Tide’s turning on mudflats

MANY mock the mudflats along the Cairns Esplanade and decry the lack of a sandy beach.

At times over the years there have been many attempts to put sand along the waterfront with truckloads brought in.

But the tides have washed the sand away and the mudflats have remained.

Some say many years ago there was a natural sandy beach along the foreshore.

Now birdwatchers and greenies have convinced Cairns Regional Council that the sand is ruining the mudflats and have investigated ways to stop the spread towards Trinity Inlet.

The council has agreed to build a groyne to prevent the sand from washing out on to the mudflats.

Removing the sand at the southern end near the Lagoon is more complicated, has to be costed and requires State Government approvals.

Some say the mudflats are ugly and detract from the aesthetic appearance of the Esplanade.

But they play an important part in biodiversity and are actually a tourism attraction.

Birdwatchers and twitchers flock to the mudflats to delight in our feathered friends and other wildlife, especially wading birds, mudskippers and crabs.

The mudflats have also drawn crocodiles and sharks at high tide.

There is now a chance to fund a marketing campaign to promote the value of birdlife along the Esplanade.

People wanting sandy beaches have plenty of choices not far from the centre of Cairns on the northern beaches.

The mudflats should be valued and enhanced for what they are.