21 September 2001

The Honourable Dean Wells, MP Chair, Wet Tropics Ministerial Council, Minister for Environment PO Box 155 BRISBANE ALBERT STREET QLD 4002

Dear Mr. Wells,

I have pleasure in submitting the Wet Tropics Management Authority’s annual report for 2000-2001. Under the Wet Tropics World Heritage Protection and Management Act 1993 section 63 (1) the Authority must within three months after the end of the financial year, give to the Minister and the Commonwealth, an annual report. In submitting this report to you today the Authority is complying with this requirement. Section 63 (2) requires you to lay a copy of this report before the Legislative Assembly within 14 sitting days of your receiving it. Yours sincerely

Tor Hundloe Chairperson

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 1 2 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 Contents

Highlights 4 From the Chairperson Administration of the Act 7 Program Reports Area Conservation 10 Planning and Research 12 Aboriginal Resource Management 14 Corporate Services 16 Community Relations 18 State of the Wet Tropics 21 Appendices Appendix 1 56 Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area Management Scheme Appendix 2 57 Summary of Total Expenditure 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001 Appendix 3 58 Wet Tropics Management Authority Establishment as at 30 June 2001 Note Abbreviations used in this report

WHA: World Heritage Area EPA: Environmental Protection Agency QPWS: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service DNRM: Department of Natural Resources and Mines CRC: Cooperative Research Centre NHT: Natural Heritage Trust JCU: James Cook University

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 3 Highlights: From the Chairperson

It was not a difficult decision to accept suffered from significant budget another term as Chair of the Wet reduction, and from the lack of a Tropics Board. As I stated in last financial agreement between the State year’s Annual Report, there is plenty and Commonwealth governments. of unfinished business that I would This lack of resources has been like to see accomplished in the next frustrating and limiting in the good few years - not the least being an things expected of us. We have had improvement in the resources required to be inventive and flexible. We can to effectively manage the World react quickly as issues arise and Heritage Area. adapt quickly to change. I am also pleased to welcome on board Authority staff share an ethic of James Cook University academic Peter achieving world heritage protection Valentine and Herberton shire mayor through partnerships with the wider Anne Portess, who replaced outgoing community. They tell me they feel Board directors Fran Seagren and privileged to work at the cutting edge George Mansford in December 2001. of world heritage policy and At our first meeting in March 2001, management, community the directors demonstrated their development and indigenous land considerable strengths and insights management. They have achieved as we all worked together to reach a some very important goals over the number of challenging decisions. I past decade. look forward to the year ahead with this team beside me. One of the significant achievements in 2000-2001 was the Mona Mona Last year the outgoing Board offered agreement, our first management very useful advice to the new Board. agreement with Aboriginal people. We indicated the need to move This is a new, cooperative approach towards greater inclusion of to resolving native title and land Aboriginal interests in the decision- management issues. Development of making process and suggested the the agreement took three years and way forward was to continually the process achieved important and improve the Authority’s working far reaching outcomes in relationship with the wider community. communication and understanding Times have changed in the ten years between the Mona Mona community since the Authority first opened its and the Authority. This model is doors in Cairns in 1991. It began as a already being adapted for a similar handful of people brought together agreement under negotiation with the to develop a coordinated approach to Kuku Yalanji people at Buru. managing Australia’s tropical Another long awaited achievement rainforests. Ten years later the was the finalisation of several land Authority has grown to about 30 staff, purchases made in conjunction with but it remains small compared to other agencies. About 1000 ha at agencies with similar responsibilities. Wyvuri freshwater swamp and the We should not forget that the rainforest-covered foothills of Graham Authority is charged with looking Range near Bramston Beach were after a small part of the world on behalf purchased after many years of of the world community as well as on negotiations with the owners. behalf of the Australian community Another three parcels on the coastal and local people who are very much range at Etty Bay near Innisfail were part of the World Heritage Area. also acquired, providing increased connectivity between coastal lowland In the last decade the Authority has

4 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 rainforest blocks and protecting prime selected by the Board. The frank permit systems, the Authority drew cassowary habitat. advice of these committees and the up a Memorandum of Understanding Authority’s various stakeholder The recommendations of the Daintree with the principal land management liaison groups continues to enhance Futures Planning Study were agencies QPWS and DNR (now the Board’s ability to make sound discussed at the Ministerial Council QPWS - Forest Management). Over decisions for the right reasons. in June 2001. A major outcome of the 900 permit applications were made meeting was to request the Australian One of the persisting issues which during the 2000/2001 year, most Rainforest Foundation to undertake a occupies the Board and its advisory relating to the use of vehicles on land consolidation and covenanting groups is achieving the delicate restricted roads. Authority staff also program to reduce development rights balance between world heritage prepared new codes of practice and in areas identified in the Daintree protection and the increasing guidelines for community consultation Futures Study. The Commonwealth pressures of regional development. on permit applications, water and Queensland ministers agreed to For example, ecological fragmentation extraction and seed collection. The provide the Foundation with $1 million associated with electricity management of “Presentation as seed funding to commence an infrastructure and road clearings is Restricted” roads is currently under ambitious program which will include considered one of the major impacts review. the attraction of significant corporate in the World Heritage Area. In the largest known illegal logging sponsorship. Codes of practice have been prepared operation in the World Heritage Area Ministerial Council also endorsed a for management and maintenance of since listing, 15 logs were removed new branding design for the World the road, electricity and water from the Herberton State Forest Heritage Area which has been infrastructure in the World Heritage section in January 2001. Due to the developed in conjunction with Area and are being implemented by cooperative effort and supportive Tourism Tropical North Queensland, the service providers. Despite these teamwork achieved by QPWS-FM and Townsville Enterprise and Tourism codes of practice, the Authority was Authority staff, the alleged offence is Queensland. This evolved as part of greatly dismayed when contractors scheduled to go before a committal development of a marketing action accidentally cleared important hearing in late 2001 on charges under plan which was an action in the revegetation plots under powerlines the criminal code, the Forestry Act Authority’s Nature Based Tourism in the Davies Creek area in 2000. and the Wet Tropics Management Strategy 2000 which identified the Increased training is now being Plan. need for a coordinated approach to provided by infrastructure agencies to As usual, feral pigs and weeds head promoting the World Heritage Area. minimise environmental harm and to the list of threats which continue to Market research showed low reduce current levels of impact. afflict the World Heritage Area and recognition among visitors of the term Members of Parliament should note our neighbours. But this year we have “Wet Tropics” and the stylised that electricity supply is likely to be added a new monster. Rainforest cassowary logo. As a result, a frog an ongoing political and social issue dieback caused by the fungus and leaf design will be accompanied in the year ahead. An environmental Phytophthora cinnamomi appears to by the words “Australia’s Tropical impact study is being conducted into be much more widespread than Rainforests - World Heritage”. The the feasibility and environmental previously thought. Preliminary logo and a selection of images will be impacts of alternate routes for the findings suggest that up to 14 percent provided on CD to the industry to upgrading of the Tully-Innisfail of the World Heritage Area may be at ensure a more accurate presentation powerline. The Authority has a policy risk. The Authority is working with of the World Heritage Area. The position of seeking a net reduction in the Rainforest CRC to further cassowary will be retained as the the impact of electricity infrastructure investigate these recently identified Authority’s corporate logo. on the Area and a coastal route outbreaks so that informed In keeping with the Authority’s avoiding the World Heritage Area management decisions can be made. partnership approach to land appears to be a prudent and feasible Times ahead are going to be management, the Community alternative to building new interesting both for the Authority and Consultative Committee and Scientific infrastructure in the World Heritage land managers. Approximately Advisory Committee experienced an Area. Such an option would result in 320,000 ha (36% of the World Heritage active year. Significant issues the eventual decommissioning and Area) is proposed for transfer from addressed by the committees rehabilitation of at least 35 km of an State Forests to a tenure of higher included the walking and conservation existing transmission line and its 60 protection under the Nature strategies, weed and feral animal metre wide swathe clearing which Conservation Act. This is likely to control, landholder incentives and dissects part of the World Heritage result in major shifts in corporate neighbour relations. The Committees Area which is otherwise intact. culture. However, the changes will completed three-year terms during In order to eliminate duplication in assist in achieving a seamless 2000-2001 and new members were

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 5 management regime during the years Network, a joint Commonwealth and of change ahead. State program which aims to preserve and promote Queensland’s natural An emerging challenge for land and cultural heritage. A diverse range managers are the moves away from of 14 projects is currently under contemporary western land development in Tropical North management to embrace joint Queensland, including several management with rainforest projects which present world heritage Aboriginal people. Eighty percent of values. One example is the Misty the World Heritage Area is considered Mountain Trails, a major walking track potentially claimable under native title network proposed for the World legislation, and 282,966 ha (about a Heritage Area that will enable early third of the World Heritage Area) is implementation of parts of the Wet currently under claim. The long Tropics Walking Strategy. It will cover process of developing a regional four local shires and provide access agreement with rainforest Aboriginal to some of the most remote and people continues, but I am optimistic beautiful scenery in the Wet Tropics. that I will have good news for next year’s annual report following a There are a number of opportunities summit of Aboriginal people due to for the Authority to get involved in be held at Mission Beach in July 2001. these projects and assist local The summit will seek agreement on the communities in marketing and supporting structure and the promoting the new attractions. In composition of the Aboriginal addition, the Authority has negotiating team to commence participated in the development of discussions through the interim proposals for the establishment of a negotiating forum. regional tourism information Gateway in Cairns. The Cairns Gateway would Compared to reaching agreements be the main point of contact for all with individual tribal groups and visitors coming into the city, and communities, this should offer an all- present information about the region’s encompassing approach to including outstanding cultural and natural Aboriginal interests and involvement heritage assets. in decision making and on-ground management of the World Heritage In closing, I look forward to the year Area. ahead, and to the next decade of world heritage management. Also on the horizon lies the potential for new, emerging partnerships for the Authority through the proposed Rainforest Centre of Excellence. In conjunction with James Cook University and the Rainforest CRC (and with support from the Department of State Development), the Authority Tor Hundloe has engaged consultants to carry out Chairperson a feasibility study for developing such a centre on State owned land adjoining the JCU campus at Smithfield. The concept is for an institute specialising in tropical rainforest management, research, education and associated nature-based tourism. The study is expected to be completed early in the next financial year and I look forward to exploring the new synergies which may emerge. Other joint venture opportunities are presented by the Heritage Trails

6 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 Administration of the Act Enabling Legislation • Administering funding The Queensland legislation, the Wet • Facilitating, and entering into Tropics World Heritage Protection cooperative management and Management Act 1993, was agreements proclaimed on 1 November 1993, apart from s.56 and s.57. The • Rehabilitation Commonwealth legislation, the Wet • Education through the gathering and Tropics of Queensland World dissemination of information. Heritage Area Conservation Act 1994, was proclaimed on 15 March The Wet Tropics Management 1994. Authority must, in performing its functions, consider Aboriginal The Wet Tropics Management Plan tradition and liaise and cooperate with 1998 was gazetted 22 May 1998 and Aboriginal people concerned with the commenced operation on 1 September Area. It must also perform its functions 1998. Section 56 of the Queensland in a way that is consistent with the Act which prohibits the destruction objectives and principles of the of forest products, and s.57 which National Strategy for Ecologically sets out compensation provisions, Sustainable Development. also commenced on 1 September 1998. Management Structure The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area Management Scheme is an The intergovernmental agreement intergovernmental agreement signed provides for a Wet Tropics Ministerial by the Prime Minister and Premier of Council, comprising two Queensland in 1990. The agreement Commonwealth and two State is scheduled in the Queensland Act ministers. The Queensland Minister and given effect by s.3 of the for Environment chairs the Council. Commonwealth Act. It was revised and The chair of the Authority reports to signed by Commonwealth and State the Ministerial Council. The executive ministers in December 1995. director is the secretary to the Ministerial Council. The Wet Tropics Management Authority was set up to ensure A board of directors is set up under Australia’s obligation under the World the Wet Tropics World Heritage Heritage Convention in relation to the Protection and Management Act World Heritage Area is met. The 1993 and consists of six directors, five Authority is a body corporate, with of these are private citizens who serve statutory powers defined under the as directors in a part-time capacity. Act. Two are nominated by the The Authority’s functions are defined Commonwealth and two by the State. under s.10 of the Act. They include: The chairperson is jointly nominated. The executive director of the • Developing and implementing Authority is a non-voting director of policies and programs within the the Board. Wet Tropics Area The Authority falls within the portfolio • Making recommendations to of the Queensland Minister for Ministerial Council Environment. As part of the • Preparing management plans Queensland public sector the Authority is subject to established public sector legislation, regulations, standards and guidelines governing

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 7 administrative functions and 2000. Meetings and dates: arrangements. The director general of Mr Peter Valentine (Queensland 10 May 2001 (Cairns) the EPA is the accountable officer for nominee), appointed on 22 December the Authority under the Financial Remuneration: 2000. Administration and Audit Act 1997. CCC members do not receive sitting Mr Russell Watkinson (executive The executive director is responsible fees. The committee cost $7,142.77 in director WTMA), appointed 16 March to the director general regarding 2000/2001 mostly for reimbursed 1998. compliance with State government travel expenses. legislation, standards and policies Meetings and dates: relating to administrative matters. No. 39 - 17/18 August 2000 (Cairns), Wet Tropics Scientific Advisory No. 40 - 6/7 March 2000 (Cairns), Wet Tropics Ministerial Council Committee Teleconference - 4 April 2001, No 41 Appointment is for duration of term - 14/15 May 2001 (Cairns). Appointed on 15 May 2001 for a three- of office. As at 30 June 2001, the year term. Ministerial Council comprised: Board remuneration: Chairperson: Chairperson: The overall cost of the Authority Board including meeting fees, special Dr Chris Margules The Honourable Dean Wells MP assignment fees, air fares and travel (Minister for Environment, Members: allowances for 2000/2001 was Queensland). $37,921.65. Dr Judy Atkinson, Dr Bill Carter, Dr Members: Mark Fenton, Assoc. Prof. Steve Turton, Prof. Geoff McDonald, Dr Senator, The Honourable Robert Hill Wet Tropics Community Jackie Robinson, Mr Peter Stanton. (Minister for Environment and Consultative Committee (CCC) Heritage, Commonwealth) Meetings and dates: Appointed on 4 April 2001 for a three- The Honourable Merri Rose MLA 23 February 2001 in Cairns year term. (Minister for Tourism and Racing, Remuneration: Queensland) Chairperson: SAC members do not receive sitting Mr Stephen Russell (local The Honourable Jackie Kelly MP fees. The committee cost $1,909.11 in Government). (Minister for Sport and Tourism, 2000/01, mostly for reimbursed travel Commonwealth). Members: expenses. Meetings and dates: Ms Jax Bergersen (conservation), Meeting No. 16: 7 November 2000 was Mrs Truus Biddlecombe (recreation), Wet Tropics Liaison Groups held in Canberra.Meeting No. 17: 8 Mr Kevin Burton (neighbour/farmer), June 2001 was held in Cairns. Mr Geoffrey Bush (neighbour/ Landholders and Neighbours farmer), Mr John Courtenay Liaison Group WTMA Board of directors (tourism), Mr Roy Dickson (rural Chairperson: Chairperson: interests), Cr Tom Gilmore (local government), Ms Robin Maxwell Cr Anne Portess (Herberton) Professor Tor Hundloe was (community), Mr Charles Morganson appointed on 14 November 1996, Members: (aboriginal), Cr Marjorie Norris and reappointed on 22 September (local government), Cr Bob Owen Mrs Dawn Bloomfield (Atherton), Mr 1997 and 22 December 2000. (local government), Cr Jeff Pezzutti Stanley Breeden (Malanda/Topaz), Directors: (local government), Cr Keith Phillips Mr George Davis (Mullunburra; (local government), Mr Ross Rogers Goldsborough/Gillies), Mr Roy Mr Tony Charters (Commonwealth Dickson (Cardwell), Mr Jaime Guedes nominee), appointed on 11 (commerce), Ms Fran Seagren (rural interests), Mr Allen Sheather (Bloomfield), Mr Dave Kimble December 1997 and reappointed on (Mission Beach), Ms Caroline 22 December 2000. (conservation), Prof. Nigel Stork (science), Cr Les Tyrell (local McConaghy (Julatten/Daintree), Ms Mr Eric Deeral (Commonwealth government), Ms Linda Venn Carmen O’Shea (Ingham/Mt Fox), Ms nominee), appointed 19 March 1998 (community), Ms Ellen Weber Dawn Potts (Babinda), Mr Peter and reappointed on 22 December 2000. (conservation), Mr Bruce Williams Salleras (Tully/Feluga), Mr Norman (education). Whitney (CCC/Gordonvale & East Cr Anne Portess (Queensland Trinity), Mr Trevor Wood (Paluma/ nominee), appointed 22 December Mt Spec).

8 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 Meetings and dates: and Cassowary Conservation), Mr Allen Sheather (CCC/Daintree 26 August 2000 (Kuranda), 9 Cassowary Care Group), Mr Nev December 2000 (Cairns). Simpson (Tablelands Frog Club), Mr Peter Smith (Wildlife Preservation Tourism Industry Liaison Group Society of Queensland), Mr Neville St John-Wood (Daintree Cassowary Chairperson Care Group), Ms Ellen Weber (CCC/ Mr Tony Charters (Tourism Cairns & Far North Environment Queensland, WTMA Board director) Centre). Members: Meetings and dates Mr Bill Bayne (Atherton Tableland 7 August 2000, 30 October 2000 (all in Promotion Bureau), Mr Russell Cairns). Boswell (Far North Queensland Tour Remuneration: Operators Association), Mr Steve Brady (ITOA), Mr Terry Carmichael Members of the liaison groups do not (Wildlife Parks Association), Mr John receive sitting fees. The liaison Courtenay (CCC/Pacific Asia Travel groups cost in total $6,905.22 mostly Association), Mr Ron Cusick for reimbursed travel expenses. (adventure tourism), Mr Mark Evans (Cassowary Coast), Cr Robyn Godbehere (Townsville Enterprise), Ms Anna Graham (ecotourism operator), Mr Daniel Gschwind (Tourism Council of Australia), Mr Ian Kean (Tourism Tropical North Queensland), Ms Terry Rogers (Port Douglas Daintree Tourism Association). Meetings and dates: 8 August 2000, 23 October 2000 (all in Cairns).

Conservation Sector Liaison Group Chairperson: Mr Peter Valentine (James Cook University) Members: Mr John Beasley (Envirocare), Mr Henry Boer (Cairns & Far North Environment Centre), Ms Kylie Freebody (Greening Australia), Mr John Glue (Black Mountain Preservation Society), Mr David Hudson (Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers), Mr Tony Irvine (Trees for the Evelyn and Atherton Tablelands), Ms Margaret Moorhouse (North Queensland Conservation Council), Ms Carole Muller (Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland - Hinchinbrook), Ms Mary Ritchie (Community for Coastal

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 9 Program Report Area Conservation

Review of progress in achieving • refuse disposal statutory obligations • upgrade of sewerage treatment plant. Wet Tropics Plan administration The majority of applications were for maintenance of infrastructure not The principal land management covered in the general maintenance agencies of Department of Natural permits for existing infrastructure. Resources and Mines and the Road upgrade permits included the Queensland Parks and Wildlife sealing of a last section of the Cape Service entered into a Memorandum Tribulation Road. of Understanding (MOU) with the Authority authorising the agencies to This section of the road has provision issue permits under the Plan as permit for traffic calming measures at entities and delegates of the cassowary crossing points. Authority. Codes of practice and guidelines These processes eliminated The Authority prepared new codes of duplication and overlap in the practice and guidelines for water administration of the Plan and agency extraction from the WHA, seed permit systems. collection in the WHA and community In excess of 900 permit applications consultation on permit applications. were made during the 2000/2001 year, These guidelines have been approved most relating to the use of motor as s.62 Guidelines under the Wet vehicles on management and Tropics Management Plan. presentation restricted roads. Compensation claims These were determined by the Department of Natural Resources and Following the introduction of the Wet Mines, generally in conjunction with Tropics Management Plan in 1998, consideration of the activity under the Board received 10 claims for the Forestry Act regulations. compensation for injurious affection. Eight applications were received by The Board has rejected seven of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife claims due to insufficient information Service for aircraft overflights below supplied as to the nature of the claims. 1000 ft over the World Heritage Area. These claimants have the opportunity The Authority directly dealt with 47 to take the matter to the Environment permit applications during this period. and Land Court if they wish to pursue These involved applications for the the matter further. following: The remaining three claims are still • telecommunication facilities under consideration. • powerline construction Rehabilitation/corridor • seed collecting construction • road and railway upgrade works Existing restoration projects • private dwellings continued at Massey Creek and other • water extraction facilities vegetation corridors on private properties in the Lake Eacham district. • infrastructure maintenance • commercial flights over the area A further vegetation corridor project was undertaken in the Millaa Millaa • crocodile farm district connecting private freehold • barramundi farm land to two areas of the WHA.

10 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 This work has been undertaken under Land acquisition a cooperative management agreement The acquisition of a large parcel of (CMA) with several landowners. land at Wyvuri Swamp near Bramston Cooperative management Beach was finalised after many years agreements of negotiations with the owners. Negotiations were completed with the This jointly funded purchase with Djabugay people concerning a CMA Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service covering community development covers approximately 1,000 ha of activities and protection of World freshwater swamp and the foothills of Heritage values at the Mona Mona the Graham Range. reserve. The area contains many rare species The agreement has since been such as the pitcher plant Nepenthes approved by the Authority. mirablis. Discussions were also advanced with Wyvuri Swamp is the only place in the Kuku Yalanji people at Buru the Wet Tropics bioregion in which concerning a CMA dealing with their Sphagnum Moss Sphagnum sp. has community development aspirations. been reported to grow. The Buru CMA is being negotiated The purchase of three parcels of land within the framework of native title on the coastal range at Etty Bay near negotiations concerning all Innisfail was finalised. traditional land of the Eastern Yalanji This acquisition was jointly funded people. by Commonwealth Natural Heritage The Authority is part of a State Trust and the Queensland Coastal negotiating team for this claim. Acquisition Program and will protect the connectivity of coastal rainforest Seventeen CMA’s were finalised in in prime cassowary habitat. the past 12 months with two further agreements close to completion. Assessment of development and These were all in the Daintree area. tenure change proposals The total number of approved CMA’s Advice was given by staff of the in the WHA is currently 42. program to more than 100 requests from other agencies, community Feral pig trapping organisations and prospective The community based feral pig- landowners as to the Authority’s trapping program continued during requirements in relation to particular 2000/2001 with more landholders parcels of land either in or adjoining becoming involved. the World Heritage Area. The Authority contributed $70,000 to Extensive investigation was the program which is managed by undertaken on numerous the Department of Natural Resources development proposals submitted to and Mines. the Authority for comment, on The Cassowary Advisory Group properties adjoining the WHA. contributed $5,000 to the program to improve trap gate mechanisms to ensure all are of a quick release style and to replace all hair trigger mechanisms. All trap triggers are now of a heavy log type to ensure traps do not catch non-target species such as cassowaries.

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 11 Program Report Planning and Research

The planning and research program Tropics region. is responsible for land use planning The final Walking Strategy is and policy, research coordination, and scheduled for release in October 2001. the design of ‘best practice’ management techniques within the Conservation audit WHA. It is also responsible for annual The Authority has begun an audit of State of the Wet Tropics reporting and conservation activities in and around the management of geographic the World Heritage Area. The audit information and computer systems. will be used as a basis to work with Nature Based Tourism Strategy the community and land managers to (NBTS) develop a conservation strategy to enhance the conservation and The NBTS was released in August rehabilitation of the WHA and 2000. The process was guided by a surrounds. high level of stakeholder involvement. The project completion fulfils a Daintree Futures Planning Study priority action required by the Wet The terms of reference for the Daintree Tropics Ministerial Council in 1997/ Futures Planning Study was 98. An ‘implementation schedule’ for established by the Wet Tropics the strategy has been prepared based Ministerial Council in September 1999 on the identified key actions and and the Rainforest CRC was priorities. As an outcome of the NBTS, commissioned in December to a tourism partnership program for the undertake the study. World Heritage Area has already been developed in cooperation with the The recommendations in the report tourism industry. were amended by the Rainforest CRC in light of 197 public submissions Wet Tropics Walking Strategy received during the eight week public Closely associated with the NBTS is consultation period ending 13th the development of the Wet Tropics October 2000. Walking Strategy. Land managers, The Rainforest CRC’s final report to local government, , conservation, Ministerial Council ‘ proposes a future tourism and local bushwalking for the Daintree coastal region based representatives have been involved on protecting the high biodiversity in this process, and have been values and building a sustainable formally represented on the project rainforest community on the freehold steering committee and technical land north of the Daintree River.’ working group. The final report was tabled at The draft Walking Strategy was Ministerial Council in June 2001. released for public comment in November 2000 and responses have A major outcome of the meeting was been supportive. It incorporates the to request the Australian Rainforest development of a world class walking Foundation (ARF) to undertake a land track network in the Wet Tropics consolidation and covenenting region including more long distance program to reduce development rights, walks and heritage walks. to sustainable levels identified in the study. It also identifies a need for better resourcing of walk management and This will involve raising substantial for improved information about the corporate sector funds to enable diversity of walks available in the Wet acquisition of properties,

12 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 consolidation of land parcels and • Environmental assessment guide: • Vegetation mapping of the Wet resale following covenenting. $1 development and maintenance of Tropics - an ongoing project million is to be provided to the ARF water extraction infrastructure, and involving detailed vegetation and as seed funding to commence this geological mapping of the Wet • Conservation values of waterways in ambitious program. Tropics biogeographic region the area. (WTMA contractor), and Regional planning input The code of practice will be applied as a • Rainforest rehabilitation - best The program was actively involved section 62 guideline under the Wet practice rehabilitation trials in a range of other strategic planning Tropics Management Plan 1998. associated with powerline and road exercises which have implications Research activities corridors (DNRM, QPWS). for World Heritage management. They include: The Authority is a partner in the Geographic Information Systems and Rainforest CRC with this year being the Technology (GIST) • Planning for a potential canopy second of a newly funded seven year walk and long distance walks in The Authority has continued to program. the southern Wet Tropics as part manipulate and develop information of the heritage trails program. Several Rainforest CRC research critical to management of the WHA. programs have produced significant The GIST unit develops digital data • Various local government scientific results of direct relevance to from scientific studies, and maintains planning schemes (under the management of the WHA. The relevance linkages to other organisations that Integrated Planning Act 1997) of Rainforest CRC research to the provide data. This year has seen • Koombooloomba ecotourism Authority’s needs has been further increased use of databases to project enhanced by the establishment of CRC manage the large amounts of program support groups (which include information which must be collected • Danbulla-Lake Tinaroo both researchers and research user and managed during complex management strategy interests) and the completion of the collaborative projects such as the Wet • Coastal planning projects for Authority’s Research and Information Tropics Walking Strategy. Queensland Wet Tropics and Needs report (2000). Cardwell-Hinchinbrook regions. The vegetation mapping of the Wet The Authority contributed funds to the Tropics bioregion has progressed State of the Wet Tropics reporting following research activities during the well, and is now over 50% complete. The 2000/2001 State of the Wet financial year: Already there are numerous requests from outside organisations for this Tropics Report has been prepared • Vertebrate pest management strategy data. as required under the Wet Tropics risk assessment and prioritisation World Heritage Protection and (Rainforest CRC) The GIST section is playing a Management Act 1993. The report • Weed incursions along roads and valuable role in the development of incorporates a revised format and powerlines in the WHA (Rainforest the Kuku Yalanji indigenous land use approach to better reflect trends in CRC) agreement, providing mapping and the condition of the WHA. presentations for use in the • Forest dieback - mapping and impact The planning and research team negotiations. assessment (Rainforest CRC) also worked closely with Environment Australia to prepare • Supplementary indicators for State the State Party response to the of the Wet Tropics reporting ACIUCN report “Wet Tropics of (Rainforest CRC) Queensland World Heritage Area - • Development of Aboriginal tourism Condition, Management and in the Wet Tropics (Rainforest CRC) Threats”, September 2000. • Cultural indicators and information Water infrastructure in the Wet support systems (Rainforest CRC) Tropics • Weeds prioritisation (Rainforest A code of practice for maintenance CRC) and operation of water infrastructure in the Wet Tropics has • Regional information management been developed and is now available systems (Rainforest CRC) on CD. The package includes three • Traffic counters/vehicle key components: classification systems (Rainforest • Codes of practice for water CRC) extraction in the Area

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 13 Program Report Aboriginal Resource Management

The Aboriginal resource management awareness of rainforest Aboriginal program (ARM) is responsible for people’s aspirations regarding helping the Authority build management of the WHA. Over the partnerships with rainforest year the program has: Aboriginal peoples to facilitate their • Provided assistance to the Wet involvement in the management of the Tropics Board member, Mr Eric Deeral, Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The by keeping him informed of rainforest program does this by establishing Aboriginal issues and facilitating his relationships based on knowledge of attendance at community meetings. and respect for Aboriginal peoples’ responsibilities, traditional laws and • Assisted Environment Australia with customs and their legislative rights Aboriginal involvement in the World and interests. The Authority has Heritage Committee meeting in Cairns obligations to involve Aboriginal in November. people in management of the WHA. • Supported Rainforest CRC regarding ARM has direct responsibilities in the Rainforest CRC 2000 conference community liaison, policy and resulting in significant participation protocol development, inter- agency and input of Aboriginal perspectives networking, and the implementation on knowledge systems and research. of the Review of Aboriginal • Contracted the Girringun Elders and Involvement in the Management of Reference Group and North the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Queensland Land Council to provide The program is also actively involved three Aboriginal community liaison in mainstreaming Aboriginal officers (CLOs) to work with the ARM perspectives into other Authority program to facilitate the involvement programs. of rainforest Aboriginal people in the The program works closely with and protection, conservation and assists Aboriginal representative management of the WHA. organisations such as ATSIC; North • Continued identification of and Queensland, Cape York and Central liaison with traditional owner groups Queensland Land Councils; Bama in the southern region. Wabu and Girringun Elders and Reference Group and key tribal • Set up public education displays organisations such as Djabugay Tribal and stalls at the NAIDOC celebrations Aboriginal Corporation and the in July. Burungu Aboriginal Corporation • Published a fifth edition of the operating within the WHA. Rainforest Aboriginal News and Community liaison distributed 3000 copies to rainforest Aboriginal communities and The program works to ensure that representative organisations, local/ effective and appropriate State/Commonwealth members, communication, negotiation and agencies and interested individuals. consultation occurs between the Authority, land management agencies • Continued the maintenance of the and the rainforest Aboriginal Authority’s ‘keepin’ in touch’ community. rainforest Aboriginal organisations database to ensureAboriginal people A key objective is to raise community were regularly informed of Authority

14 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 projects. Authority’s statutory obligations. North Queensland Land Council, This included: QPWS, the Johnstone Shire Council • Financially assisted the Rainforest and the Authority to progress the CRC to send Bamanga Bubu • Implementation of the Mona Mona Heritage Trails canopy walk proposal Ngadimunku (Mossman Gorge) ranger Management Stage 1 Agreement and tourism management within the and researcher, David Buchanan, to • Assisted negotiation of the Mona Mamu estate. the Native Solutions: Indigenous Mona (Stage 2) Management Knowledge and Today’s Fire ARM worked with the Burungu Agreement which, following Management Symposium in Hobart. Aboriginal Corporation, the Buru endorsement by the full Ministerial community, the Centre for Appropriate • Continued financial assistance to the Council, was signed in June by the Technology the Cape York Land Bama rainforest Aboriginal Djabugay Tribal Aboriginal Council, and DNRM regarding visitor Association (Bama Wabu) for Corporation, the Authority and the management at the Roaring Meg operational and administrative Department of Aboriginal and Torres cultural site. support to assist their continued Strait Islander Policy. involvement with the Authority. Review of Aboriginal involvement in • Assisted the Mona Mona planning management of the World Heritage • Initiated a draft memorandum of committee in developing a funding Area understanding with the North proposal for implementing the Queensland Land Council to provide agreement. Mr Jim Petrich was selected as the a more cooperative, effective and facilitator for the interim negotiating • Continued negotiating the Buru efficient working relationship which forum (INF). (China Camp) Management will address the key areas of Agreement with the Burungu communication, planning, ARM has played a significant role in Aboriginal Corporation, the Cape coordination and resourcing. supporting Mr Petrich with York Land Council, the Department negotiations with ATSIC and the Land and cultural heritage of Premier and Cabinet, and DNRM Central Queensland, North management regarding a management agreement Queensland and Cape York Land for the community’s settlement at Buru Development of appropriate Councils, aimed at identifying the (China Camp). management strategies for land and Rainforest Aboriginal peoples’ cultural heritage management • Supported negotiations with the negotiating team for the INF. continued as a major focus of the Cape York Land Council, the program. Activities included: Department of Premier and Cabinet Research and other relevant State government • Assisted the Djabugay Ranger ARM provided strong support to the agencies on the Eastern Kuku Yalanji Agency and the KMKM Corporation Rainforest CRC program 7 (Aboriginal Indigenous Land Use Agreement. with funding for two Djabugay collaboration and capacity building) rangers to work with an Authority Inter- agency coordination development and project consultant to develop a fire Worked with the KukuYalanji, Cape implementation. management plan for the Mona Mona York Land Council and QPWS to reserve. establish a process for a cooperative fire management strategy for the • Participated at Yarrabah (Gungandji Daintree National Park, to include and Mandingalbay Yidinji) native cultural site protection, intellectual title claim mediation meetings to property protection, employment of ensure inclusion of Authority Kuku Yalanji and their active interests with regard to land access involvement in fire management and use issues. decision making for their country. • Supported the NRM Board with ARM also provided support for the developing a proposal for a devolved Fishers Creek Partnerships Project - NHT grant to the Girringun Elders and an environmentally friendly Reference Group. caretakers residence built at the visitor site in the WHA under a historic deed Management agreements of agreement between the Girringun The program continued its focus on Elders and Reference Group, the developing management agreements Cardwell Shire Council and the EPA with Aboriginal landholders that The program also assisted with the reconcile native title rights with the development of a draft heads of agreement between Mamu people,

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 15 Program Report Corporate Services

The corporate services program is discrepancies/irregularities were responsible for financial management, identified. Action has since been taken human resource management, general on several of the audit’s administration and program recommendations to improve local coordination functions within the systems. Authority. Staffing The primary objective of corporate The approved staff establishment of services is to develop and maintain the Authority as at 30 June 2000 appropriate management information totalled 30 permanent positions. systems to assist other programs to achieve the Authority’s overall During the year it was necessary to objectives and to improve its supplement staff resources through efficiency and effectiveness. the letting of consultancies and engagement of temporary contract Financial management staff. Details of consultancies and The Authority’s General Purpose contract staff, along with a Financial Statements for 2000/2001 will comparison to the previous financial be incorporated in the overall EPA’s year, are shown in Table A. General Purpose Financial Statements. As at 30 June 2001, the Authority Total funding of $7.428 million for employed one Aboriginal and Torres 2000/2001 was provided to the Strait Islander (ATSI) staff, equivalent Authority principally by the to about 3.3 per cent of the total Commonwealth and Queensland positions. In addition the Authority governments and supplemented by engaged the services of three other small forms of income. Included Aboriginal community liaison officers as part of total funds, $1.346 million through contracts with Aboriginal was carried forward from the previous communities. financial year, of which $0.534 million was for the completion of the Daintree Training and development Rescue Program. The Authority participates as a Details of receipts and expenditure for member of the regional training and 2000/2001 are provided in Appendix human resource network. Expenditure 1. The lack of a financial agreement for staff training, development and between the State and Commonwealth attendance at conference and seminars has continued to hinder the Authority increased from $44,010 in 1999/2000 in planning confidently for the future to $49,994 in 2000/2001. Twelve staff management needs of the Area. attended GIS or science based conferences and seminars and four Funds were distributed to program staff undertook the Leadership areas within the Authority, with a Foundations course. In addition, in- significant proportion of the budget house training was provided to being provided to Queensland Authority staff on workforce diversity Government land management and administrative procedures as well agencies (QPWS and Department of as the orientation of new staff. Natural Resources and Mines). Overseas travel During the year an audit of the Authority’s financial management The manager area conservation, systems was undertaken by the attended the World Heritage Environmental Protection Agency’s Managers Conference in New internal auditor. No significant Zealand.

16 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 While on leave overseas, the manager, planning and research was recalled to duty to meet with Parks Canada at Banff and Jasper National Parks, Canadian Rocky Mountains Park World Heritage Site and to a meeting at Denali National Park and International Biosphere Reserve in Alaska. The Table A: Details of consultancies and contract staff principal conservation officer attended the UNESCO Meeting - Technical Workshop on the Expenditure $ Preparation of Cluster and Trans-Border Natural World Heritage Nominations in the ASEAN Consultancies by Category * 2000/2001 1999/2000 Region. Attendance was requested and co- Communications 112,889 6,100 funded by Environment Australia. Scientific/Technical 12,861 70,392 Workplace health and safety Management 353 432 The Authority participates on a regional TOTAL 126,103 76,924 committee with the Environmental Protection Agency-Northern for workplace health and Contract Staff by Program* safety issues. No significant issues have been Area Conservation 6,022 13,704 revealed by workplace health and safety audits Planning & Research 253,661 388,777 of the workplace. Four workplace incidents were recorded during the year and the Authority’s Community Relations 61,939 67,619 personal protective clothing policy was reviewed. Corporate Services 11,981 27,724 Monthly inspections of potential hazards are Aboriginal Resource Management 151,783 102,656 carried out by the WHS officer. Authority staff Daintree Rescue 72,288 2,742 attended emergency fire procedures and three staff members completed accredited chainsaw TOTAL 557,674 603,222 training and assessment. The workplace health * Excludes Environmental Protection Agency and Department of and safety officer completed emergency response Natural Resources expenditure on direct funded projects. accreditation and attended a risk assessment workshop. Table B: Employment by gender and occupational stream Equal employment opportunity Employment by gender and occupational stream, June 2000 The Authority and the Environmental Stream Female (%) Male (%) Protection Agency - Northern participate in a joint Equal Employment Administration & Senior Exec. Service 12 (41.37) 10 (34.48) Opportunity (EEO) network committee. Professional 2 (6.89) 4 (13.79) All selection recommendations are Technical 1 (3.44) monitored and reviewed to ensure Total 14 (48.27) 15 (51.72) compliance with the recruitment and selection standard. All appointments Employment by gender and salary level, June 2001 complied with the standard and no EEO complaints were received by the Salary Range Female(%) Male(%) Authority. $71,239.+ 1 (3.45) Where appropriate, advice and support $67,360 - $71,239 2 (6.89) is provided to managers and $60,799 - $67,360 4 (13.79) supervisors on EEO and anti- discrimination matters. $54,331 - $60,799 3 (10.34) On 30 June 2000 the Authority had 14 $47,352 - $54,331 2 (6.89) 4 (13.79) females and 15 males on staff with one $40,864 - $47,352 5 (17.24) position vacant. Some basic profiles on $34,558 - $40,864 5 (17.24) 1 (3.45) gender are shown in Table B. $29,434 - $34,558 2 (6.89) $25,601 - $29,434 $17,767 - $25,601

TOTAL 14 (48.26) 15 (51.71)

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 17 Program Report Community Relations

The community relations program Industry Liaison Group (TILG) and seeks to establish and maintain the Conservation Sector Liaison productive relationships with Group (CSLG) continued to operate stakeholders critical to the with the program providing implementation of the primary goal. administrative support. It is responsible for management of The LNLG met three times - at Mt community issues and capacity Molloy, Tully and Cairns with the building, resource coordination meetings outside Cairns (particularly value adding through incorporating open sessions for local partnerships), visitor centres and neighbours and landholders. There displays, interpretation and was a high success rate in resolving education, media liaison and local issues. The most significant publications. emerging issue during the year was weed management. The program provides secretariat services to a range of Authority The TILG met three times in Cairns, consultative stakeholder groups. devoting significant time to finalising the nature based tourism strategy and Community Consultative walking strategy and providing Committee advice on implementation plus input The Community Consultative to the marketing action plan. Committee (CCC) held three meetings The CSLG met three times in Cairns during the year, two of which were with major discussion focusing on held outside Cairns - in Ingham and conservation management issues. Kuranda. Good neighbour program These meetings allowed greater interaction with local communities and Consistent with the Board’s policy councils on issues such as the direction and the advice of the LNLG, proposed Tully-Innisfail powerline the Authority began working on a and cassowary conservation. good neighbour program. The pattern of regular meetings Outcomes included the development outside Cairns is expected to continue. of a neighbours mailing database, CCC members ended their three year purchase of a single tyne ripper for term in December. Nominations were property boundary maintenance by called and received from interested neighbours and landholders, a new community members and a new neighbours boundary sign and two committee of 24 members held its first editions of a landholders and meeting in May. neighbours newsletter. Significant issues addressed by the A feature of the second newsletter CCC during the year were the nature was a well received map and guide based tourism and walking strategies, featuring underlying World Heritage weed and feral animal control, land tenures and contact details for landholder incentives and neighbour land managers. relations. At the end of the year the Authority Stakeholder liaison groups received a NHT grant of $58,000 to further develop and support the good The three stakeholder liaison groups neighbour program. - the Landholders and Neighbours Liaison Group (LNLG), the Tourism

18 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 Australian Rainforest Foundation Cassowary Awards occurred at Malanda (volcano room), Ravenshoe (assistance with office The Authority continued to provide This year the Board awarded another equipment), Lake Barrine (proposed a variety of administrative and other twelve recipients with the cassowary mural story) and Mission Beach in-kind support to the Foundation award to recognise those making (displays). during the year, including the outstanding contributions to the provision of office accommodation. management and protection of the At the end of the year the Cairns WHA. The awards were presented at Esplanade visitor centre remained At the close of the year the a special ceremony on 19 August closed and was being used as a Foundation was active on a number attended by the then Queensland storage facility. Computers were of fronts - developing a membership Minister for Environment and Natural purchased for Wet Tropics visitor base, establishing relationships with Resources, the Hon. Rod Welford. centres to enable free public access potential major sponsors, printing a to the Wet Tropics Website provided marketing brochure for members and Cassowary Advisory Group on CD. supporters. The Cassowary Advisory Group Volunteer program and In June, the Foundation settled the completed another year of public contact rangers purchase of two forested blocks in commitment to the conservation and the coastal wildlife corridor near protection of cassowaries. During the The Authority funded QPWS public Bingil Bay, providing a critical linkage year residual NHT funding from contact rangers in Townsville, with protected areas to the north and previous years was applied towards Cardwell, Lake Eacham, Innisfail and south. a range of programs including Cairns. At June 30 there was an additional dog control programs in estimated 150 Wet Tropics volunteers The Authority had previously Douglas, Mareeba and Johnstone managed by these public contact transferred responsibility for a range shires, the development of a response rangers. of saleable products such as posters, kit for injured cassowaries, training postcards and books to the The program is currently under review and educational programs for those Foundation. This transfer removed by QPWS. During the year volunteer involved in cassowary rescue and what had been a cumbersome activities across the region included treatment, plus input to the administrative system for the water quality testing, frog monitoring, Cassowary Recovery Plan. A Authority and gave the Foundation tree planting and other rehabilitation cassowary population survey was a potential future source of operating works, school and vacation activities, undertaken at Mission Beach. revenue. Sales in the year amounted and display production. to $14,535. The ARF is to develop A range of educational material is The public contact rangers and Wet new products as part of the currently under development Tropic volunteers assisted the arrangement. including road side signage, a cassowary advisory group to educate cassowary education kit and posters. Website the general public about the Media relations significance of the region’s The Wet Tropics website which was endangered cassowaries. launched in late 1999, underwent The Authority continued to attach a editing and additions in 2000 and is high priority to timely responses to Barron Gorge currently attracting more than 4,000 relevant media issues. There was The Barron Gorge interpretation ‘sessions’ a month. considerable coverage of issues such project (a joint QPWS/WTMA as cassowaries, feral pigs, the Use of the site increased dramatically project) was completed in June 2001, proposed Innisfail-Tully powerline when the site was recognised by more with $90,000 provided from the and roads such as the H-Road and search engines. It is due for review Commonwealth Office of National Quaid Road. next year. The website will also be Tourism. The project had two loaded onto the computers in use at Media launches included the final components: the Wet Tropics Visitor Centres. Nature Based Tourism Strategy and • Interpretive shelter sheds were new signage for neighbouring Wet Tropics Newspaper completed at Stoney Creek, Lake properties. Placid, Barron Falls Lookout, Speewah Two editions of the Wet Tropics The Authority also developed closer Campground and Kuranda Township Newspaper were published in working relationships in media and cultural and interpretive signs November and May with 130,000 management with partners such as were also provided at Barron Gorge copies each circulated through QPWS, DNRM and the Rainforest Hydro-Power Station, Skyrail and regional newspapers and visitor CRC. QRail station. centres. Both editions recieved a favourable response. Visitor centres • A brochure (50,000 copies) on Barron During the year minor upgrades

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 19 Gorge walks was produced and will be delivered throughout Cairns and the Atherton Tablelands during the next year. Marketing action plan The Authority undertook a major study in consultation with the tourism industry aimed at establishing a brand, appropriate and accurate images and text for use by tourism operators using the WHA. The production of a style manual, logo specification and a range of new images and text cut to CD will be distributed to tourism operators in the region. This project has lead to the establishment of the Tourism Partnership Program involving key tourism organisations. This will help the Authority promote best practice to operators in the WHA. Cairns Gateway The Authority was a key participant with tourism and business interests in the proposal to develop a major gateway information and interpretive centre in central Cairns. The Cairns Gateway Project was proposed by the Heritage Trails Program. The project is expected to be further developed in the next twelve months. Centre of excellence study A consultancy investigating the feasibility of establishing a centre of excellence in rainforest management, research and education was commenced during the year. The steering group consisted of senior representatives from James Cook University, Rainforest CRC, Office of State Development and the Authority. At the end of the year the consultants had yet to finalise the report. It is expected to be released by October 2001.

20 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 State of the Wet Tropics

Key Issues and Findings World Heritage Area is estimated to generate over $750 million each year. The following key issues and findings have been selected from this report to It is estimated that the annual number highlight some of the more significant of visitors to the region is presently pressures affecting conservation of around 2.8 million. Visitor trends and the Wet Tropics of Queensland World projections forecast an increase in Heritage Area. Some of the key total visitors to approximately 4.5 management actions which have been million by 2016 with an increasing taken in response to these pressures trend in the numbers of international are also identified. These issues visitors being a major contributing however should be considered within factor. the context of the full range of Increases in the resident and tourist pressures and responses referred to population is placing greater demands in this report. on the Area for recreation and tourism Regional population pursuits particularly with regards road access, walking tracks, more Development associated with a developed visitor sites, camping rapidly increasing regional population grounds, picnic areas, lookouts and is leading to greater pressures on the other visitor facilities. Area. These pressures include demands for energy supplies and The Wet Tropics Nature Based distribution corridors, tele- Tourism Strategy (2000) and Wet communication facilities, the Tropics Walking Strategy (2001) now upgrading and duplication of provide a strategic regional framework transport corridors and increased for management of pressures demands for water supplies for associated with visitor use, domestic, agricultural and industrial coordinated management of nature uses. based tourism, and presentation of the World Heritage Area. Regional population growth is 1.5% which is greater than the national The Authority is presently working average. The annual population with the Rainforest CRC to develop growth for the region over the next an integrated visitor monitoring decade has been forecast at 1.9%. system. Regional planning provides a Community infrastructure significant opportunity for World Ecological fragmentation associated Heritage management interests to be with community service infrastructure properly considered within the is one of the major impacts originating bioregional context. The Authority is from within the Area. Electricity involved in implementing the FNQ supply infrastructure is having the 2010 Regional Plan which will play a most significant fragmentation impact. pivotal role in guiding regional planning decisions under the A study is about to commence into Integrated Planning Act 1997. the feasibility and environmental impacts of alternate routes for the Regional tourism upgrading of the Tully-Innisfail The Wet Tropics is an outstanding powerline. A coastal route avoiding visitor destination and tourism plays the World Heritage Area appears to a key role in presenting the Area’s be a prudent and feasible option. Such values to millions of visitors each year. an outcome would result in the Based on 1997 figures, tourism in the eventual decommissioning and

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 21 rehabilitation of at least 35km of an the Wet Tropics Management Plan initiated by the State Government. existing 132KV transmission line and 1998. Approximately 320,000 ha (36% of the its associated 60 metre wide swathe World Heritage Area) is proposed for Clearing of native vegetation outside clearing which presently dissects the progressive transfer to a tenure of the Area but within the Wet Tropics Palmerston section of the Area. This higher protection. bioregion remains a concern, however would be a major gain for the WHA, it has slowed from an average rate of Aboriginal Interests especially with respect to reduced 3,583 ha per year between 1991-95 to ecological fragmentation. Eighty percent of the Area is 1,275 ha per year between 1997-99. The potentially subject to native title The Flaggy Creek and Davies Creek largest areas cleared between 1997 rights under native title legislation. water storage proposals which had and the present have been on the Currently a total of 282,966 ha of the direct impact implications for the Area upland tablelands. Although external 894,000 ha World Heritage Area is have recently been rejected in favour to the World Heritage Area these under claim. of more prudent and feasible clearings and related changes in land alternatives. uses are potentially major underlying Land formally under indigenous threats to the long-term integrity of management has increased by an Codes of practice have been prepared parts of the Area. Some of the average of 1,170 ha per year over the for management and maintenance of associated impacts include the past eight years and presently totals road, electricity and water fragmentation of habitat, the severing 26,453 ha. infrastructure in the World Heritage of natural wildlife corridors, and the Area. These codes of practice are in The first management agreement with introduction and spread of pest the process of being implemented by Aboriginal peoples in the Area was plants, animals and diseases. service providers. signed during the year with the A number of rehabilitation projects are Djabugay Tribal Aboriginal Environmental management plans are being undertaken throughout the Corporation under section 42 of the being employed by infrastructure bioregion by a range of organisations. Wet Tropics Management Plan 1998. agencies to avoid or minimise These projects are achieving This will ensure positive management environmental harm and to reduce significant improvements to the of the Mona Mona Reserve’s World current levels of impact. region’s environment and in time Heritage values by the Mona Mona Vegetation clearing should contribute to the gradual re- community living within the WHA, establishment of ecosystem whilst allowing them to realise their With the introduction of the Wet processes. The Authority has been aspirations of living on country. Tropics Management Plan 1998 supporting initiatives designed to: clearing without a Wet Tropics permit Threatened species is now prohibited in the Area. Most • link outlying parts of the Area such Although covering only about 1 existing clearings are related to as the Crater Lakes with the main block percent of Queensland, the Wet activities and infrastructure which of World Heritage listed rainforest; Tropics bioregion was home to 59% were in place at the time of World and of the State’s presumed extinct plants, Heritage listing. There are currently • establish connections across linear and is presently the habitat for 28% 2,406 ha of maintained linear clearings infrastructure corridors within the of Queensland’s endangered plants, in the Area providing vehicle access Area such as the road and power line 19% of its vulnerable plants and 34% and electricity distribution. A further corridors in the Palmerston Area. of its rare plants. 2,129 ha of clearing is due to artificial dams and impoundments which were Increasing protection The Wet Tropics currently has a total present prior to World Heritage listing. of 98 animal species listed as rare or The increase in higher order tenure Since listing there has been a total of threatened, including seven protection within the Area has been 101 ha of new clearings, 85 ha on endangered frog species, and the significant since listing with an freehold land with the remaining 16 ha endangered cassowary, mahogany average trend over the past eight associated with community glider, northern bettong, spotted tail years of 4,500 ha per year being added infrastructure. quoll and two butterflies. A further 16 to the national park estate. Over this vertebrate species are classified as In the largest known illegal logging same period there was an average vulnerable. operation in the Area since listing, 15 reduction of 6,600 ha per year in the logs were removed from the Herberton area of leases and freehold land within Of the endangered species, recovery State Forest section of the World the Area. plans are currently being formulated Heritage Area in January 2001. The for seven frog species, the northern During 2000/01 a program to transfer accused are scheduled to go before a bettong, mahogany glider, spotted State Forests within the Area to the committal hearing in September 2001 tailed quoll and cassowary. The protected area estate under the on charges under the Criminal Code Authority is represented on the frog, Nature Conservation Act 1992 was Act 1899, the Forestry Act 1959 and spotted tailed quoll and northern

22 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 bettong recovery teams and the minimise the identified threats. This population numbers, distribution and Cassowary Advisory Group. work was initiated in partnership with ecological impacts are poorly community groups, other government understood. The feral pig, cat, cane Of particular concern is the dramatic agencies and local government. toad and dog have been assessed as decline in population numbers of the current major threats. Pest species Scientific research seven species of frogs over recent with substantial future impact years. These frogs are endemic to the The Authority released the Wet potential include the fox and six Wet Tropics and have disappeared Tropics Research and Information freshwater fish species. from streams above 450 metres altitude Needs Report in 2000 which identifies in seemingly pristine environments The Authority has continued to strategic directions and priorities for over the last two decades. Recent support the regional feral pig trapping research relevant to the management research findings attribute the decline program which destroyed a total of of the WHA. Strong partnership to the amphibian fungus, 6,500 pigs between 1994 and 1999. It arrangements between the Authority Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. has been estimated that there are in and the Rainforest CRC has resulted the vicinity of 27,000 feral pigs in the Agreement on management strategies in a significant amount of scientific region. aimed at decreasing the risk of research effort being directed at communicable diseases to amphibians improving our management capability Resources to support a was one of the practical outcomes of in line with the priority research and comprehensive program to control the a recent conference on amphibian information needs identified in the more threatening invasive plants and diseases. The conference and report. pest animals is perhaps one of the associated workshop was hosted by most pressing needs. The Authority The outcomes of the Rainforest CRC’s the Rainforest CRC in collaboration is working with local government, research programs are being with James Cook University, landholders and neighbours to assist progressively utilised and Environment Australia, World Wildlife in a coordinated response. incorporated into the Authority’s Fund (WWF) and several government planning and management programs. Rainforest dieback bodies. Pest species The Authority regards the recent Population numbers of the Southern discovery of many small scattered Cassowary also appear to be in decline This year the Authority patches of dead rainforest as a with estimates of fewer than 1,500 commissioned the Rainforest CRC to potentially serious issue. Rainforest adult cassowaries remaining in the Wet develop ‘risk assessment systems’ for dieback, attributable to Phytophthora Tropics bioregion. A recent study in both environmental weeds and cinnamomi now appears to be much the Mission Beach area identified the vertebrate pests. These systems more widespread than previously deaths of a total of 110 cassowaries gauge the potential environmental expected. Preliminary findings (49 adults) with an average loss of 2% impact of weeds and vertebrate pests suggest that up to 14 percent of the of the adult population per year since on World Heritage values and will be Area may be at risk. 1988. Of these deaths, one bird was used to focus pest management shot, six died from disease, 13 were resources. The Authority is working with the killed by dogs and 42 died in collisions Rainforest CRC to further investigate The rapid increase in naturalised plant with vehicles on the roads. An these recently identified outbreaks so species (ie introduced species which additional pressure is loss of habitat, that informed management decisions have formed self sustaining with the estimated clearing of 18% of can be made. populations in the wild) in the available cassowary habitat in the bioregion is of concern. In the past Mission Beach district between 1992- decade the number of naturalised 1998. Cassowary conservation is vital species recorded for the bioregion has as they play an essential role in increased from 320 to over 500. sustaining a functioning forest ecosystem. The number of environmental weeds (naturalised species which enter and The community-based Cassowary disrupt natural systems) has also Advisory Group is provided with increased. The risk assessment administrative and technical support process has presently identified 27 by the Authority. The group’s efforts terrestrial and seven aquatic species have been concentrated in the known which are considered to be of cassowary ‘hotspots’ of Mission particular concern. Beach, the Daintree lowlands and Kuranda. In these areas intensive field Although the number of vertebrate surveys and on-ground recovery pests has remained stable at 28 actions have been undertaken to species for several years, their

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 23 Purpose of Report world’s natural or cultural heritage that its conservation is of concern to State of the Wet Tropics reporting is all people. In order to qualify for a statutory requirement under the Wet inclusion on the world heritage list, Tropics World Heritage Protection an area must be of ‘outstanding and Management Act 1993. Section universal significance’. An area 63(1) of the Act requires the Authority nominated for its natural values must to present to the State Environment meet at least one of the following Minister and the Commonwealth an criteria: annual report which includes a report on the state of the Wet Tropics Area. • be an outstanding example of the major stages of the earth’s natural In this report the Wet Tropics of history. Queensland World Heritage Area is referred to as the Area or the WHA • be an outstanding example of while the larger Wet Tropics ongoing ecological and evolutionary biogeographic region of which the processes. Area is an integral part is referred to • be an exceptional example of natural as either the bioregion or the Wet phenomena or be of exceptional Tropics. The description and natural beauty. delineation of the Wet Tropics bioregion is described in Sattler & • be of outstanding biological diversity Williams (1999) and is consistent with significance. the Interim Biogeographic In December 1988 the Wet Tropics Regionalisation for Australia of Queensland World Heritage Area (Thackway & Cresswell 1995). was inscribed on the world heritage Figure 1. The core indicators reported on in this list, having met all four world The nine provinces comprising the Wet year’s report were developed by the heritage criteria for natural values Tropics bioregion (solid lines) in relation Authority and its Scientific Advisory and fulfilling all the necessary to the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area Committee and endorsed by the Wet conditions of integrity. The Area is (shaded). Tropics Board. The set of core of universal significance because it indicators when fully implemented will contains most of the relicts that exist heritage than places with a similar provide rigorous data describing the on Earth of the flora of the forests number of species but containing a major trends and impacts on attributes which were part of the super succession of closely allied forms. of world heritage value and continent Gondwana. The significance. In comparison to rainforests which constitute about The Wet Tropics is one of only 33 previous reports, more temporal and 80% of the Area have more taxa with tropical forest sites listed under the spatial based data has been primitive characteristics than any world heritage convention. incorporated, and this trend will other area on Earth. The ancestry of Collectively, these constitute an elite continue in future reports. all of Australia’s unique marsupials set of biodiversity sites covering and most of its other animals approximately 2.5% of the world’s As in previous years, this year’s report originated in rainforest ecosystems tropical forests. is primarily concerned with the of which the Wet Tropics still biodiversity values of the Area. Future contains many of reports will include consideration of a the closest Table 1. Distribution of rainforest in Australia (000 ha) range of social and cultural indicators. surviving members The Authority is working with the (DASETT 1987). Region Area % Rainforest CRC to develop such One of the additional social reporting indicators ACT 0 0 outstanding SA 0 0 and provide an insight into the ‘role features of the Area of the Area in the life of the VIC 3 0.1 is that it contains a WA 7 0.2 community’. high diversity of NSW 209 5.8 World Heritage listing ancient taxa NT 252 7.0 representing long TAS 545 15.2 The World Heritage Convention has evolutionary QLD 2567 71.6 been ratified by 164 countries. World lineages which Australia 3583 100 heritage listing is recognition by the Wet Tropics 843 23.3 preserve a greater international community that an area WHA 669 18.7 degree of is such an outstanding example of the evolutionary

24 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 reaching nature. for this diversity is greatest in times Table 2. Wet Tropics bioregional provinces and their level of representation within the Area Climate change of environmental stress when plants, resulting from the animals and other life forms must Total in Total in build-up of develop new characteristics or bioregion WHA % greenhouse gases strategies for survival. Province (‘000 ha) (‘000 ha) in WHA is one example, with Australia is considered to be one of Herbert 220 10 5 the potential for the world’s 12 ‘mega diverse’ Tully 144 29 20 large-scale Innisfail 199 43 22 countries which collectively support disruption to Atherton 168 38 23 75% of total global biological diversity Paluma/Seaview 247 100 40 natural ecosystems (EPA 1999). The Wet Tropics Kirrama/Hinchinbrook 268 157 59 of the Area. Bellenden Ker/Lamb 255 206 81 bioregion has the highest levels of Macalister 116 54 47 Responses biological diversity of any region of Daintree/Bloomfield 359 257 72 Australia and provides an Pressures caused unparalleled living record of the Total 1976 894 45 by human activity ecological and evolutionary can, in principle at processes that shaped the flora and State -pressure - response least, be controlled or modified. This fauna of Australia over the past 415 reporting section summarises the main million years - first as part of the management mechanisms adopted or This State of Wet Tropics section of Pangaean landmass, then the ancient promoted by the Authority for the annual report uses a state- continent Gondwana, and for the past responding to pressures affecting the pressure-response reporting 50 million years an island continent. condition of the Area’s natural values. framework as follows: In recognition of its extraordinary State and condition State of Wet Tropics biodiversity biodiversity, the Wet Tropics is represented on The Global 200 list In its simplest terms, biodiversity is This section provides a general (Olson & Dinerstein 1998) which is a the variety of life at all levels: it portrait of the status and trends of collection of the Earth’s 200 most includes the array of plants and selected natural values of the Area outstanding, important and diverse animals; the genetic differences and their relative significance in a terrestrial, freshwater, and marine among individuals; the communities, regional, State and continental habitats - areas where the Earth’s context. Status data provide a ecosystems and landscapes in which they occur and the variety of biological wealth is most distinctive description of the condition of the and rich. Area’s species or ecosystems as they processes on which they depend. are now. Trend data, which provides Biodiversity provides the reservoir for It is estimated that Australia’s a chronological or geographic picture change, allowing life to adapt to rainforests today cover 3.6 million of change in condition, is also changing conditions. It is the basis hectares (NFI 1998), with the largest provided where data is available. not only for short-term adaptation to area of remaining rainforests located changing conditions, but also for in the Wet Tropics region where most Pressures long-term evolution as well. The need of the larger contiguous blocks are This section provides information on key Table 3. Vegetation structural diversity within the Wet Tropics bioregion and its pressures affecting the representation within the World Heritage Area. condition of the Area’s Broad Forest Types Regional WHA natural values. Extent Extent (‘000 ha) (‘000 ha) Although not reported Rainforests on here, it is • complex mesophyll 36 16 acknowledged that there • mesophyll 348 283 • complex notophyll 71 52 are major changes in • notophyll 203 193 global systems and • microphyll 20 17 cycles that underpin the • semi-deciduous 5 1 functioning of the • deciduous microphyll 8 0.5 • with sclerophyll emergents 144 106 world’s ecosystems. Open Sclerophyll Forests & Woodlands These changes in what • tall open forest 54 37 have been called the • forest and woodland 852 135 “global commons” Vegetation Complexes • shrublands 19 7 represent long-term • swamp communities & coastal complexes 113 22 environmental threats of • mangroves 43 14 a profound and far- Based on: Tracey & Webb 1975; Olsen 1993

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 25 Table 4. Summary of the status of Queensland’s bioregional ecosystems.

Bioregion Area No. Regional Endangered Of concern (‘000 ha) Ecosystems Ecosystems Ecosystems

No % No % New England Tableland 341 21 2 10 4 19 Central Queensland Coast 1,151 37 4 11 10 27 Wet Tropics 1,850 105 24 23 17 16 Desert Uplands 6,882 58 17 29 20 34 Northwest Highlands 6,950 41 3 7 13 32 Southeast Queensland 8,231 145 11 8 44 30 Cape York Peninsula 11,548 211 6 3 8 4 Einasleigh Uplands 12,808 46 1 2 21 46 Mulga Lands 19,097 66 5 8 22 33 Gulf Plains 21,377 83 3 4 26 31 Mitchell Grass Downs 22,787 53 2 4 10 19 Channel Country 24,594 56 2 3 5 9 Brigalow Belt 35,158 163 27 17 43 26 Total 172,774 1,085 107 10 243 22

Source: Sattler & Williams (1999) contained within the World Heritage Ecosystem Table 5. Importance of the Wet Tropics to Australia’s Area (Table 1). Due to its landscape Diversity biodiversity diversity and latitudinal position, the The concept of Taxonomic group Percentage of Wet Tropics has elements regional Australia’s total representative of tropical, subtropical, ecosystems temperate and monsoonal rainforest (REs) now Plants types found elsewhere in Australia. fern species 65 forms the cycad species 21 Landscape Diversity scientific basis conifer species 37 The Wet Tropics bioregion has been of orchid species 30 divided into nine provinces based on Queensland’s vascular plant species 30 patterns of geology, landform, conservation Animals planning and mammal species including: 35 associated soils and vegetation • marsupials 30 (Goosem et al 1999). All nine biodiversity management • bats 58 provinces are represented in the • rodents 25 (Sattler & World Heritage Area ( Figure 1; Table bird species 48 2). The provinces with low levels of Williams 1999). frog species 26 representation within the Area are Regional reptile species 17 those where historical clearing ecosystems are freshwater fish species 41 patterns for a range of agricultural vegetation butterfly species 58 dung beetle species 42 landuses have resulted in lower communities consistently barkbug species 46 proportions of extant native forest weta species (giant king crickets) 50 cover. associated with a particular Vegetation diversity combination of conservation status (Table 4). The bioregion possesses a diversity geology, landform and soil in a of vegetation communities, including bioregion. The REs of a bioregion Eighteen of the 24 endangered Wet a large range of rainforest and open are intricately woven together by Tropics REs occur on the coastal sclerophyll forest and woodland food chains and nutrient cycles. lowlands as fragmented remnants, types. For simplicity, similar forest Although the third smallest of while the remaining five are from structural types have been Queensland’s bioregions, the Wet basalt landscapes on the Atherton amalgamated and summarised in Tropics has a very high diversity of Tableland (Goosem et al 1999). Most Table 3. REs, with a disproportionately large have attained ‘endangered’ status percentage allocated an ‘endangered’ due to land clearing associated with or ‘of concern’ threatened agriculture and most also have a

26 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 naturally restricted distribution. Table 6. Comparative Wet Tropics vascular plant diversity Of the endangered ecosystems: Category Australia Queensland Wet Tropics WHA6

• six are not Total Area (‘000 ha) 768,230 173,065 1,976 894 represented within Total area (%) 100.00 22.50 0.26 0.12 the Area a. Native species 15,6381 9,603 4,6645 ca.3,000 • five have less than b. Naturalised species 1,9521 1,3623 5087 ca.200 100 ha within the c. Extinct species 832 29 4 174 12 Area Total (a+b+c) 17,673 10,994 5,189 ca.3,212 • seven have Total native species (%) 100 61 30 19 between 100 ha and 500 ha within the Source: 1Hnatiuk, RJ (1990), 2Leigh, J & Briggs, J (1992), 3EPA (1999), 4Nature Conservation Area, (Wildlife) Regulation 1994, 5EPA Wildnet (2001), 6WTMA GIS, 7Werren (2001) • six have greater than 500 ha represented within the challenges yet to be posed by only 0.26% of the continent’s area and Area. phenomena such as global climate 47% of all Queensland’s vascular change. At the species level, the plant species in slightly over 1% of A further 17 REs have been classified region possesses a large proportion the State’s land area. as ‘of concern’ (Table 4) including of Australia’s biodiversity wealth once extensive types that have been Animal diversity (Table 5). widely developed for agriculture, and Vertebrates some open forest systems that are While we have a reasonably accurate rapidly changing structure and idea of the number of species of TheWet Tropics bioregion has a floristic composition due to altered vertebrate animals and vascular plants disproportionate and diverse share of fire regimes (Goosem et al 1999). in the Wet Tropics, our knowledge of the continent’s fauna (Table 7). The non-vascular plants, invertebrate region has more rainforest dependent Species diversity animals, and of other kingdoms of endemic vertebrates than any other The Wet Tropics region, although organisms, is very sketchy. area in Australia. Most of these accounting for only 0.26 % of the endemics are confined to the cooler, Plant diversity continent, conserves an upland rainforests and many are extraordinarily high level of Within the Area there are over 3,000 considered to be relicts from formerly Australia’s biodiversity. In a practical known species of vascular plants widespread temperate environments sense, biodiversity is the living (Table 6), representing 1,164 genera (Switzer 1991). savings bank for Earth’s successful and 210 families. Seventy-five genera At least 663 terrestrial vertebrate genes. This bank holds the results of are endemic to Australia and 43 are species have been recorded in the millions of years of life’s solutions to restricted to the Wet Tropics. Over 700 bioregion (Dasett, 1987; Williams et the problems of surviving and species are restricted to the Area. The al 1996) which represents 32% of competing on earth. These genetic bioregion possesses 30% of Australia’s terrestrial vertebrate savings are also essential to meet the Australia’s vascular plant diversity in fauna (Table 7). Of this total, 259 are

Table 7. Comparative Wet Tropics vertebrate diversity

Vertebrate No. of No. of No. of % of % of No. of Level of Group Wet Tropics Australian Queensland Australian Queensland endemic regional species species species total total species endemism

Mammals 109 315 226 35% 48% 13 12% Birds 370 777 615 48% 60% 13 4% Reptiles 131 770 442 17% 30% 27 21% Frogs 53 203 120 26% 44% 24 40% Freshwater fish 78 190 173 41% 45% 8 10% Total 741 2,255 1576 33% 47% 85 11% Terrestrial Total 663 2,065 1403 32% 47% 77 12%

Source: Williams et al. (1996), DASETT (1987), Pusey & Kennard (1994), EPA (1999)

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 27 Table 8. Number of Wet Tropics terrestrial faunal species by broad habitat type . closed wet dry grassland rocky caves freshwater mangroves forest sclerophyll sclerophyll outcrops

mammals 51 43 71 13 8 9 3 8 birds 112 107 174 48 3 - 73 63 reptiles 65 61 108 24 27 1 16 14 frogs 31 16 35 20 1 - 30 2 total 259 227 388 105 39 10 124 87 % regional endemism 25% 7% 4% 0% 21% 0% 4% 2%

Source: Williams et al. 1996.

Table 9. Rare and threatened Wet Tropics plants in comparison to Queensland as a whole1.

Status Class Queensland WHA Wet Tropics biogregion (No. of species) (No. of species) % of the Qld Total

Presumed Extinct whisk ferns 1 1 100 ferns 8 5 63 club mosses 2 2 100 cycads 0 0 0 conifers 0 0 0 dicots 12 6 50 monocots 6 3 50 subtotal 29 17 59 Endangered whisk ferns 0 0 0 ferns 7 3 43 club mosses 4 4 100 cycads 8 0 0 conifers 0 0 0 dicots 98 19 19 monocots 32 16 50 subtotal 149 42 28 Vulnerable green algae 1 0 0 whisk ferns 0 0 0 ferns 10 8 80 club mosses 4 4 100 cycads 12 1 8 conifers 0 0 0 dicots 199 29 15 monocots 53 12 23 subtotal 279 54 19 Rare whisk ferns 0 0 0 ferns 37 27 73 club mosses 3 1 33 cycads 5 0 0 conifers 4 3 75 dicots 519 170 33 monocots 133 37 28 subtotal 701 238 34 TOTAL 1,158 351 30 Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 1994 (includes all amendments up to SL No. 354 of 2000)

28 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 Table 10. Trends in the relative status of Wet Tropics Rare and Threatened plant species1 Status 19882 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Presumed extinct 2 6 6 14 14 14 14 14 14 17 Endangered 8 24 24 23 16 16 18 18 18 42 Vulnerable 32 53 53 47 46 46 65 65 65 54 Rare 256 328 328 342 327 327 367 367 367 238 Sub-total 298 411 411 426 403 403 464 464 464 351

1Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 1994 (including all amendments up to SL No. 354 of 2000); 2Dasett 1987

Table 11. Rare and threatened Wet Tropics animals in comparison to Queensland as a whole1.

Status Mammals Birds Reptiles Frogs Fish Butterflies Total Presumed State 5 1 0 0 0 0 6 extinct Wet Tropics 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 WHA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Endangered State 12 11 4 14 3 7 51 Wet Tropics 3 3 2 (marine) 7 0 2 17 WHA 3 1 0 7 0 2 13

Vulnerable State 20 22 15 6 2 10 75 Wet Tropics 7 (1 marine) 5 6 (3 marine) 1 0 3 22 WHA 6 7 3 0 0 2 18

Rare State 31 31 64 25 0 0 151 Wet Tropics 16 13 18 12 0 0 59 WHA16 915 110 051

Total State 68 (100%) 65 (100%) 83 (100%) 45 (100%) 5 (100%) 17 (100%) 283 (100%) Wet Tropics 26 (38%) 21 (32%) 26 (31%) 20 (44%) 0 (0%) 5 (29%) 98 (35%) WHA 25 (37%) 17 (26%) 18 (22%) 18 (40%) 0 (0%) 4 (24%) 82 (30%)

1 Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 1994 (including all amendments up to SL No. 354 of 2000), EPA Wildnet (2001) crickets (50% of all described rainforest species (Table 8). The wet proportional regional endemism (4%). Australian species) sclerophyll forest which forms a In contrast, the rainforest fauna narrow band on the western edge of includes 66 species which are found The richest overall insect fauna yet the rainforest is very rich in vertebrate only in the Wet Tropics or 25% of the studied in Australia lies in the species with at least 227 species in rainforest terrestrial vertebrate species Bellenden Ker Range where an only 72,000 ha. This high diversity (but are endemic to the region (Williams et intensive survey yielded 4,029 low regional endemism) is due to this al 1996). species of insects including 1,514 habitat being an overlap zone between species of beetles (Monteith 1994) in Invertebrates rainforest and dry sclerophyll forests addition to more than 300 species of and woodlands. There are only five Although the invertebrate fauna of the spiders. Land snails form an species of vertebrates which are Wet Tropics is relatively poorly extraordinarily diverse group with 222 confined to the wet sclerophyll forest studied it is undoubtedly the richest species of which 185 (85%) are in the Wet Tropics and of these only of any comparable region in Australia. endemic to the region (Stanisic et al. one is a regional endemic. The higher This is demonstrated by statistics 1994). overall totals presented in Table 8 which are available for certain Rare and threatened species compared to Table 7 recognises the invertebrate groups including: Many species in the Wet Tropics, fact that some species may utilise more • 230 species of butterflies (58% of all particularly rainforest species, are than one broad habitat type. described Australian species) naturally rare. Relative rarity is A breakdown of the number of • 135 species of dung beetles (42% of influenced by several factors that may endemic species by broad habitat all described Australian species) influence a species total potential preference is presented in Table 8. population size such as its Although the dry sclerophyll forests • 42 species of barkbugs (46% of all geographic range, its local contain the highest overall diversity described Australian species) abundance, and its ubiquity of of vertebrate species, there is low • 26 species of wetas or giant king occurrence within its range. It is often the case that species with small

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 29 Table 12. Threatened Wet Tropics animals in comparison to Australia as a whole1. 1EPBC Act 1999

Status Mammals Birds Reptiles Frogs Fish Butterflies Total Presumed Australia 27 23 0 4 0 0 54 extinct Wet Tropics 0 0 0 1 0 0 1

Endangered Australia 29 33 11 15 13 0 101 Wet Tropics 3 2 1 6 1 0 13

Vulnerable Australia 45 61 38 12 17 4 177 Wet Tropics 2 3 6 0 0 0 11

Total Australia 101 117 49 31 30 4 332 Wet Tropics 5 5 7 7 1 0 25

Table 13. Trends in World Heritage Area Rare & Threatened Animal Species

Status1 19882 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Presumed extinct 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Endangered 1 10 12 12 12 12 12 13 13 Vulnerable 18 5 13 13 13 13 13 18 18 Rare 5 28 51 51 51 51 51 51 51

Sub-total 24 43 76 76 76 76 76 82 82

1Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 1994 (including all amendments up to SL No. 354 of 2000); 2Dasett 1987 geographic ranges also have low local listed as rare or threatened (Table 9). should also be noted that the figures abundance, and are often patchily Of the 29 recognised recent plant for 1988 pre-date official State and distributed within their ranges. These extinctions in Queensland, 17 were Commonwealth listings and refer to characteristics, either independently formally endemic to the Wet Tropics. the conservative, unofficial lists or in combination, increase the The presumed extinct species, in presented in the Wet Tropics World potential for extinction and make such general, have not been recorded for Heritage nomination document species sensitive to environmental over 50 years. (DASETT 1987). change/disturbance. Because of these Since the Area was inscribed as a Rare & threatened animals attributes, rare species are often a World Heritage Area in 1988, there primary focus of conservation The Wet Tropics has a total of 98 have been major changes to the list of planning and monitoring even when animal species officially listed as scheduled plants, particularly in the no overt or obvious threats are either rare or threatened. Endangered past year. These changes do not apparent. fauna recorded from the Area include necessarily reflect a real trend in the seven frog species, three marsupials, Endangered and vulnerable species condition or conservation status of one bird and two butterflies (Tables on the other hand are a specific sub- plants in the region since listing, but 11 & 12). set of rarity. These species are rather are an indication of increased presently considered to have endured knowledge of their distribution, A further 16 vertebrate species are substantial population declines and ecology, threatening process and classified as vulnerable. to be at immediate risk of disappearing consequential management response A comparison of the relative from the wild as a result of threatening needs. Table 10 does indicate trends proportion of threatened animal processes.Note: In the tables referred in our level of species conservation species in the bioregion compared to to in this section, differences between management concern and awareness. Australia as a whole is presented in the State and Commonwealth listings The high proportion of the State’s Table 12. The data upon which this reflect differences in the criteria used presumed extinct plants coming from table is based was derived from the to determine ‘threatened’ status. the Wet Tropics highlights the Commonwealth’s Environmental vulnerability, small population size Rare and threatened plants Protection and Biodiversity and restricted distribution of many of Conservation Act, 1999. The Wet Tropics bioregion has a total the bioregion’s plants and the pattern of 351 plant species that are officially and extent of past habitat clearing. It Since listing as a World Heritage Area

30 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 in 1988, there have been three periods Herberton of significant changes to the list of scheduled animals (Table 13). These Eacham changes do not reflect a real trend in Cardwell the condition or conservation status Atherton of animals in the region since listing, Douglas but rather are an indication of Hinchinbrook increasedknowledge of their Mareeba distribution, ecology and threatening Johnstone processes. It should also be noted that Thuringowa the figures for 1988 pre-date official Cairns State and Commonwealth listings and refer to the conservative, unofficial 0 10 20 30 40 50 Percent contribution to regional population lists presented in the Wet Tropics World Heritage nomination document Figure 2. Proportional contribution by the different local government areas (DASSETT 1987). to the regional population. Source: AEC group (2000). Issues of special note Frog declines Of particular concern is the dramatic decline in population numbers of Herberton seven species of frogs endemic to the Eacham Wet Tropics which have disappeared Cardwell from streams above 450 metres Atherton altitude. The cause of these massive Douglas frog declines in seemingly pristine Hinchinbrook environments over the last two Mareeba decades has been an enduring, and Johnstone much speculated mystery. Since the Thuringowa late 1980s various researchers have Cairns mooted the possibility that an 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 infectious disease of an unspecified Percentage population growth over past year kind was the cause of the declines in the Wet Tropics. Recently the Figure 3. Average annual population growth rate over the past year for each of the local government areas within the region. declines have been attributed to the Source: AEC group (2000). disease chytridiomycosis, caused by the amphibian fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. In Australia, chytridiomycosis-linked deaths have occurred in both Herberton endangered and non-endangered frog Eacham species. Endangered species however Cardwell are all regionally endemic rainforest Atherton specialists which produce few young, Douglas reproduce in streams and live at high Hinchinbrook altitudes. [Note: Some researchers still Mareeba contend that infectious diseases such Johnstone as chytridiomycosis are only the Thuringowa proximate cause of frog declines and Cairns that environmental factors such as 0 1 2 3 4 increased UV-B, chemical pollution, Percentage population growth over past decade climate change, or stress may have predisposed frog populations to Figure 4. Average annual population growth rate over the past decade for each of the local government areas within the region disease, however at this stage, for the Source: AEC group (2000). Wet Tropics at least, there is no supporting evidence that this is the situation].

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 31 Table 14. Examples of underlying and direct pressures Cassowary declines Direct pressures Population numbers of the Southern Underlying pressures Cassowary also appear to be in rapid • regional population growth • clearing of native habitat decline. It has been estimated that the • changes in landuse • fragmentation of native habitat total number of adult cassowaries • land tenure patterns • alteration/degradation of habitat - diseases remaining in the Wet Tropics is fewer • demand for community infrastructure - water supplies - altered fire regime than 1,500 (Moore & Moore 1999). The - electricity - grazing plight of the cassowary in the region - roads • introduction of pest species is graphically illustrated by a recent - telecommunications - exotic faura - environmental weeds study by Moore (2001). This study • tourism & recreation • economic development, • modified aquatic systems identified a total of 110 cassowaries world trade & technological advances in the Mission Beach area comprising • weather and climate change 49 adults, 28 subadults, 31 chicks and 2 indeterminate birds. This number is

Table 15. Wet Tropics visitor trends and projections between 1993 - 2016

Visitor Details 1993 1996 1999 2001 2006 2011 2016 Domestic Increase 123 184 317 127 280 270 250 Number (000) 1,456 1,640 1,773 1,900` 2,180 2,450 2,700 International Increase - 101 296 103 310 300 300 Number (000) 521 642 837 940 1,250 1,550 1,850

Total visitors (000) 1,997 2,292 2,610 2,840 3,430 4,000 4,550

Source: FNQ Regional Plan - Supporting Technical Document - Tourism

examples of much lower than anticipated. The data these two basic also show an average loss of 2% of 800 20% categories of the adult population per year since 700 pressure are 15% 1988. During the period 1986-2000 illustrated in 600 (excluding 1989-1990 for which no 10% Table 14. 500 records were kept), 62 known 5% cassowary deaths were recorded at Underlying 400 Mission Beach - an average death rate pressures 300 0% of 4-5 birds per year. Of these deaths, 200 It is the -5% one bird was shot, six died from 100 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1994 underlying 1992 1993 1995 disease, 13 were killed by dogs and 0 -10% pressures that Visitors (left scale) Growth (right scale) 42 died in collisions with vehicles on create the the roads. An additional pressure is demand for Figure 5. Domestic visitors to Far North Queensland Source: FNQ Regional Plan - Supporting Technical Document - Tourism loss of habitat, with the estimated resource use that clearing of 18% of available result in cassowary habitat in the Mission activities that Beach district between 1992-1998 may directly threaten the Area’s outside of the World Heritage Area (Moore 2001). natural values. Most of these result in activities or processes either within or outside the Area which Pressures processes, apart from global climate change, are strongly influenced by consequently can affect the condition In this section the pressures on the regional development demands, of natural values within the Area. World Heritage Area have been land use and land tenure patterns. Regional population growth separated into those described as The underlying pressures, ‘underlying pressures’ and those Australian Bureau of Statistics Census although generally originating classed as ‘direct pressures’. Some

32 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 data (1981-1996) show the regional 700 70% population associated with the local 600 60% government areas within the Wet 50% 500 Tropics increased from 253,818 in 1981 40% 400 to 374,814 in 1996. Cairns is by far the 30% major population centre in the region 300 20% (Figure 2). The regional population in 200 10% the decade 1986-96 increased by 29.67 0% 100 percent. Population growth during -10% 1998-99 (Figure 3) was 1.5% in the Far 0 -20% Northern Statistical Division, which is 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1994 greater than the national average of 1992 1993 1995 1.2% with Cairns being the major Visitors (left scale) Growth (right scale) driving force of population growth in Figure 6. International visitors to Far North Queensland the region. Regional population Source: FNQ Regional Plan - Supporting Technical Document - Tourism growth over the past decade (Figure 4) has been high particularly for the local government areas of Douglas, Thuringowa and Cairns. The outlook Table 16. Land tenure in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. for annual population growth over the next decade has been forecast at 1.9%, Tenure Parcels Area % of with Cairns contributing an average of 1.3% points of this growth per (ha) WHA annum (AECgroup 2000). National parks 21 285,744 32 Population growth inevitably leads to State forests 32 347,300 39 greater demands for energy supplies Timber reserves 5 74,163 8 and distribution corridors, Various reserves & dams 64 10,207 1 telecommunication facilities, the upgrading and duplication of Unallocated State Land 203 60,515 7 transport corridors and increased Leasehold: demands for water supplies for Perpetual leases 11 132 0.01 domestic, agricultural and industrial Expiring leases 138 86,897 10 uses. Population growth and increased trade is also inevitably Mines & energy 6 24 0.003 associated with increases in the DPI & EPA 43 3,093 0.35 number and distribution of exotic Freehold & similar 204 17,341 2 invasive plants, animals and disease Roads, Esplanades, Railways 5,696 0.6 organisms. Increases in the resident and tourist population also places Rivers 3 308 0.4 greater demands on the Area for Total 727 894,420 100 recreation and tourism pursuits particularly with regards road access, walking tracks, more developed visitor sites, camping grounds, picnic areas, challenge. Tourism creates direct million (FNQ Regional Plan 2000). lookouts and other visitor facilities. employment through the consumption Visitor trends and projections (Table of a wide range of goods and services. 15) forecast in the FNQ Regional Plan Tourism and recreation As beneficial as this is for some, there (2000) predict a linear rate of increase The Wet Tropics represents an is also an associated cost in terms of resulting in an almost doubling of total outstanding visitor destination and the potential underlying and direct visitors to the region by 2016 with an tourism plays a key role in presenting pressure placed on the Area. increasing trend in the numbers of the Area’s values to millions of visitors The Wet Tropics has experienced international visitors being a major each year. Based on 1997 figures, substantial increases in both domestic contributing factor. tourism in the Area is estimated to (Figure 5) and international (Figure 6) Tenure within World Heritage Area generate over $750 million each year visitors over the past two decades. The Area includes within its 3,125 km (Driml 1997). However, managing Between 1985 and 1995 the annual boundaries almost 730 separate tourism and recreation so that damage number of visitors to the region parcels of land, including freehold to the environment is minimised is a increased from 840,000 to around 2 property, national parks, state forests

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 33 Table 17. Average annual rates of clearing by bioregion for the periods 1991-95 and 1997-99

1991-95 1997-99 Bioregion Bioregion Clearing % bioregion % Queensland’s Clearing % bioregion % Queensland’s area (ha) rate (ha/yr) area/year total clearing rate (ha/yr) area/year total clearing

New England Tableland 341,000 1,343 0.2 0.5 3,031 0.4 0.7 Central Queensland Coast 1,151,000 1,770 0.1 0.6 2,560 0.1 0.6 Wet Tropics 1,850,000 3,583 0.2 1.2 1,275 <0.1 0.3 Desert Uplands 6,882,000 36,251 0.5 12.5 40,963 0.6 9.6 Northwest Highlands 6,950,000 33 <0.1 <0.1 854 <0.1 0.2 Southeast Queensland 8,231,000 9,736 0.1 3.4 15,909 0.2 3.7 Cape York Peninsula 11,548,000 967 <0.1 0.3 1,690 <0.1 0.4 Einasleigh Uplands 12,808,000 2,037 <0.1 0.7 2,921 <0.1 0.7 Mulga Lands 19,097,000 63,335 0.3 21.9 84,607 0.5 19.9 Gulf Plains 21,377,000 1,091 <0.1 0.4 1,449 <0.1 0.3 Mitchell Grass Downs 22,787,000 18,081 0,1 6.2 18,593 <0.1 4.4 Channel Country 24,594,000 161 <0.1 <0.1 450 <0.1 0.1 Brigalow Belt 33,158,000 150,552 0.4 52.1 251,484 0.7 59.1

Source: DNR (2000); EPA (1999)

Table 18. Summary of 1997-99 Wet Tropics bioregional clearing pattern (km2 per year)

Pasture Crops Infrastructure Settlement Total % of region % of total cleared cleared/year clearing in QLD

4.48 7.23 0.78 0.27 12.75 0.059 0.299

Source: DNR (2000)

Table 19. Wet Tropics clearing pattern (1977-99) by major river catchments (km2 per year)

Catchment Area Pasture Crops Infrastructure Settlement Total % catchment % of total (km2) cleared area cleared clearing per year in Qld Herbert 9,853 4.60 3.20 0.56 0.00 8.36 0.085 0.197 Barron 2,145 1.03 2.51 0.04 0.08 3.66 0.171 0.086 Murray 1,200 0.40 2.53 0.02 0.00 2.95 0.246 0.069 Tully 1,643 0.24 0.22 0.09 0.00 0.54 0.033 0.013 Daintree 1,923 0.25 0.15 0.00 0.03 0.43 0.022 0.010 johnstone 2,324 0.18 0.23 0.00 0.00 0.41 0.018 0.010 Russell-Mulgrave 1,989 0.16 0.16 0.00 0.06 0.38 0.019 0.009 Mossman 527 0.00 0.02 0.00 0.06 0.08 0.016 0.002 Source: DNR (2000)

Table 20. Wet Tropics clearing pattern (1979-99) by local government area (km2 pre year)

Catchment Area Pasture Crops Infrastructure Settlement Total % LGA % of total (km2) cleared area cleared clearing per year in Qld

Mareeba 53,468 8.51 7.17 3.56 0.00 19.42 0.036 0.456 Hinchinbrook 2,866 2.03 2.53 0.11 0.00 4.68 0.163 0.110 Herberton 9,556 2.73 0.99 0.96 0.00 4.68 0.049 0.110 Cardwell 3,060 0.66 2.74 0.02 0.00 3.42 0.112 0.080 Atherton 624 0.41 0.75 0.00 0.02 1.18 0.189 0.028 Cairns 1,847 0.15 0.18 0.00 0.18 0.51 0.028 0.012 Douglas 2,437 0.25 0.09 0.00 0.06 0.40 0.016 0.009 Johnstone 1,633 0.07 0.22 0.00 0.00 0.30 0.018 0.007 Eacham 1,125 0.23 0.03 0.00 0.00 0.26 0.023 0.006

Source: DNR (2000)

34 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 Table 21. Inventory of electricity infrastructure within the WHA Table 21 continued

Communication facilities Power distribution lines Description Description Location Ergon Energy Ergon Energy • Base radio Lyons Lookout • Cooktown - Black Trevethan Range 22 1 • Base radio Bell’s Peak North • Bloomfield Spur 22 1 • Base radio Longlands Gap • Daintree - Bloomfield 22 7.2 • Bloomfield Feeder, Rossville 22 12 • Base radio Mt. Mackay • Rossville Feeder, Helenvale 22 1 • Stewart Creek Spur 22 0.4 Hydro-electric schemes • Wonga 22 4 Description MW • Julatten Feeder, Rex Range 22 3 • Pt. Douglas Feeder, Pebbly Beach 22 0.2 • Pt. Douglas to Wangetti Feeder 22 9 Stanwell • Cook Feeder 1, Ellis Beach 22 2.7 • Barron Gorge Power Station 60 • Ravenshoe Feeder 22 0.5 • Kareeya Power Station 72 • Milla Milla Spur 22 0.7 • Koombooloomba Dam 7 • Yungaburra State Forest 22 1.7 • Lake Barrine 22 0.8 Substations • Lake Eacham 22 0.5 • Redlynch Feeder 22 1 Description • Gordonvale Feeder 22 0.1 • Saddle Mountain 22 1.2 Powerlink • Kuranda Range Feeder 22 7 • Chalumbin Substation • Riverstone Road Feeder 22 3.5 • Tarzali Crater Tie Feeder 22 2.4 Power transmission lines • Little Mulgrave 22 1 • Babinda No.1 Feeder 22 4 Description KV Km • Silkwood Feeder 22 0.8 • Innisfail No. 2 22 0.2 Powerlink • Silkwood No. 2 22 0.1 • Ross - Chalumbin 275 6 • El Arish Feeder 22 1 • Chalumbin - Kareeya 275/132 6 • Cardwell No. 1 22 0.3 • Kareeya - Innisfail 132 35 • South Mission Beach Spur 22 11.3 • Innisfail - Cairns 132 1 • Cardwell No. 2 Feeder 22 1 • El Arish Feeder 22 7 132 14.4 • Lake Morris (Cairns - Turkinje) • Telecom Mt. Formartine LV 3 • Lake Morris (Springmount - Cairns) 275/132 14.4 • Bicton Hill LV 1 • Kareeya - Tully 132 13 • Mt. Spec 22 6 • Chalumbin - Turkinje 132 1 • Ingham - Tully 132 9 Total length (km) 97.6 • Kamerunga - Barron Gorge 132 4

Ergon • Rex Range (Turkinje - Craiglie) 132 3 • Kareeya - Chalumbin Hill 66 9 Table 22. Extent, type and purpose of maintained • Kareeya - Mt Garnet (Wooroora) 66 7 roads in WHA • Kareeya - Chalumbin Hill 66 9 Road class and purpose Length • Kareeya - Atherton No. 1 (Wooroora) 66 5 (km) • Longlands Gap 66 1.4 State controlled roads 101 • Kareeya - Chalumbin Hill 66 9 (roads which from part of the state’s road network) • Kareeya - Atherton No. 2 (Wooroora) 66 5 Community access roads 150 • Longlands Gap 66 1.4 (local community transport roads) • Turkinje - Mossman No. 1 (Rex Range) 66 3 Presentation unrestricted 230 • Turkinje - Mossman No. 2 (Rex Range) 66 3 (roads which provide vehicle-based presentation • Bloomfield - Cooktown 66 18 opportunities) • Daintree - Bloomfield 66 38 Presentation restricted 234 (roads where public access may be restricted and a • Mossman - Daintree, Dagmar Range 66 6.2 permit is required) Landholder access 153 Total length (km) 221.8 (provide legal access to properties in or adjacent the WHA) Management 345 (provide access for management activities including the service of public utilities) Total 1213

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 35 and a range of leases and reserves (Table 16). Use rights and responsibilities associated with Table 23. Community water supply infrastructure within WHA land tenure have significant implications for management of the Area. Atherton Shire Council • Barron Weir Approximately 80% of the Area is considered potentially claimable under Native Title Douglas Shire Council legislation. Presently 282,966 ha or 32% of the • Rex Creek intake Area is under claim. There is the potential for • Martin Creek (Daintree) intake Aboriginal interests in land in the Area to have • Little Falls Creek (Whyanbeel) intake both positive and negative impacts with respect Mareeba Shire Council to the protection of World Heritage values. • Hunter Creek (Mt Molloy) intake Positive potential impacts include the application of indigenous knowledge to Cairns City Council biodiversity management, whereas potential • Cooperlode Dam negative impacts include access and • Stoney Creek intake development rights associated with native title. • Bessie Point intake plants, animals and diseases. • Freshwater intake • Behana Gorge intake Regional clearing patterns & trends • Fishery Falls intake The Statewide Landcover and Trees Study • Bellenden Ker (Junction Creek) intake (SLATS) is a major vegetation monitoring • Frenchmans Creek (Babinda) intake initiative of the Queensland Department of • Bartle Frere/Woopen Creek intake • Bramston Beach Minor intake Natural Resources and Mines. SLATS has used • Bramston Beach Major intake satellite imagery to compare the vegetation cover of the State between 1988, 1991, 1995, Herberton Shire Council 1997 and 1999. The resolution of the analysis • Herberton intake (Wild River) enables most areas of vegetation change of one hectare or greater to be detected (DNR 2000). Johnstone Shire Council Some of the main state-wide trends revealed in • Nyleta intake the study included: • Jurs Creek intake On a statewide (Qld) scale: Cardwell Shire Council • Of the total land area of Queensland, • Meunga Creek (Cardwell) intake approximately 68% (117 million ha) was • Boulder Creek (rural) intake originally occupied by woody vegetation and • Bulgun Creek (Tully) intake about half has been cleared since European settlement. Thuringowa Shire Council • Approximately 76 million ha (43% of the • Paluma - Crystal Creek State) still had woody vegetation cover in • Paluma Dam 1992. Of the land cleared: Stanwell Power Company • Kuranda Weir 40% of this clearing occurs on leasehold • Koombooloomba Dam/Kareeya Power Station land 57% on freehold land 3% on Crown land. • Clearing on Table 24. Average annual runoff compared with storage capacity by catchment freehold land has increased by 55% between 1991-95 Catchment Average Major storage Major storage capacity annual runoff capacity >2500 ML as % of and 1995-97 (DNR (‘000 ML) (‘000 ML) average annual runoff 2000). • Rates of clearing Tully - Murray accelerated to 5,300 212 4.0 Russell - Mulgrave 4,200 45 1.1 285,000 ha per Barron 1,150 407 35.4 year (1991– 95) Mossman - Daintree 4,250 95 2.2 and 339,000 ha per year (1995 - 97). Source: EPA (1999)

36 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 • The rate of clearing is now 425,000 Table 25. Examples of environmental issues and direct pressure indicators ha per year. The present clearing rate is Environmental issue Direct pressure indicator equivalent to: Clearing • linear service corridors • over 1,150 ha of trees removed per • impoundments day, or 48 ha per hour, or over one • patch clearing football field per minute. • boundary anomalies On the world scale: • only four countries (Indonesia, Fragmentation • powerlines Brazil, Congo and Bolivia) exceed • roads Queensland’s clearing rate (DNR • railways • impoundments 2000). • cableways At the bioregional scale: Table 17 presents the average rates Altered drainage patterns • drainage of swamps and low lying areas of clearing for each of the State’s and flow regimes • water extraction and impoundments bioregions. • stream fragmentation • For the period 1991 to 1995 the clearing rate for the entire Wet Topics Environmental pests • environmental weeds bioregion was 3,583 ha per year which • invasive exotic animals accounted for 1.2 percent of • exotic plant and animal diseases Queensland’s total clearing over this Undesirable habitat • forest dieback period. alteration/degradation • altered fire regime

Table 26. Extent and distribution of habitat loss within the World Heritage Area. Clearing Type Extent of clearings by Province1 (ha) Total Area (ha) 1234567 8 9

Linear service corridor clearings

powerlines 11 63 37 71 12 204 100 119 155 772 roads (maintained) 11 117 119 177 159 218 226 205 378 1610 roads (unmaintained) 9 57 132 230 285 436 408 186 326 2069 railways 0 9 2 0 0 0 0 11 0 22 cableways 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 total linear clearings 31 246 290 478 456 860 734 521 859 4,475

Patch clearings quarries 0 4 0 4 0 0 4 0 31 43 inundation (dams) 0 0 0 139 220 1471 50 248 1 2129 recreation areas 0 0 0 0 0 0 41 4 0 45 settlements 0 0 1 0 0 7 9 85 18 120 communication facilities 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 fire degraded hillslopes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 105 0 105 other: maintained 0 44 44 0 0 0 2 0 0 90 other: unmaintained 0 0 90 0 0 0 20 59 29 198 total patch clearings 0 48 135 143 220 1478 127 501 81 2733

Boundary anomalies paddocks 0 39 10 26 0 0 5 10 107 197 sugarcane 32 0 29 0 0 0 2 2 0 65 pine plantations 0 29 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 36 orchards & plantations 0 19 0 0 0 0 5 1 7 32 total boundary anomalies 32 87 39 26 0 0 12 20 114 330 Total 63 381 464 647 676 2338 873 1042 1054 7538 Area of province in WHA (‘000 ha) 10 29 43 38 100 157 206 54 257 894 Extent of clearing (%) 0.63 1.31 1.08 1.70 0.68 1.49 0.42 1.93 0.41 0.84

1Province names: 1. Herbert, 2. Tully, 3. Innisfail, 4. Atherton, 5. Paluma/Seaview, 6. Kirrama/Hinchinbrook, 7. Bellenden Ker/Lamb, 8. Macalister, 9. Daintree/Bloomfield. Refer to Figure 1 for locational detail.

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 37 • Although the Wet Tropics is the third smallest of Queensland’s thirteen 600 bioregions it contributed the sixth 500 highest rate of clearing. This 400 contribution to the State’s total 300 clearing reduced very substantially for the period 1997 to 1999 (Table 18) 200

where the average clearing rate was Cumulative total 100 almost a third of the 1991-95 rate, and the bioregion’s rank contribution has 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 been lowered from sixth to eleventh. Decade • An overall summary of the pattern Figure 7. The total number of alien plant species recorded as naturalised in and intensity of clearing within the the Wet Tropics bioregion during 10 year increments where Decade: 1 = pre Wet Tropics bioregion for the period 1900; 2 = 1900-09; 3 = 1910-19; 4 = 1920-29; 5= 1930-39; 6 = 1940-49; 7 = 1950-59; 8 = 1960-69; 9 = 1970-79; 10 = 1980-89; 11 = 1990-99; 12 = 1997-99 is provided in Table 18. unofficial records for the bioregion compiled by Werren (2001). At the sub-regional scale: • The spatial breakdown of clearing by the major Wet Tropics river catchments for the period 1997-99 is Table 27. Numbers of naturalised alien species presented in Table 19. The Herbert, Barron and Murray catchments had Group Number of Number of the highest total area cleared, the naturalised alien naturalised alien species - species - Wet forest cover being converted to 1 2 pasture and to crops. Queensland Tropics • A breakdown by local authority area vascular plant taxa 1153 508 mammals 19 (Table 20) reveals that Mareeba, 7 birds 11 5 Herberton, Hinchinbrook, Cardwell fish 11 and Atherton contributed the most to 5+ reptile 2 2 the bioregion’s total area of clearing, amphibian 1 1 however as a percentage of the local government area cleared per year, 1EPA (1999), 2Werren (2001), EPA Wildnet (2001) Atherton, Hinchinbrook and Cardwell made the greatest proportional network consists of a number of contribution. of infrastructure also impacts high voltage transmission lines significantly on the condition of the Although the picture of clearing which transmit power from southern natural environment. One of the most which emerges from Tables 17-20 is generation stations augmented by significant impacts associated with external to the World Heritage Area, the three hydro-electric stations infrastructure corridors is their array clearings, changing land uses and (plus the 12 MW Windy Hill Wind of habitat fragmentation effects. an array of associated impacts Farm) to seven bulk supply surrounding the Area are major Electricity supply infrastructure substations within the region at underlying threats to the overall Within the World Heritage Area are Cairns, Kamerunga, Innisfail, Tully, long-term integrity of the Area. an assortment of electricity supply Turkinje, Kareeya and Ingham. The Some of the associated impacts Kareeya bulk substation and 320 km facilities (Table 21) including: include: of powerlines are located within the • three hydro-electric schemes with • fragmentation of habitat, Area. power stations and associated • severing of natural wildlife Issues of special note corridors, dams, tunnels and other works, • increased demand for water, and • 222 km of power transmission An environmental impact study is • introductions and spread of pest lines, currently being conducted with • 98 km of power distribution lines, plants, animals and diseases. respect to the feasibility and • 1 substation, environmental impact of alternate Community services infrastructure • 6 communication facilities, and routes for the upgrading of the Tully Essential services supplied by • various ancillary facilities such as - Innisfail powerline to 275KV. A community infrastructure are roads, buildings, houses, coastal route avoiding the World important for regional development workshops. Heritage Area would appear to be a but the construction and maintenance The regional electricity supply prudent and feasible option. Such

38 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 an option would result in the eventual decommissioning and Table 28. Ranked list of Wet Tropics environmental weeds of concern. The higher the Risk Assessment Systems (RAS) score the greater the rehabilitation of at least 35km of an environmental. weed risk existing 132KV transmission line and its associated 60 metre wide Scientific name Common name RAS score (%) swathe clearing which presently dissects the Palmerston section of Annona glabra Pond apple 90 the Area. Leucaena leucocephala Leucaena 88 Roads and access tracks Chromolaena odorata Siam weed 82 Sphagneticola trilobata Singapore daisy 82 The network of roads and access Hymenachne amplexicaulis Hymenachne 80 tracks which traverse the Area were Miconia calvescens Miconia 80 constructed for many purposes. Psidium guajava Guava 78 Table 22 provides a summary of Thunbergia spp. Thunbergia 76 roads and access tracks within the Brachiaria mutica Pará grass 74 Area which remain available for use Mikania micrantha Mile-a-minute 74 under the Wet Tropics Management Panicum maximum Guinea grass 72 Parmentiera aculeata Cucumber tree 70 Plan 1998. Turbina corymbosa Turbine vine 68 Water supply and storage Ageratina riparia Mistflower 64 Andropogon gayanus Gamba grass 64 Rainfall over the bioregion, although Mangifera indica Mango 64 the highest in Australia, is highly Spathodea campanulata African tulip tree 62 seasonal, with more than 90% of Tithonia diversifolia Japanese sunflower 62 annual totals falling between Solanum seaforthianum Brazilian nightshade 60 November and April creating a need Azadirachta indica Neem 58 for water storages. Demand on the Eupatorium catarium Praxelis 58 Harungana region’s water resources is madagascariensis Harungana 56 increasing as agricultural, urban and Stachtarpheta spp. Snakeweed 54 industrial needs expand in line with Senna obtusifolia Sicklepod 50 population growth and changing Syngonium podophyllum Syngonium 50 land-uses. Increasing demand on Sansevieria trifasciata Mother-in-laws tongue 48 water resources increases the threat Hyptis spp. Knob weed 46 to fauna and flora, and indeed to Mimosa diplotricha Giant sensitive plant 44 whole ecosystems, that are Cyperus aromaticus Navua sedge 40 dependent on the provision of Allamanda cathartica Yellow allamanda 38 Elephantopus mollis Tobacco weed 38 environmentally sensitive flow Euphorbia heterophylla Milk weed 8 regimes. Agricultural, industrial and urban landuses outside of the Area Source: Werren (2001) are also sources of stream pollution within the Area, emphasising the need to manage watercourses as whole systems. Table 29. Ranking of alien aquatic weeds using the Wet Tropics RAS. There are three dams in the Area: Species Common Name RAS Score (%) Copperlode Falls Dam, Paluma Dam and Koombooloomba Dam. The first Eichhornia crassipes Water hyacinth 74 two supply the urban water requirements of the Cairns and Pistia stratiotes Water lettuce 68 Townsville regions while Koombooloomba provides a water Salvinia molesta Salvinia 66 source for hydroelectric power Pondweed 64 generation. Eight local authorities Elodea canadensis have 22 intakes within the Area, each Sagittaria graminea ssp. platyphylla Arrowhead 64 with associated pipelines, access roads and powerlines. Table 23 lists Cabomba caroliniana Cabomba 62 the community water supply infrastructure located within the Alternanthera philoxeroides Alligator weed 56

Source: Werren (2001)

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 39 Table 30. Relative ranking of vertebrate pests based on current emergency repairs which have levels of ecological impact. resulted in the removal of some trees and an increased road footprint, Species Current impact contributing to increased ranking fragmentation of habitat (the Dog/dingo 1 fragmentation impact is probably of Cane toad 2 greater ecological concern than the Pig 2 loss of trees per se). Additional Cat 3 passing lanes have been constructed Common myna 4 on the Cook, Kennedy and Gillies House sparrow 5 Highways. Corners and sharp curves Gambusia 6 have been straightened to allow Guppy 6 passage of B-Double road transports Rabbit 7 House mouse 8 on the Rex and Kennedy Highways. Tilapia (T. marari) 9 A major upgrade of the Tully-Mission Brown rat 10 Beach Road has been completed. Swordtail 10 Cyclone, flood, landslip and slumping Black rat 11 damage has resulted in small sections Nutmeg manikin 11 of major repair works being Platy 12 undertaken on the Palmerston, Spotted turtle-dove 12 Kennedy and Gillies Highways, the Tilapia (O. mossambicus) 12 Alexandra Range Road, ‘Southedge’ Red fox 13 House gecko 14 management road and many more Brown hare 15 minor access roads within the Area. It Rock dove 16 is estimated that the combined post- Horse 17 listing clearing resulting from road Chital deer 18 upgrades and major repairs amount to Fallow deer 18 less than 10ha. Goat 18 Red-whiskered bulbul 18 Approximately 15ha of forested Rusa deer 18 freehold land within the WHA Source: Harrison & Congdon (2001). adjacent to the Hull River has been cleared and converted to sugar cane since the Area was listed. A further infrastructure which were in place at Area. 69ha of freehold native forest has been the time of listing. Clearings converted to pasture in the Bramston Table 24 provides an overview of associated with linear service corridors Beach (46ha) and Cardwell (23ha) the capacities of the major water account for 4,475 ha of which 2,406 ha areas and two small clearings (1ha) storages as a percentage of the are ongoing maintained clearings have been recorded in the Daintree catchment’s annual average providing access and electricity lowlands section of the Area. The runoff. As is evident from this distribution. Patch clearings account expansion of the Herberton water table, the Barron River has by far for a further 2,733 ha, the largest supply resulted in the inundation of the most heavily regulated flow contributor to this total (2,129 ha) has 5ha of open forest and a further 1ha in the bioregion. resulted from the drowning of habitat was cleared in upgrading the South caused by artificial dams and Direct pressures Mission Beach water supply pipeline. impoundments which were present There are a range of prior to World Heritage listing. There In the largest known illegal logging contemporary human activities is also a category of clearing listed as operation in the Area since listing, 15 occurring within the Area that boundary anomalies in which slivers logs were removed from the Herberton have the potential to impact of agricultural land were included in State Forest section of the World negatively on the condition of the nomination for a range of reasons, Heritage Area in January 2001. This World Heritage values. Examples but primarily to produce a sensible alledged offence is scheduled to go of specific environmental issues management boundary. before a committal hearing in and related primary direct September 2001 on charges under the pressures are listed in Table 25. Criminal Code Act 1899, the Forestry Post-listing clearing Act 1959 and the Wet Tropics Clearing Management Plan 1998, with Although there have been no Clearings within the World potential penalties for interfering with clearings associated with new roads Heritage Area total 7,538 ha forest products ranging up to in the Area since listing, there have (Table 26). Most clearings are $225,000 or two years imprisonment. been several road upgrades and related to activities and

40 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 Fragmentation regimes as introduced species which become established in natural Ecological fragmentation results from The environmental flow regime is the ecosystems, disrupt natural the division and isolation of habitat. amount of water combined with the ecological processes and threaten Roads, powerlines and land cleared natural patterns and pulsing of the native biodiversity. Rapidly for agriculture can create artificial water that is needed in a stream to expanding global trade and travel barriers preventing or restricting the meet the requirements of aquatic flora has proven to be a highway for all movement of species between habitat and fauna. Insufficient water, or water sorts of alien species and have fragments. An artificial barrier at the wrong time, can result in a loss accelerated the mixing of faunas suddenly alters historic natural of habitat, breeding failure and even and floras across biogeographical patterns of gene flow among death for some species. Dams, weirs borders. The effects can be populations which may have serious and culverts are major landscape devastating, with disastrous consequences for the long-term modifiers resulting in the direct loss consequences for native plants preservation of evolutionary of both terrestrial and aquatic and animals. They may be as diversity. A fragmented landscape habitats. The introduction of water damaging to native species and also greatly increases the total length barriers inhibits terrestrial fauna ecosystems on a global scale as of edges, increasing their movement as well as acting as the loss and degradation of vulnerability to external disturbances barriers to the upstream or habitats and it is in this context that such as fire, microclimate alterations downstream movement of fishes and IUCN has identified the need to and invasions by non-native species. aquatic invertebrates. Such barriers address the problem of alien Such edge effects can have large may also interfere with successful invasive species as one of its major impacts on the assemblage structure, reproduction or recruitment of initiatives at the global level. diversity and relative abundances of juveniles into adult habitats. Streams both plant and animal species for some below impoundments often become Queensland has been invaded by distance into the adjoining forest. For choked with sediments due to altered at least 1,153 vascular plant taxa, example, powerline easements can flow dynamics. 19 mammal, 11 bird, 11 fish, 2 reptile adversely affect bird diversity for up and 1 amphibian species which Although there has been no increase to 125m beyond the cleared area have established breeding in the number of impoundments on (Baker et al 1998). Wide powerline populations and become watercourses inside the Area since clearings are also effective barriers to naturalised (Table 27). An listing, there has been 5ha the movement of most non-flying estimated 50 to 100 new plant enlargement of the Herberton water terrestrial and arboreal fauna. species are imported into supply and increases in the off-take Powerline clearings are a major cause Queensland each year. (EPA 1999). capacity for the Mossman, Cairns, of weed and pest intrusions into the Within the Wet Tropics bioregion, Mission Beach, Cardwell and Crystal Area and also provide a conduit for 508 exotic plant taxa have been Creek water supplies. fire penetration into rainforested identified as having become areas. There are also many impacts on stream naturalised (Werren 2001), which flows originating from outside the amounts to almost 11% of the Several components of a road act as a World Heritage Area which affect the region’s native flora and barrier to wildlife movement including condition of watercourses in the Area. represents almost 44% of the exposed bare road surface and the Queensland’s naturalised alien altered verge habitat. The habitat Issues of special note plant species total. fragmentation impacts of road The proposed Tully-Millstream hydro infrastructure can be amplified by road electricity scheme with its proposal The Wet Tropics is seen as use resulting in noise, vibration, for several large impoundments and particularly vulnerable to the threat movement, dust, emissions, and lights inter-catchment transfers of water is of invasive pest species. For which can interfere with wildlife no longer an active issue. The Flaggy millions of years natural ocean activities and behaviour. Road use can Creek and Davies Creek water storage barriers provided the isolation also be a significant source of proposals which had direct impact essential for the Wet Tropics’ mortality for wildlife. For some implications for the Area have also unique species and ecosystems to species, particularly those that are been recently rejected in favour of evolve. In just over a hundred rare, road carnage can have a more prudent and feasible years this natural barrier has been significant effect on their alternatives. rendered partially ineffective and conservation status. millions of years of biological Environmental pests isolation has inadvertently come Altered drainage patterns and flow One of the major threats to to an end. biodiversity is invasive pest species. Many invasive pests are Invasive pest species can be defined “colonising” species that benefit

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 41 from the reduced competition that Table 31. Distribution of dieback patches by vegetation type in the follows habitat disturbance. In the Tully Falls-Koombooloomba area World Heritage Area many pest invasions are closely related to human Vegetation type Area (ha) % of total activity disturbances, particularly Mesophyll forest types 125 3.7 linear service corridors such as roads Notophyll forest types 269 8.0 and powerline easements which act Notophyll/microphyll forests & thickets 2835 83.9 as conduits for pest dispersal. Global Eucalypt & Acacia closed forest 76 2.2 climate change is likely to become an Acacia emergent forest 2 0.1 increasingly significant factor in Vegetation complexes 3 0.1 assisting the spread and Tall open forest & open woodland 68 2.0 Total 3378 100 establishment of invasive pest species. Source: Gadek et al (2001) Pest Plants

Growth in world trade combined with 30 species of most Table 32. Distribution of dieback patches by geology a lack of effective controls has led to concern regionally type in the Tully Falls-Koombooloomba area a spate of unintentional plant have been identified naturalisations. Environmental weeds (Bebawi et al 2001). Geology % of total dieback patches are introduced species capable of Mareeba Granite 78.0 As a separate invading native forests or waterways. Rhyolite and Dacite 15.8 exercise, the Undisturbed rainforest is generally Tully Granite 3.8 Authority contracted resistant to weed invasion however Basalt 2.4 the Rainforest CRC Metamorphics 0.0 disturbed ecosystems are often highly to develop an Alluvium 0.0 vulnerable. Cyclone damaged environmental weed Total 100.0 communities, previously logged risk assessment and forests and rainforest margins are priority ranking Source: Gadek et al (2001) particularly susceptible. Although system (RAS) most of the plants causing tailored to the needs environmental harm have originated of World Heritage Area management disturbance of the Area’s natural in other countries there are some (Werren 2001). The ranked list shown systems are the major threatening native plants, such as the vine, in Table 28 resulted from applying processes acting on many of the Merremia peltata, which can also be the Rainforest CRC system to the Area’s threatened species. In considered as ‘weedy’ due to their terrestrial weed species short-listed addition, invasive animal pest species massive increase in abundance as a by Bebawi et al (2001) plus several may also act as hosts or vectors of result of human disturbance additional species considered of diseases and parasites. The feral pig, associated with artificial rainforest World Heritage management for example, is an amplifying host for edges adjacent to agricultural lands concern by Werren (2001). Japanese encephalitis and a potential and infrastructure corridors. host of animal disease plagues such Similarly the environmental weed risk The magnitude of invasive plant as foot-and-mouth and swine fever, assessment process identified 7 naturalisation within the Wet Tropics and a range of other infectious aquatic weed taxa which pose an is shown in Figure 7 where the increase diseases including tuberculosis, immediate serious environmental risk in alien plant naturalisations over the brucellosis, leptospirosis, to the Wet Tropics bioregion (Table last century is illustrated. It should be melioidosis, sparganosis and act as 29). noted, however, that the vast majority vectors for parasitic diseases such as of the bioregion’s naturalised plant Pest Animals screw worm fly, cysticercosis and species do not pose an environmental Evolutionary isolated biological trichinosis (Johnson 2001). risk to the conservation of the World systems which characterise the Area In the past year the Authority Heritage Area. are especially vulnerable to commissioned the Rainforest CRC to Over the past four years, the biological invasions. Restricted develop a vertebrate pest risk Department of Natural Resources and endemic species are particularly assessment scheme for the Wet Mines (DNRM) has facilitated the vulnerable to extinction through Tropics (Harrison & Congdon 2001). development of Local Government competition or predation from This scheme was designed to Pest Management Plans throughout introduced species. Habitat establish the relative pest status and the State, including all local modification through selective the current and potential ecological government areas within the Wet feeding, trampling damage, rooting, impacts of exotic vertebrates Tropics. As part of this process the predation, competition, or presently found within the Wet

42 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 Table 33. Zoning Scheme Summary

Zone A Zone B Zone C Zone D Physical Condition Remote from Not remote from Land on which or Land on which disturbance and in a disturbance but adjacent to which there there are or are mostly natural state still in a mostly is existing infrastructure proposed to be natural state needed for community significant services. developed facilities to enable visitors to appreciate and enjoy the Area.

Physical and social A natural area remote A natural area An area with some A mostly natural setting from disturbances which may be disturbance by area with visitor associated with undergoing activities associated facilities modern technological recovery or with modern integrated into the society. Visitors may rehabilitation technological society. surrounding expect opportunities towards its natural A visitor may expect landscape. for solitude and self- state. An area low key opportunities Visitors may reliance without an where a visitor for nature expect many obvious management may expect appreciation and opportunities to presence. opportunities for social interaction in a appreciate and solitude and self- natural setting. enjoy the Area in reliance with a Management a natural setting. A limited presence may be management management obvious. presence may be presence. obvious.

Management intent To protect land in its To restore land to its To accommodate To accommodate natural state. If land is natural state community services. developed visitor disturbed, to remove wherever practical, To ensure that the facilities to enable disturbance and by relocating impact of activities visitors to appreciate restore land to its disturbances to land associated with and enjoy the Area. natural state. where they will have community services is To ensure that the less impact, or to managed to minimise impact of visitor rehabilitate the land the effect on the infrastructure is over time where integrity of the Area. managed to minimise opportunities arise. the effect on the integrity of the Area.

Tropics bioregion. The findings of this impacts on non-target native species. Channel. These fish are genetically assessment were that the current major Along with exotic fish, the assessment different from the Wet Tropics vertebrate pests are the pig, cat, cane suggests that the fox is a major future barramundi populations (EPA 1999). toad and dog/dingo. These species threat to the Wet Tropics. Some of the Undesirable habitat alteration/ ranked high primarily due to their findings of this study are summarised degradation current levels of ecological impacts in Table 30 and because of the current lack of Biodiversity values may be Translocations of native species (ie feasible control options. The threatened by processes that can movement of native species outside assessment also identified a group of lead to undesirable large-scale their natural distribution range) can ‘sleeper’ species with moderate alteration or degradation of habitat pose as great a risk as introduced current impacts but substantial future quality. This occurs when changes exotics. One such example is the potential. These species included the in the environment or in the unauthorised release of a predatory fox, gambusia, two tilapia species, composition of species trigger a native fish the mouth almighty swordtail, guppy and platy. Less sequence of ecological changes (Glossamia aprion), which has been significant threats were the black rat, that can lead to a loss of species implicated in the elimination of the indian myna and rabbit. The risk and changes to ecological Lake Eacham Rainbowfish assessment process indicates that processes. Two processes which (Melanotaenia eachamensis) from exotic fish may constitute the principal are responsible for widespread Lake Eacham in the late 1980s (Barlow unrealised threat to the region. Once habitat alteration in the Area et al 1987). established these species can include changes to historic fire dominate aquatic communities, Accidental releases from aquaculture regimes in non-rainforest modify habitat to their advantage and facilities have also occurred in the ecosystems and forest dieback in are extremely difficult to control. This region. One example is the release of the bioregion’s rainforests. is because of the intensity of control large numbers of ‘Weipa’ barramundi Altered fire regimes required and its highly negative (Lates calcarifer) in the Hinchinbrook

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 43 Most of the Wet Tropic’s non- the rainforest and occupy cylindrica and Themeda rainforest ecosystems evolved approximately 54,000 ha. This australis.” Recent vegetation under the influence of fire and rely represents only half the extent mapping has found that most areas on particular fire regimes for their identified from airphotos taken in the previously fulfilling this description long-term persistence. The 1940s (Harrington & Sanderson 1993). have disappeared. ecological effects of a given fire The narrow strip of tall open forest is The apparent severe disruption of regime vary depending on intensity, important for the conservation of one historical fire patterns in the last frequency, the season of the burn of the mammals restricted to the twenty years, particularly where and the nature of the forest. Open bioregion, the endangered tropical they affect some of the more forest plants and animals have bettong (Bettongia tropica), and the restricted types of sclerophyll evolved with a pre-existing, pre- northern population of two other habitat, and the unlikely event of European fire regime and alterations species of mammals restricted to this their re-establishment in the future to this regime are having a range of forest type - the fluffy glider (Petaurus in the face of permanent changes ecological impacts. Interpreting australis) and the swamp rat (Rattus to the landscape from settlement appropriate fire regimes to protect lutreolus). It is a matter of urgency to activities, casts in doubt the World Heritage values is difficult determine which biota are dependent survival or regeneration of a because of: upon wet sclerophyll forest types and number of the more restricted the level of threat to these species • the difficulties in determining pre- sclerophyll types of vegetation imposed by this rapid trend toward European fire regimes within the bioregion. rainforest conversion. • the lack of scientific information on Forest Dieback As part of the regional vegetation the effects of fire intensity, frequency mapping program, vast areas of open Dieback is a frequently used term and timing forest and woodland which have in relation to forest health. Canopy • the impact of introduced species undergone very significant habitat death may be the result of a range altering fuel loads and burning changes in the last 20 years due to of causes including lightning characteristics. altered fire management practices have strikes, changes in the water table, senescence, insect predation and Issues of special note been identified. In many areas there has been a rapid change from grassy pathogenic infection. The It has been found that ecologically open woodland in the 1970s and 1980s Authority’s ongoing vegetation significant changes to the rainforest/ to the present situation of closed forest mapping program (Stanton & open forest boundary have taken with sclerophylls. Stanton 1998-2001) has recently place over the last 50 years with large located numerous patches of One of the most impacted forest types, areas of wet sclerophyll forest types, rainforest dieback across parts of apart from the wet sclerophyll types, in particular, being progressively the Tully Falls, Koombooloomba, has been Type 16b for which Tracey converted to simple rainforest. Kirrama, Bartle Frere and Rumula stated in his 1982 description: “The Presently, wet sclerophyll forests areas. Soil sampling of affected area is regularly burnt and the ground occur as a discontinuous strip up to 4 forest patches by the Rainforest layer is dominated by Imperata km wide along the western margin of CRC has detected the presence of

Table 34. Key components of Protection Through Partnerships

Management Processes Conservation Practice World Heritage Managing Resource Use and Land Protection Presentation, Visitor Management and Enjoyment

· collecting plants and · management partnerships · flora and fauna conservation · presentation, information animals · codes of practice · feral animals and interpretation · private land use · Aboriginal interests · weeds and diseases · visitor research · defence use · co-ordinated planning · rehabilitation · walking opportunities · communication facilities · land tenure · fire · grazing · boundary management · scenic management · beekeeping · cultural heritage · farming · water storage, diversion and extraction · electricity infrastructure · roads and access

44 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 Table 35. Trends in areas of different land tenures in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

Te nure Area (ha)

1992 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 National parks 249,866 250,318 266,588 266,707 269,827 269,827 285,744 State forests 320,790 331,215 339,937 339,931 348,049 348,049 347,300 Timber reserves 84,280 73,822 73,951 73,949 73,949 73,949 74,163 Various reserves & dams 10,707 10,566 10,202 10,207 10,207 10,207 10,207 Unallocated State Land 58,162 65,980 56,224 70,330 70,501 70,501 60,515 Leasehold 143,140 135,749 120,708 106,872 95,363 95,243 90,146 Freehold & similar 17,402 17,560 17,614 17,401 17,499 17,629 17,341 Roads, Esplanades, Railways 6,766 5,903 5,889 5,716 5,718 5,708 5,696 Rivers 3,307 3,307 3,307 3,307 3,307 3,307 3,308 Total 894,420 894,420 894,420 894,420 894,420 894,420 894,420

the soil pathogen Phytophthora types (Table 31) on acid igneous pests. Rigidoporus vinctus, which is cinnamomi. P. cinnamomi is a proven rocks (Table 32) at an altitude a known root rot fungus associated destructive soil borne disease whose between 750 and 1050 metres are with mortality of hoop pine was effects in rainforests appear to vary particularly susceptible to the detected in this area as was from no visible impact to slight loss current virulent dieback outbreak. Phytophthora cinnamomi. of canopy leaves in susceptible species to the death of all plants in A total of 190 dieback patches have Based on these preliminary findings, virulent outbreaks. been identified in the Mount Lewis, approximately 14 percent of the World Lamb Range and Tully Falls areas and Heritage Area may be susceptible and The association of P. cinnamomi with these are currently providing the at risk from rainforest dieback. patches of rainforest death in the Wet basis for remote sensing analysis. Tropics represents a potentially Responses In an unrelated study, the Queensland serious problem, and a management Responses are the range of Forest Health Surveillance Report issue of some concern. Where management actions taken to help 1999-2000 (Ramsden et al 2001) states vulnerability and susceptibility occur mitigate pressures and achieve that one of their more serious findings together in the presence of the conservation of the Area’s natural was the frequent detection of pathogen, the anticipated values. Responses may include Phytophthora in the Wet Tropical consequences include: statutes, policies, management plans areas in North Queensland. In the and strategies, research and • major disruption to ecological Lake Morris area near Cairns they monitoring, management agreements community structure detected a number of fungal and insect and on-ground land management and • local extinction of populations of community initiatives. Responses some plant species • a massive reduction . in primary Table 36. Proportional trends in land tenure in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area productivity Tenure Percentage of WHA • loss or degradation of habitat for 1992 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 dependent plants and animals. National parks 28 28 30 30 30 32 Research by the State forests 36 38 38 38 38 39 Timber reserves 9 8 8 8 8 8 Rainforest CRC Various reserves & dams 1 1 1 1 1 1 (Gadek et al 2001) in Unallocated State Land 7 7 8 8 8 7 the first reported Leasehold 16 15 12 12 12 10 outbreak area at Freehold & similar 2 2 2 2 2 2 Tully Falls- Rivers, roads, esplanades, Koombooloomba railways 1 1 1 1 1 1 suggests that notophyll rainforest Total 100 100 100 100 100 100

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 45 Table 37. Area (ha) included within Protected Areas (as defined by IUCN)

IUCN Category IUCN Definition Queensland Tenure WHA I Strict Nature Reserve/Wilderness Area N/A nil II National Park National Park 1 285,744 III Natural Monument Beauty Spot 2 IV Habitat/Species Management Area State Forest 1, 2 347,300 Timber Reserve 1, 2 74,163 V Protected Landscape N/A nil VI Managed Resource Protected Area N/A nil

TOTAL 707,272

1 excludes leased areas, 2logging is prohibited. may range from the global to the regional and local Table 38. Land (ha) formally under Indigenous management scales. Form of management October 1992 June 2000 June 2001 Responses to underlying pressures Deed of Grant in Trust 8,055 8,055 8,055 Statutory protection for Leasehold/Trusteeship* 5,011 16,791 16,791 the Area Determined Native Title 0 7 7 Cooperative Management Agreements 0 0 1,600 Commonwealth TOTAL 13,066 24,853 26,453 Legislation The Commonwealth’s * Note the trusteeship incorporates Reserves under Aboriginal Trustee Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) came into force on Table 39. Codes of Practice the 16 July 2000 and supercedes a number of other Commonwealth Industry Code of Practice statutes. Under its biodiversity conservation provisions, the Act Roads Roads in the Wet Tropics: Planning, establishes management principles Design, Construction, Maintenance intended to promote national and Operation Best Practice Manual standards of management, planning, environmental impact assessment, Electricity Infrastructure The Queensland Electricity Supply community involvement, and Industry Environmental Code of monitoring for all of Australia’s World Practice in the Wet Tropics World Heritage properties. The EPBC Act Heritage Area (QESI Code) regulates actions that will, or are likely to have a significant impact on the World Heritage values of a declared Water Infrastructure Codes of Practice for Water world heritage property. This includes Extraction in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area relevant actions that occur outside the boundaries of a World Heritage property. Actions which are taken in contravention of the EPBC Act may Queensland World Heritage Area Protection and Management Act attract a civil penalty of up to $5.5 Conservation Act 1994 implements 1993 together with its subordinate million, or a criminal penalty of up to the 1990 State-Commonwealth World statute, the Wet Tropics Management $46,200 or, in extreme cases, up to 7 Heritage Area Management Scheme. Plan 1998 provide the legal years imprisonment. An ‘action’ Under the scheme the Authority has framework and mechanisms for includes a project, development, a coordinating, planning and management of the Area. In general, undertaking or any activity or series assessment function. the legislation regulates activities of activities. Queensland Legislation within the Area that have the potential The Commonwealth Wet Tropics of to seriously impact on World Heritage The Wet Tropics World Heritage

46 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 values including destruction or framework for guiding management Regional clearing controls disturbance to native vegetation, decisions made by the Authority. Controlling the area of native watercourses or earth. Table 34 lists the key policy areas vegetation cleared each year is an covered in this document. Key components of the Wet Tropics important component in maintaining Management Plan 1998 include: In addition to its two statutory the overall biodiversity of the Wet advisory committees - the Community Tropics and directly or indirectly the 1. Zoning System Consultative Committee and the biodiversity values of the Area. Over The Plan divides the Area into four Scientific Advisory Committee, the the past year the Queensland management zones, based on a Authority has also established four Government has begun implementing “distance from disturbance” model major stakeholder groups - Bama a management framework across (Table 33). Part 3 of the Plan describes Wabu, the Landholders and Queensland made up of the following those activities which are allowed, or Neighbours Liaison Group, the components: subject to a permit, in the different Tourism Industry Liaison Group and Legislation zones. The zoning scheme also the Conservation Sector Liaison designates road classes and Group. The Authority is also actively • the Vegetation Management Act associated use within the Area. represented on many regional 1999 (and the Vegetation committees and groups. Management Regulation 2000), 2. Permit System which makes vegetation clearing on Regional planning The Plan incorporates a permit system freehold land assessable under the for consideration of applications for The FNQ 2010 Regional Planning Integrated Planning Act 1997; regulated activities. The most Process is a cooperative, whole-of- • and the Land Act 1994 (and important consideration in assessing government exercise aimed at associated regulation), which permit applications is the likely impact ensuring that growth and governs vegetation management on of the proposed activity on the Area’s development in the region is leasehold and other state land. integrity. managed in an ecologically sustainable and balanced way with State policies (which include 3. Permit Assessment due consideration given to assessment codes for clearing): Guidelines environmental, social and economic • State Policy for Vegetation Section 62 of the Plan allows the opportunities and constraints. The Management on Freehold Land; and Authority to prepare guidelines FNQ 2010 Regional Plan and relevant to decision making and may process will play a pivotal role in • A Broadscale Tree Clearing Policy include guidelines for flora and guiding regional planning decisions for State Lands. fauna conservation, scenic amenity, under the Integrated Planning Act Plans and infrastructure management. The 1997. Regional planning provides a Authority must have regard to the significant process opportunity • Regional Vegetation Management information in the guidelines when whereby World Heritage Plans are also being developed under considering a permit application. management interests can be the Vegetation Management Act 1999. 4. Cooperative Management properly considered within the Agreements bioregional context. The Authority Although there is no blanket ban on continues to be involved in the FNQ clearing in the region, landholders The Plan provides for the Authority 2010 regional planning process. Key now require approval in most cases to enter into Cooperative initiatives resulting from the study to clear native vegetation on freehold Management Agreements (CMAs) include: land and leasehold land. where the agreement would contribute to achieving the primary • a regional growth management Land tenure strategy goal. CMAs provide for variation of The Authority’s general policy is to standard controls prescribed under • identification of priority biodiversity support the conversion of land tenure the Plan. and rehabilitation areas within the within the Area to achieve a higher Environmental policy and protection FNQ 2010 planning area order of protection where through partnerships • regional level studies with respect opportunities arise such as when private owners offer parcels of land The Authority also operates under a to water infrastructure demands and for sale, leases or permits expire or are policy document, Protection Through road access. renewed, or where Crown tenures on Partnerships (WTMA 1997), which The Authority continues to be particular parcels of land are being outlines policies, guidelines and represented on the FNQ 2010 reviewed. The outcome of this policy actions for achieving desired Implementation Coordination Group. has seen the area of national park management outcomes. It provides a increase by 35,878 ha since 1992, State

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 47 Forests have also increased by 26,510 of cultural and natural heritage within Djabugay Tribal Aboriginal ha over this period while the total area the Area and requires the Authority Corporation regarding management of leases and freehold land has been to liaise and cooperate with of the Mona Mona Reserve. Aboriginal people concerned with land reduced by 53,055 ha (Tables 35 & Improved management through in the Area. Table 38 provides a 36). research measure of land subject to formal Significantly, within the past year, tenure associated with Aboriginal Managing and conserving the there has been a re-activation of a interests or subject to agreements Area’s natural values requires program to transfer State Forests under various statutes. accurate, reliable scientific within the Area under the Nature information from both the natural The fundamental role of the Authority Conservation Act, 1992. and social sciences. This information in negotiations is to ensure outcomes Approximately 320,000 ha is proposed is required as a basis for developing are consistent with achieving the for staged or progressive transfer suitable environmental and social Primary Goal. Approximately 80% of representing almost 36% of the World policies and to develop management the Area is considered potentially Heritage Area. strategies that are applicable to the claimable under native title legislation. complex natural and social systems While grazing of domestic stock is The Wet Tropics Management Plan that comprise the World Heritage generally incompatible with the is designed to support native title Area. Primary Goal of World Heritage negotiation processes and provides management, the Authority respects for management agreements with Intensified efforts are being made the existence of grazing tenures Aboriginal interests under Part 3 to identify information gaps, to issued over land prior to World Division 5 ‘Negotiations and variation improve our information base, to Heritage listing. There are also some of controls under agreements’. harmonise information from different instances where allowing grazing sources and to strengthen capacities The Authority has undertaken a operations to continue under agreed in information collection and Review of Aboriginal Involvement in management practices is of net benefit analysis. Information management Management of the Area which was for World Heritage protection. There and dissemination are regarded by endorsed by Ministerial Council in are 37 grazing properties consisting the Authority as fundamental to March 1999. One of the key of 2 freehold properties, 9 pastoral management. The capacity to recommendations of the review was holdings, 18 special leases, 3 annual manage, analyse and present the establishment of an interim occupation licences and 5 stock information in a form useful for negotiation forum whose objective is grazing permits (issued by the decision making at the management to negotiate solutions to difficult Department of Natural Resources and level is critical. Mines). The term of these tenements management issues identified in the is variable. Applications for renewal review. The key issues to be discussed In the past year the Authority of grazing leases are submitted to the within the interim negotiating forum finalised the Wet Tropics Research Department of Natural Resources and are: and Information Needs Report (WTMA 2000), a document Mines, which refers such applications • recognition of the cultural values of designed to provide strategic to the Authority for advice where land the Area is within the Area. Recently renewed direction and prioritisation of the leases and permits within the Area • native title research needed to support the Authority’s Primary Goal. The report have excluded rainforested areas from • Aboriginal involvement in policy, provides an outline of the the lease or permit. planning and management management areas and issues the Both Queensland and the • development of meaningful Authority and its land management Commonwealth provide additional management agreements partners have identified as important statutory protection over a number and identifies priorities for research • traditional resource use, and the use of parcels of land in the Area. This is and associated activities over the of ecological knowledge. summarised in Table 37 which shows next five to seven years and beyond. the area of land subject to protection Issues of special note under each of six formal classes of The Authority is a partner in the protected area defined by IUCN. This year saw the appointment of a Rainforest CRC. This Centre brings facilitator to head the interim together the research capabilities Aboriginal interests in land negotiating forum. and facilities of: The Wet Tropics World Heritage This year also saw the signing of the • CSIRO Protection and Management Act first management agreement with 1993 recognises the significant Aboriginal peoples in the Area under • James Cook University contribution that Aboriginal people the Wet Tropics Management Plan, • Griffith University can make to the future management 1998. This agreement was with the

48 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 Table 40. Number of trees planted within or adjacent to the Area by QPWS’ Centre for Tropical Restoration during the 2000-01 financial year.

Location Purpose Within Area Davies Creek powerline 1,200 replacement of destroyed trees Walter Hill Range 3,000 Massey Creek acquisition Barron Gorge 1,200 rehab associated with capital works Sub total 5,400

Adjacent / linkages Curtain Fig 4,900 Curtain Fig-Peterson Creek-Lake Eacham linkage Walter Hill Range 9,000 coastal linkage section Lake Eacham-Lake Barrine 1,200 linkage via freehold East Evelyn 2,500 linkage associated with major roadworks East Palmerston 1,100 adjacent enhancement East Palmerston 2,500 freehold linkage along Johnstone River Sub Total 21,200

Total 26,600

• The University of Queensland monitoring impacts Responses to specific pressures The main user groups involved in and 5. Rehabilitation and restoration Tourism and recreation benefiting from the Rainforest CRC’s 6. Conservation principles and The Wet Tropics Nature Based programs of research are: management Tourism Strategy (WTMA 2000) was • Wet Tropics Management Authority 7. Aboriginal and collaborative finalised in August 2000 and provides a regional framework for management • Tourism industry management of nature-based tourism. The Strategy • Aboriginal community The outcomes of the Rainforest CRC’s will be implemented through an research programs are being integrated package of mutually • Queensland State Government progressively utilised and supporting mechanisms, primarily: departments (e.g EPA, QPWS, DMR, incorporated into the Authority’s DLGP, DNRM and DPI) planning and management. The Wet • partnership arrangements to promote the active involvement of all • Local government Tropics Research and information Needs Report is being used as a key stakeholders in tourism planning, The Rainforest CRC’s mission is to component in promoting World management and review, support the sustainable use, Heritage research priorities within the • research to provide the basis for management and conservation of Rainforest CRC and with other continuous improvement in Australia’s tropical rainforests research organisations. appropriate environmental practices, through world-class research, training and technology transfer. The research Our partnership arrangement with the • better information management to program is strongly focused on Rainforest CRC is the Authority’s enable stakeholders to make informed outcomes and represents a blend of primary means of acquiring accurate, decisions and promote strategic and tactical research. The current, relevant and accessible understanding based on quality seven research programs of the information for management information Rainforest CRC include: purposes. This arrangement is resulting in a very large scientific • precinct and site planning to 1. Environmental planning and research effort being directed determine appropriate types, levels management in tropical rainforests specifically at assisting and improving and conditions of visitation consistent with World Heritage zoning 2. Functional ecology: evaluating our management capability of the Wet ecosystem goods and services in a Tropics. • marketing guidelines to ensure dynamic landscape accurate and appropriate marketing of Wet Tropics sites 3. Rainforest visitation and business • precautionary management, 4. Rainforest access: managing and monitoring and reporting

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 49 arrangements to ensure regular review Practice have been produced for road, Afforestation Association) and adjustment of management electricity and water infrastructure • Treeforce regimes, including contingency plans (Table 39). • Queensland Forest Service • accreditation systems linked to Environmental Management Plans commercial tourism activity permits to • C4 (Community for Coastal and In addition to general Code of Practice establish best practice for the nature Cassowary Conservation) provisions, the Authority now based tourism industry that requires Environmental Management • Catchment and Landcare groups encourages continuous improvement Plans (EMP) be developed as an • Individual landholders. • efficient, equitable cost recovery and additional condition of some permits administrative systems to allow more explicit compliance All these groups are achieving monitoring. For example, EMPs are significant improvements to the • an infrastructure development now a requirement for permits region’s environment and in time program designed to enhance Wet associated with the maintenance of all should contribute to the gradual re- Tropics presentation and minimise major powerline easements within the establishment of ecosystem impacts associated with tourism Area. The intention of these EMPs is processes to many of the region’s • a process for ongoing to provide detailed prevention, degraded landscapes. Several of these implementation and review of the minimisation and mitigation strategies groups use the FNQ 2010 Regional Strategy according to new information for controlling environmental impacts Environment Report to assign or changing conditions. of powerline easement maintenance priority for a range of their activities at specific sites. Their revegetation action plans. The Wet Tropics Nature Based purpose is to identify and map both Tourism Strategy is also providing a Table 40 summarises the number of environmental values and potential framework for the development of the trees planted during the 2000-01 maintenance activity impacts to those Wet Tropics Walking Strategy (due financial year by QPWS specifically values; to specify mitigation for release September 2001)) which will to improve World Heritage strategies together with appropriate establish priorities and standards for management. In all these projects a monitoring; and if an undesirable or the development and maintenance of major emphasis is being placed on re- unforeseen level of impact occurs, a world class walking track network. establishing: specify the appropriate corrective Community services infrastructure action. • ecological connectivity across management sections of major linear infrastructure Clearings and fragmentation clearings associated with high voltage Codes of Practice management powerlines within the Area, and The Wet Tropics Management Plan Rehabilitation • functional linking of the Area’s 1998 requires that the carrying out of isolates such as the Crater Lakes to activities, such as infrastructure Replanting native vegetation, or the main block of World Heritage maintenance, which may cause allowing native vegetation to grow listed rainforest. environmental harm, be undertaken back after disturbance, is one with due regard to avoiding or important response to vegetation The Authority’s priorities for minimising that harm. One tool clearing and/or habitat fragmentation. rehabilitation are focussed on the re- employed by the Authority and The Authority is actively supporting establishment of ecologically infrastructure agencies to achieve this and promoting tree planting and other functional wildlife corridors, the is the use of environmental Codes of environmental restoration approaches decommissioning of obsolete Practice for management and within degraded parts of the Area and infrastructure especially roads, tracks, maintenance of community adjoining lands. powerline clearings and old mine sites infrastructure. The objective of these There are a range of rehabilitation and the stabilisation of other disturbed codes is to achieve “best practice” initiatives and many thousands of sites. The Authority is also concerned approaches in management activities trees that have been planted over with tree planting hygiene issues to and for the infrastructure agencies to several years both within and adjacent avoid the possibility of introducing demonstrate their commitment to to the Area. Regionally there are a weeds and diseases into the Area and minimising environmental harm. large number of groups actively has assisted the QPWS Centre for Tropical Restoration attain nursery These codes are also intended to be involved in tree planting, for example: accreditation and to develop strict applied as a condition of Wet Tropics • QPWS Centre for Tropical field work protocols. permits required by government or Restoration semi-government agencies with There is a large-scale research effort • TREAT (Trees for the Evelyn and responsibilities for managing by the Rainforest CRC aimed at Atherton Tablelands) infrastructure in the Area. Codes of improving the ecological outcomes of • NQAA (North Queensland tree planting activities in the region.

50 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 Researchers have completed a unacceptable action has led to the region, with an emphasis on the detailed audit and assessment of a requirement for all future powerline minimisation of environmental harm. very large number of tree plantings, maintenance permits issued by the DMR has also commissioned the undertaken for a wide variety of Authority to include detailed site Rainforest CRC to undertake research purposes, using a wide variety of specific Environmental Management into the success of impact mitigation techniques. This audit in conjunction Plans and more stringent compliance measures. with specific research studies will also: monitoring. The Authority was closely involved • increase our understanding of the • Another initiative has been the with setting the terms of reference and basic biology of ecosystems to design testing of a range of rehabilitation with reviewing the Integrated more effective restoration strategies techniques along powerline Transport Study for the Kuranda easements in the South Johnstone/ • by comparing results across a range Range Impact Assessment Study. Palmerston area by QPWS’ Centre for of sites, determine which restoration This is the major transport link Tropical Restoration. This is the most strategies are most generally useful between Cairns and the Atherton internally fragmented section of the Tablelands and has been identified • determine where best to allocate Area as a result of high voltage in the FNQ 2010 regional planning efforts in large-scale restoration powerline clearings and roads. The process as inadequate for projected projects. rainforests in this section of the Area regional growth needs. are some of the most structurally Powerlines complex and biologically diverse in In the last year the Rainforest CRC A number of initiatives have been Australia, due to the highly fertile undertook a range of research aimed introduced to mitigate the wide range basalt soils, gentle terrain and the very at identifying and separating the of pressures associated with high, reliable annual rainfall. impacts of roads and their associated powerlines: Associated with these rehabilitation edge effects on wildlife from the impacts of traffic volume, noise and • The Queensland Electricity Supply trials, the Rainforest CRC has established a monitoring program to pollutants on wildlife. A preliminary Industry Environmental Code of report outlining their findings to date Practice (QESI Code) was revised and assess the relative success of the methods being employed. was published during the year updated in 2000. (Goosem & Turton 2000). • The Rex Range alignment of the •The Rainforest CRC also has several other research projects directed at The Rainforest CRC has also been upgraded Turkinje-Port Douglas line involved in establishing baseline data was designed to straddle the Area to assessing and quantifying the ecological impacts associated with and a monitoring program to test the avoid the requirement for clearing success of specially designed faunal within the Area. powerline clearings through rainforests, and the relative success underpasses, other engineering • The route for the 275 KV Chalumbin- of actions being taken to avoid or techniques and strategic revegetation Woree line is utilising an existing reduce these impacts. A report works which are being incorporated powerline corridor clearing through detailing some preliminary findings into the design of the major upgrade the Area, but has been designed using was published during the year to the East Evelyn Road near Millaa very high towers thereby negating the (Goosem & Turton 2000). Millaa. requirement for the clearing under the Roads DMR has also recognised the line, so that rainforest canopy potential negative impacts of roads connectivity will be allowed to re- An estimated 1,213 km of roads or for cassowary conservation and establish. vehicle tracks will continue to be commissioned studies to assist in The towers have also been designed accessible within the Area (Table 22). determining management options for so that they can be maintained by The commencement of the Wet the El Arish-Mission Beach Road helicopter access thereby eventually Tropics Management Plan saw the (Moore 1999). Approximately 40 eliminating the need for associated prohibition of vehicle use of cassowaries have been killed on maintenance roads through the Area. approximately 6,535 km of vehicle Mission Beach roads since 1989. Powerlink commissioned QPWS to tracks in the Area previously used by Twelve cassowary crossing points rehabilitate cleared areas associated the timber industry but now no longer along the El Arish -Mission Beach with the construction of the tall towers required for access purposes. Road have been determined which on ridge lines, and significant The Queensland Department of Main service sixteen adult cassowaries connectivity has been allowed to re- Roads (DMR) has collaborated with which represent approximately 33% establish naturally in the intervening the Authority in preparing a best of the remaining adult cassowary gully areas. During the past year much practice manual on the planning, population of Mission Beach and of this rehabilitation work was design, construction, maintenance mitigation strategies and options are inadvertently cleared during a routine and operation of roads (both sealed currently being developed by DMR. maintenance program. This and unsealed) in the Wet Tropics

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 51 In the Palmerston area DNRM is Environmental pest management pond apple, harungana, hymenachne, trialing a range of techniques to siam weed and tobacco weed. rehabilitate wide, badly grass- Pest plants Pest animals degraded road verges. Associated The Rainforest CRC was contracted with these rehabilitation trials, the by the Authority to develop an The Authority has recognised the Rainforest CRC has established a environmental weed ‘risk assessment problem of invasive pest species and monitoring program to assess the system’ (RAS) for the Wet Tropics the risks associated with potential success of the methods being region (Werren 2001). The emphasis introductions of new species, as a employed. Also in this part of the of the system is on gauging the Key Force of Change (WTMA 2000) Area, DMR is trialing the use of potential environmental impact of and a priority for increased research ‘Weedbug’ technology in managing weeds on World Heritage values. It is and control effort. In the past year the tall, road verge weeds. This hoped that such a system will assist Rainforest CRC was commissioned to technology uses very small volumes in focussing efforts on a small develop a Wet Tropics Vertebrate Pest of herbicide wiped onto weeds proportion of the enormous pool of Risk Assessment Scheme. The through rotating wicks set at a height potential weeds, determine the objective of the project was to assist to select-out tall weeds while Authority’s immediate to medium-term the Authority in making informed promoting suppressed low growing weed management priorities and decisions on where to allocate and species. funding needs and provide the focus its pest animal management resources to achieve the most Drainage and flow regime decision-making framework for on- effective results with respect to management going management of the weed problem. The Authority’s weed protection of World Heritage values. The Authority commissioned the control efforts for the past decade Key findings from the Scheme for preparation of a water infrastructure have been focussed on the management were the identification of package (NRA 1999) to meet the environmental weeds pond apple and the feral pig, cat, cane toad and dog/ Primary Goal and objectives of the Act, harungana. dingo as our current major vertebrate while establishing consistent and pests. transparent permit assessment Road verges, associated maintenance A subset of ‘sleeper’ pest species with processes for development and and traffic continue to accelerate substantial future impact potential maintenance activities. weed spread. The Wet Tropics Road Maintenance Code of Practice is one was also identified and included the The Authority actively participates in attempt at improving road verge gambusia, two tilapia species, the fox, the FNQ 2010 regional water management and to bring roadside swordtail, guppy and platy. It is infrastructure planning processes to weed management to the highest significant that the Scheme indicates ensure World Heritage interests are standards. Similarly, the Code of that exotic fish may constitute the properly considered. In the past year Practice and Environmental principal unrealised threat to the the focus of options being considered Management Plans for the electricity region. for additional water supplies to meet supply industry also aims to minimise It has been estimated that there are in agricultural and urban demands in the the impact and spread of undesirable the vicinity of 27,000 feral pigs in the Atherton-Barron-Cairns areas has weeds. region (Mitchell pers. com). Control now moved away from the Area. Prior of the pig population within the Area to this, local government were All local government jurisdictions is very difficult because of major seriously considering Davies Creek, within the region have developed Pest accessibility problems. Since 1993 the Flaggy Creek and the Russell- Management Plans which identify and Authority has supported a Mulgrave River options which would target the major environmental and coordinated regional feral pig trapping have had direct implications for World agricultural weeds found within program run by DNRM. Heritage management. different sections of the region. This has resulted in a total of 6,500 The Rainforest CRC has several The Rainforest CRC is undertaking a pigs being trapped and destroyed projects examining a range of program of research into the biology, between 1994 and 1999. The aim of freshwater ecological issues including ecology, and control methods of the program is to reduce the impacts environmental flow requirements, several high profile environmentally of feral pigs on the conservation visitor use impacts on water quality destructive Wet Tropics weeds. The values of the Area and upon the and ecology, stream biodiversity, primary aim of the research is to Area’s neighbours and to encourage stream health and riparian zone improve our knowledge of weeds, their the adoption of ‘best practice’ requirements, environmentally effect on the environment, and the principles to feral pig management. sensitive infrastructure design and the effect of weed treatments on these The Authority also funded the environmental goods and services environments, with a view to construction of a pig exclosure fence provided by natural waterways. decreasing their negative effects. The research is currently focussed on to protect the only known population

52 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 of the endangered tree, Endiandra regional planning groups including administrative and technical support cooperana, whose entire seed crop Aboriginal representatives. On-ground by the Authority. The group has been was being consumed by feral pigs. land managers’ fire plans are being active over the past year with efforts concentrated in the known cassowary The Rainforest CRC has been progressively collated. Specific fire hotspots of Mission Beach, the undertaking several years of intensive management plans and detailed Daintree lowlands and Kuranda. research into the ecological impacts monitoring programs are also a Intensive field surveys have been of feral pigs on natural communities. component of the Northern Bettong undertaken in these areas to identify The proceedings of a Wet Tropics Recovery Plan process. individual cassowaries, their habitats feral pig conference and workshop Threatened species management and threats to their survival. On have recently been published by the ground recovery actions to minimise Rainforest CRC (Johnson, 2001). State-listed rare and threatened species (Nature Conservation the identified threats have been Altered/degraded habitat (Wildlife) Regulation 1994) are initiated in partnership with management afforded statutory protection under community groups, other government Forest dieback the Nature Conservation Act 1992. agencies and local government. The Rainforest CRC in collaboration The Authority regards the recent The Commonwealth’s EPBC Act 1999 with James Cook University, discovery of many small scattered lists nationally threatened species and Environment Australia, WWF and patches of dead rainforest as a provides for the development and several government bodies hosted a potentially serious issue and has implementation of species recovery conference and workshop on approached the Rainforest CRC to plans. Environment Australia’s amphibian diseases in August 2000. prioritise its research activities Endangered Species Program, funded This conference brought together the towards further investigation of these through the Natural Heritage Trust world’s leading authorities on this recently identified outbreaks so that (NHT), is implemented through parallel topic. Several very practical outcomes informed management decisions can programs run by the State. QPWS is resulted including agreed and be made. the lead agency with respect to species recovery planning within Queensland. documented management strategies The Rainforest CRC research program Recovery Plans comprehensively aimed at decreasing the risks to has been designed to assess: describe, schedule and cost actions amphibians due to communicable • long term effects of past outbreaks assessed as necessary to support the diseases (Speare 2001). recovery of threatened species. • current impacts of present Recovery Plans are presently being outbreak formulated for the following Wet • extent and map range of current Tropics species: outbreaks • frogs (seven species) • any relationship with past or • tropical bettong present roads or other human infrastructure • mahogany glider • strategic planning and • spotted tailed quoll management options. • cassowary The findings of an initial assessment The Authority is represented on the were recently published (Gadek et al frog, spotted tailed quoll and tropical 2001) and more comprehensive bettong Recovery Teams and the rainforest dieback research program Cassowary Advisory Group. is now being undertaken. Resource constraints presently limit Fire management the implementation and expansion of QPWS is responsible for fire recovery programs with only five management over the majority of the programs being prepared or open forest areas within the Area, implemented in the region for 11 however fire management needs to be endangered animal species compared approached on a regional basis and to the 141 recognised threatened include consideration of adjoining species of both plants (42 endangered, grazing leases and land uses. 54 vulnerable) and animals (13 endangered, 22 vulnerable). Draft fire management coordination arrangements have been developed The Cassowary Advisory Group is a involving the establishment of community-based group provided with

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 53 References Goosem, M.W. & Turton, S.M. and road upgrade assessment for El (2000). Impacts of Roads and Arish and Tully-Mission Beach AEC Group (2000). Report on the Powerlines on the Wet Tropics Roads, Mission Beach. Report to Cairns regional economy. Volume 3 World Heritage Area. Stage II. Department of Main Roads, Cairns. No. 2. AEC Group Ltd, Brisbane. Rainforest CRC, Cairns. Moore, L.A. & Moore, N.J. (2001). Baker, J., Goldingay, R.L. & Whelan, Goosem, S., Morgan, G. & Kemp, The Cassowaries of Mission Beach. R.J. (1998). Powerline easements J.E. (1999). Wet Tropics. In: Sattler, Population number, densities, through forests: a case study of P.S. & Williams, R.D (eds). The distribution, demography and impacts on avifauna. Pacific Conservation Status of implications for conservation. Conservation Biology 4: 79-89. Queensland’s Bioregional Report to the Wet Tropics Ecosystems. Environmental Management Authority, Cairns. Barlow, FC.G., Hogan, A.E. & Rogers, Protection Agency, Brisbane. L.J. (1987). Implications of NFI (1998). Australia’s State of the translocated fishes in the apparent Harrington, G.N. & Sanderson, K.D. Forests Report 1998. National extinction in the wild of the Lake (1993). Vegetation Changes at the Forest Inventory, Bureau of Rural Eacham Rainbowfish, Melanotaenia Rainforest/Wet Sclerophyll Sciences, Canberra. eachamensis. Australian Journal of Boundary in the Wet Tropics of Marine and Freshwater Research North Queensland 1940s - 1990s. NRA (1999). Codes of Practice for 37: 897-902. Report to the Wet Tropics Water Extraction in the Wet Tropics Management Authority, Cairns. World Heritage Area. Natural Bebawi, F.F., Campbell, S.D. & Resource Assessments, Cairns. Stanley, T.D. (2001). Priority List for Harrison, D.A & Congdon, B.C. Weed Research in North (2001). Wet Tropics Vertebrate Pest NRA (1999). Conservation Values of Queensland. Volume 2: Wet Tropics Risk Assessment Scheme. Waterways in the Wet Tropics World Weeds. Queensland Department of Rainforest CRC & School of Heritage Area. Natural Resource Natural Resources, Tropical Weeds Tropical Biology, James Cook Assessments, Cairns. Research Centre. University, Cairns. NRA (1999). Environmental DASETT (1987). Nomination of the Hnatiuk, RJ (1990) Census of Assessment Guide: Development Wet Tropical Rainforests of North- Australian Vascular Plants and Maintenance of Water east Australia by the Government of (CAVP). Australian Government Extraction Infrastructure in the Wet Australia for Inclusion in the World Publishing Service, Canberra. Tropics World Heritage Area. Heritage List. Department of Arts, Natural Resource Assessments, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Johnson, C.N. (Ed). (2001). Feral Cairns. Territories. Canberra. December 1987. Pigs: Pest Status and Prospects for Control. Proceedings of a Feral Pig Pusey, B.J. & Kennard, M.J. (1994). DNR (2000). Land Cover Change in Workshop, James Cook University, The Freshwater Fish Fauna of the Queensland 1997-1999. Resource Cairns, March 1999. Rainforest CRC, Wet Tropics of northern Sciences and Knowledge. Cairns. Queensland. Report to the Wet Queensland Department of Natural Tropics Management Authority, Resources, Brisbane. Leigh, J & Briggs, J (1992) Cairns. Threatened Australian Plants - Driml, S. (1997). Towards Sustainable Overview and Case Studies. Ramsden, M., McDonald, J. & Tourism in the Wet Tropics World Australian National Parks and Wylie, R. (2001). Queensland Forest Heritage Area. Report to the Wet Wildlife Service, Canberra. Health Surveillance Report 1999- Tropics Management Authority. 2000. Queensland Department of Monteith, G.B. (1994). Distribution Primary Industries, Brisbane. EPA (1999). State of the Environment and Altitudinal Zonation of low Queensland 1999. Environmental Vagility Insects of the Queensland Sattler, P.S. & Williams, R.D. (1999). Protection Agency, Brisbane. Wet Tropics. Report to the Wet The Conservation Status of Tropics Management Authority, Queensland’s Bioregional Gadek, P., Gillieson, D., Edwards, W., Cairns. Ecosystems. Environmental Landsberg, J. & Price, J. (2001). Protection Agency, Brisbane. Rainforest Dieback Mapping and Moore, L.A. & Moore, N.J. (1999). Assessment in the Wet Tropics World Cassowary Conservation Roads: A Heritage Area. James Cook cassowary management strategy University & Rainforest CRC, Cairns.

54 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 Speare, R. (2001). Developing WTMA (2000). Wet Tropics management strategies to control Research and Information Needs, amphibian diseases: decreasing the May 2000. Wet Tropics risks due to communicable diseases. Management Authority, Cairns. School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville.

Stanisic, J., Eddie, C., Hill, A. & Potter, D. (1994). A Preliminary Report on the Distribution of Land Snails Occurring in the Wet Tropics Area. Report to the Wet Tropics Management Authority, Cairns.

Switzer, M. 1991: Introduction. In H.A. Nix and M. Switzer (eds), Kowari 1: Rainforest Animals: Atlas of Vertebrates Endemic to Australia’s Wet Tropics. Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, Canberra, pp 1-11.

Thackway, R. & Cresswell, I.D. (eds) (1995). An Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia: a framework for establishing the national system reserves, version 4.0. Australian Nature Conservation Agency, Canberra.

Tracey, J.G., & Webb, L.J. (1975). Vegetation of the Humid Tropical Region of North Queensland (15 maps at 1:100,000 scale + key).CSIRO, Indooroopilly.

Werren, G (2001). Environmental Weeds of the Wet Tropics Bioregion: Risk Assessment and Priority Ranking. Rainforest cRC, Cairns.

Williams, SE., Pearson, RG. & Walsh, PJ. (1996). Distributions and biodiversity of the terrestrial vertebrates of Australia’s Wet Tropics: a review of current knowledge. Pacific Conservation Biology 2: 327-362.

WTMA (2000). Wet Tropics Nature Based Tourism Strategy. Wet Tropics Management Authority, Cairns.

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 55 Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area Management Scheme Appendix 1

56 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 Summary of Total Expenditure 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001

Appendix 2

Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01 57 Wet Tropics Management Authority Establishment as at 30 June 2001

Appendix 3

58 Wet Tropics Management Authority Annual Report 2000/01