Member for Mackay Tim Mulherin and Mackay Port Authority chairman John Taylor have officially opened a new cultural boardwalk through the MPA’s melaleuca wetlands at Slade Point.

Member for Mackay Tim Mulherin (left), Yuibera elder Gary Mooney and Mackay Port Authority chairman John Taylor at the official opening of the Kommo Toera Trail. The boardwalk and pathway project is a conservation initiative of the Mackay Port Authority.

The boardwalk has been named the "Kommo Toera Trail". The wording has been taken from the language of the area’s traditional owners, the Yuibera people - Kommo meaning water and Toera meaning walk. The 600 metre trail has taken about 20 weeks to complete.

MPA chairman John Taylor said the trail was a credit to the 12 hard working and industrious participants, who battled mosquitoes, wet and muddy conditions and a host of other setbacks to complete the project.

"We have a project here that the whole community can be proud of,” he said. “It will enable school children and other members of the community to learn more about the environment and the cultural heritage of the area."

The MPA contributed $148 000 to the total project that also included the planting of more than 800 trees and beautification work on Slade Point Road

This is just one of a number of environmental initiatives the Mackay Port Authority has in place under its Conservation Management Plan. A quarter of the port’s land already has been set aside for conservation purposes.

Member for Mackay Tim Mulherin said the State Government was proud to support a project that gave unemployed people new skills. "The new carpentry and building skills will help these people secure fulltime employment." he said.

"They have given the community a valuable asset that will be there for future generations to enjoy."

Yuibera elder Gary Mooney said projects such as the Kommo Toera Trail not only helped young indigenous people gain new skills, but also ensured the cultural heritage of the area was preserved.

The interpretive walk would eventually include information on native plants for bush tucker and traditional medicine. Mr Mooney said a close bond had been forged between the MPA and the Yuibera People.

The $271 000 project was jointly funded by the Mackay Port Authority, State Government, Mackay Tourism and Development Bureau and the Heartland Community Development Employment Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Planning is currently underway on stage two of the project.