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 Authoritys 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 years 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 Authoritys 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 Australias 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 Authoritys 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 Boards 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 Authoritys 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 Australias 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 Authoritys corporate logo. on the Area and a coastal route