Protecting Northern Australia’s wild rivers Larissa Cordner Northern Rivers Campaigner The Wilderness Society, Australia New Science report Wild Rivers Act 2005 “The Nature of Northern Australia” “Northern Australia stands out as one of the few very large natural areas remaining on Earth: alongside such global treasures as the Amazon rainforests, the boreal conifer forests of Alaska, and the polar wilderness of Antarctica” (p.1) “From a continental perspective, it is clear that Northern Australia retains the largest expanses of intact rivers and catchments in the continent” (p.56) KEY RECOMMENDATIONS •protect ‘Hydro-ecology’ of the north to keep its intact nature. •compatible and incompatible land uses for Northern Australia. (p8 of Exec summary) •Authors – Dr John Woinarski, Professor Brendan Mackey, Professor Henry Nix and Dr Barry Traill The Wenlock River, Cape York Australia’s Wild Rivers Rivers Disturbance Index, RDI (Janet Stein, Australian National University) Who is protecting Northern Rivers? Wild Rivers Act 2005 Queensland is the only Northern state in Australia with legislation to protect free-flowing rivers, through the : Wild Rivers Act, 2005 The Wenlock River, Cape York Hinchinbrook Island rivers Staaten River Wild Rivers Act 2005 Fraser Island rivers 6 rivers protected Gregory River Settlement Creek WildNorthern Rivers Territory Act 2005 •No protection for wild rivers •Initiative on ‘Living Rivers’ is stalled within Territory Government even though it was an election commitment in 2005, with focus to DARWIN protect the Daly river. •Current Threat of Landclearing in Daly River Daly River catchment The Wenlock River, Cape York WildWestern Rivers Australia Act 2005 •No protection for wild rivers •Reform process for water legislation is currently underway in the State. Geike Gorge, Fitzroy River, WA Fitzroy River, dry season The Wenlock River, Cape York Senator Heffernan’s ‘Northern Development Taskforce’ (The Bulletin, May 8 2007) Australians have an unparalleled global opportunity to protect wild rivers in Northern Australia wildrivers.org.au.