The final stage of the Moreton Island clean-up is underway following one of Australia's worst oil spills earlier this year.
In March, the Pacific Adventurer was battered by Cyclone Hamish off the coast of Cape Moreton, near Brisbane, suffering two hull punctures and leaking 250 tonnes of heavy fuel oil that washed ashore.
The vessel also lost 31 containers carrying ammonium nitrate fertiliser overboard.
While the beaches were declared clean in early May, the federal government has allocated $2 million from Caring for our Country funding towards rehabilitation and restoration works for the northern end of Moreton Island.
Funding will also go towards rehabilitating beaches and mangrove wetlands between Caloundra and Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast.
Simon Warner, the chief executive of SEQ, the organisation that won the clean-up tender, said the projects were a partnership of a variety of organisations, including traditional owners, local government, the Department of Environment and Resource Management and volunteer community groups.
"Recovery works include revegetation, weed removal, dune stabilisation, pest management, erosion control and monitoring of flora and fauna species," he said.
The program, which is expected to run until June 2010, can also give advice to coastal management plans to build greater environmental resilience in coastal ecosystems, he said.
Current approved activities total $1.3 million, with contributions provided by the five groups pushing the total to $3.5 million.
"We do have some further funds for on-ground works and we will be looking to target gaps in the current program to mitigate the impact of the oil spill and create greater resilience," Mr Warner said.
As well as rehabilitating areas, the projects also include engaging traditional owner elders to record historical, cultural and ecological knowledge in areas, and building better relationships between scientists, trainee rangers and traditional owners.
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