Meet Gladstone's Harbours new watchdog

The incoming chairman of an organisation dedicated to improving the health of Gladstone's harbour, says he is excited by the challenge ahead.

Professor Iain Gordon spoke to The Observer at Tuesday's unveiling of the Gladstone Harbour's 2020 report card, delivered by the Gladstone Harbour Health Partnership.

"I haven't been involved with the partnership before now and I am to assume the role of chair as of tomorrow (Wednesday)," Professor Gordon said.

"I have just spent the past few days being orientated by members of the GHHP, but I have known about it for a long time."

Having worked on the Great Barrier Reef for 17 years, Professor Gordon said he had worked up and down the coast for CSIRO and James Cook University.

"I feel quite a responsibility stepping into the role," he said.

"I keep on getting told what a great job Gerry Graham has done as the current chair, he is very locally engaged having been here since 1994.

"I feel a little as though suddenly I've got boots to fill but it is exciting as well."

Professor Gordon said there was a lot to happen in the way the GHHP continued to ensure that the report card was relevant to the community.

"The report card was originally taken from the community in 2011 who said they were seeing things around particularly the fish and mud crab in the harbour," he said.
"I think it is important we keep this report card grounded within the community."

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Professor Gordon said he was pleased with results from the GHHP's report card on the Gladstone Harbour in 2020.

"There seems to be a lot of improvement happening particularly on the environmental side," he said.

"The social, economic and cultural stuff is pretty stable but the environmental side seems to be improving, including things like sea grass.

"There is some question marks about mud crab numbers and health which I think we need to get a larger understanding of."

Mr Gordon said his first port of call was to try and understand the broader ecosystem of the GHHP moving into 2021.