration. Ensuring this special place is conserved for future generations of humans, and turtles.

One of 48 islands of Broad Sound Islands National Park, Wild Duck Island is a truly special place. It hosts the largest rookery of flatback turtles (Natator depressus), a vulnerable species that’s only found in Australia, contains an endangered sedge land and 6 of-concern regional ecosystems. The island is also significant to the Koinjamal people, having many Indigenous cultural heritage values.

However, up until 2021, Wild Duck Island only had small blocks of protected areas on the western and eastern ends of the island. These were separated by a 118ha leasehold block with an abandoned eco-resort.

The resort that never even opened

Construction of a resort on Wild Duck Island began in the late 70s and consisted of earthworks to dam the lagoon and the construction of 20 villas and associated staff accommodation.

In the early 80s, the resort was abandoned, along with most of the equipment used to build it, where it was left to decay up until just recently.

The Great Barrier Reef Island Arks Acquisition project

This project increases reef island protection by acquiring or transferring high conservation value islands, or parts thereof, to add to Queensland’s protected areas. This ensures that endangered and of-concern ecosystems and habitat for important species such as green and flatback turtles, seabirds and shorebirds are protected for future generations. The project also funds the rehabilitation, where necessary, of the island acquisitions.

Acquiring the lease was just step 1. The most important step was the demolition and removal of the abandoned resort and restoration of the natural environment of the island. This required extensive and meticulous planning.

Project planning and logistics

After acquisition in 2021, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) started the restoration project planning and procurement of contractors to complete the demolition. Project planning was extremely important due to the sensitivity of the site and the intended works, plus the remote nature of the area and fact there’s no established communication infrastructure. Strict biosecurity and environmental management procedures were necessary to safeguard not only the island’s special values but also those of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Planning was done in collaboration with the Koinjamal people who also provided onsite cultural heritage monitoring and protection during the demolition works.

Temporary track matting was laid over the dunes to protect critical turtle nesting habitat. Photo credit: © Queensland Government A temporary bridge was built over the lagoon to protect sensitive vegetation. Photo credit: © Queensland Government

The contractor was procured in early 2023 and it took 7 months to sort out all the logistical challenges including the required project machinery and food, water, sanitation and camping equipment required for the workers. Most of the machinery and equipment had to be transported from Brisbane to Gladstone, then ferried from Gladstone to the island on a high tide greater than 5.2m.

Once on the island, measures were taken to reduce the impact of machinery and equipment transfers from the barge to the resort site. Temporary track matting was laid over the dunes to protect critical turtle nesting habitat and a temporary bridge capable of carrying 15 tonnes was installed over the lagoon to protect sensitive vegetation.

Demolition and clean up

Twenty 2-bedroom self-contained brick veneer bungalows were demolished and removed, along with a variety of abandoned construction equipment.

All materials were separated—concrete, bricks, steel, asbestos (there’s always asbestos!), plant and equipment—and loaded onto a 1,000-tonne dump barge on the high tide. Over 133 tonnes of scrap steel, 882 tonnes of concrete and 5 tonnes of asbestos were removed from the island.

Twenty 2-bedroom villas were demolished. Photo credit: © Queensland Government Abandoned equipment and scrap metal was gathered for removal. Photo credit: © Queensland Government All materials were separated for removal. Photo credit: © Queensland Government 5 tonnes of asbestos was removed. There’s always asbestos! Photo credit: © Queensland Government

To ensure no scraps of metal were missed, a large electro-magnet was used to do a final sweep and clean. Project workers also conducted an ‘emu parade’ to ensure nothing was left behind.

Lastly, all the villa site pads were reshaped to prevent them becoming a ‘soak’ and eroding.

The demolition and clean up took 4 staff 4 weeks onsite and was completed just in time for the 2023 to 2024 flatback turtle nesting season.

Abandoned villas of the resort that never opened. Photo credit: © GBRMPA Site cleared and returned to a state to foster natural regeneration. Photo credit: © Demex

Restoration

The site has been left in the best state to foster natural regeneration and be included in management planning considerations for Broad Sound Islands National Park. This will guide the future management of the site in line with the rest of the protected area of the island, ensuring this special place is conserved for future generations of humans, and turtles.

As the largest flatback turtle rookery on Australia’s east coast, Wild Duck Island is now a ‘resort’ for turtles!

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Last updated: 8 August 2024