By Jim Tait, August 2024
03 05 07 09 24 26 27
CONTENTS
Key Findings
Executive Summary
Background
Gondwana Rainforest Trust
Daintree Expanded Protected Area Proposal
Econcern Scope of Work
Study Approach
Literature Review
Assessment of Wet Tropics Lowlands Representativeness in Protected Area Estate
Study Findings – The Case for Protected Area Acquisitions
Comprehensiveness, Adequacy and Representativeness of Wet Tropics Lowlands in Protected Area Estate
Biodiversity Conservation Values of Daintree Lowlands
Protecting an Endangered Ecological Community
Supporting the Implementation of Queensland’s Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Area Strategies
Discussion and Conclusion
References
Appendices
Appendix 1 Pre-clear and Current Remnant Extent of Rainforest Regional Ecosystems of Wet Tropics Bioregion Lowlands (Land Zone 3)
Appendix 2 Protected and Current Unprotected Remnant Extent of Rainforest Regional Ecosystems of Wet Tropics Bioregion Lowlands (Land Zone 3)
Appendix 3 Pre-clear and Current Remnant Extent of Rainforest Regional Ecosystems of Daintree - Bloomfield Subregion Lowlands (Land Zone 3)
Appendix 4 Protected and Current Unprotected Remnant Extent of Rainforest Regional Ecosystems of Daintree – Bloomfield Subregion Lowlands (Land Zone 3)
Appendix 5 – Data Layers Used for GIS Analyses
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This study's approach was informed by the generous guidance and suggestions of Gethin Morgan, one of Australia's founders of the use of bioregional frameworks for the assessment, planning and conservation management of biodiversity Gethin's role as mentor has been invaluable to the author throughout his professional career working on biodiversity conservation from within regional North Queensland to national levels
This study would also not have been possible without the Geographic Information System (GIS) analyses professionally provided by fellow North Queenslander Gavin Rossetti of GDR Technical
KEY FINDINGS
Lowland Tropical Rainforest on alluvial lowlands (Land Zone 3) occupied 56% of the Wet Tropics Bioregion (111,830 ha) and 38% of the Daintree Bloomfield Subregion (13,654 ha) preclearing
The Lowland Tropical Rainforest on alluvial lowlands (Land Zone 3) now comprises just 17% of the Wet Tropics Bioregion’s remnant vegetation extent (26,102 ha) and 12% of the Bioregion’s Protected Area Estate (12,519 ha) and 16% of the Daintree Bloomfield Subregion’s remnant vegetation extent (5,262 ha) and just 1% of this Subregion’s Protected Area Estate (2,199 ha)
Only 16% of the Daintree Bloomfield Subregion’s original lowland rainforest extent is in the Protected Area Estate
The reduction in areal extent (>70%) of Lowland Tropical Rainforest associated regional ecosystems at a bioregional level, which includes reductions of >90% for some individual regional ecosystems, is classed as severe and underpins their listing as an Endangered Ecological Community (EEC) under the Commonwealth EPBC Act
The severe reduction (also >70%) in the proportional component of Lowland Tropical Rainforest within the Protected Area Estate relative to the preclear landscape mosaic of both the Wet Tropics Bioregion and the Daintree Bloomfield Subregion means that they are not ‘well represented’ in protected areas.
More than half the remnant extent of Lowland Tropical Rainforest on alluvial lowlands (Land Zone 3) is outside protected areas within both the Wet Tropics Bioregion and Daintree – Bloomfield Subregion, highlighting the potential for affirmative action to increase its representation in the Protected Area Estate.
The priority action provided in the Conservation Advice for the Lowland Tropical Rainforest Threatened Ecological Community is ‘protection of remaining stands’
Protected areas are recognised by Queensland’s Department of Environment, Science and Innovation as ‘providing the most secure and highest level of protection for the conservation of biodiversity’
Further inclusion of the Daintree’s lowland tropical rainforest in protected areas is consistent with the principles, objectives and strategic actions identified in both the Queensland Protected Area and Biodiversity Conservation Strategies
Given very high values attributed to all criteria in the assessment of the Daintree lowlands by the State’s Biodiversity Planning Assessment, including recognition of Outstanding Universal Values (OUV), there is justification for protection levels above those that are normally applied to State Significant biodiversity
Gondwana Rainforest Trust’s Daintree Expanded Protected Area Proposal represents global best practice The proposed program is based on the best science available and seeks to combine private and public funds with First Nation People’s knowledge and empowerment to serve a public good whose benefit extends well beyond the Queensland and broader Australian community
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Gondwana Rainforest Trust (GRT), a not-for-profit company and registered charity sought Queensland State Government involvement as a co-financing partner in a proposal titled Daintree Freehold Lands Conservation Program which proposed further acquisition of remnant tropical rainforest on freehold land in the Daintree lowlands for inclusion into Queensland’s Protected Area Estate The State Government responded with reluctance citing past Government investment, and the fact that the Daintree lowlands are now well represented in the protected area estate and that the Wet Tropics Bioregion now has the highest proportion of land dedicated as protected area, as justifications.
Gondwana Rainforest Trust engaged econcern to prepare this report examining the scientific basis for an advocacy position that there is a case for further State financial support for acquisition of Daintree lowland rainforest on freehold land for addition to the protected area estate. Econcern’s scope of work included an assessment of the representativeness of lowland tropical rainforest within the Wet Tropics Bioregion and Daintree – Bloomfield Subregions along with an examination of other protected area scientific design criteria i.e., comprehensiveness and adequacy. Broader justifications for further State investment in Daintree lowland rainforest acquisition including biodiversity conservation values, alignment with State Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Area Strategies, and appropriateness of protected area designation as a means of addressing threats facing the endangered lowland tropical rainforest ecological community were also examined
To assess the status of lowland tropical rainforest within the protected area estate of Queensland, a GIS analysis was conducted using State data coverages for bioregions, subregions, land zones, regional ecosystems and land tenure An initial assessment of vegetation cover change across different land zones from the preclear condition to the current time was undertaken to identify changes in composition of the preclear landscape mosaic to the current post development landscape Land Zone 3 which represents lowland alluvial landforms was chosen as the primary focus for assessment given it is the main host for lowland tropical rainforest communities and represents the landscape that has been preferentially sought and cleared for development due to flat lying topography and fertile alluvial soils Within the Land Zone 3 landscape, regional ecosystems most closely associated with tropical rainforest were aggregated into a lowland rainforest class Analyses were then conducted examining the areal extent and proportional representation of these rainforest regional ecosystems in the preclear and post-clear landscape and within the protected area estate for both the Wet Tropics Bioregion and Daintree Bloomfield Subregion
This analysis revealed that while lowland rainforest constituted a significant proportion of the preclear landscape they had undergone severe reduction (>70%) in areal extent and proportional representation in the current remnant vegetation landscape of both the bioregion and subregion Also, despite the Wet Tropics having the largest proportion of any bioregion in protected areas, the representation of vegetation types within protected areas is heavily biased toward those occurring on land zones that have been less sought for development.
The low proportional representation of lowland tropical rainforest in the remnant vegetation landscape relative to the preclear landscape is also reflected in representation levels in protected areas in both the Wet Tropics Bioregion and Daintree-Bloomfield Subregion where it is not ‘well represented’ Given the low proportional representation of lowland rainforest in protected areas it is unlikely that existing protected areas would also meet comprehensiveness and adequacy criteria that along with representativeness form the scientific framework trifecta for assessing protected area effectiveness
A Biodiversity Planning Assessment (BPA) prepared for the Wet Tropics Bioregion provides current, expert informed, State endorsed biodiversity value information within a bioregional context using a consistent methodology applied Statewide. The BPA identified that the Daintree lowlands have outstanding biodiversity values at a bioregional, state, national and even international level. These include: relictual flora that provide representative examples of the evolutionary history of flowering plants, centres of species endemism, richness and rarity, core tract size, integrity and connectivity, and functional value as an area that has acted as a climate refugia in evolutionary time and presents resilience in the face of contemporary climate change.
Review of the conservation advice of the Threatened Species Committee for the listing of lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics Bioregion as an endangered ecological community (EEC) under the Commonwealth EPBC Act confirmed the results of the GIS analysis in terms of the severe reduction in distribution and extent of the community This advice also identified the range of threats confronting lowland tropical rainforest including those associated with clearing for residential development that are pertinent to the Daintree lowland focal study area The primary conservation action nominated by the committee for this EEC is ‘protection of remaining strands’ Protected areas are recognised by Queensland’s own Department of Environment and Science as ‘providing the most secure and highest level of protection for the conservation of biodiversity’ and further inclusion of the Daintree’s lowland tropical rainforest in protected areas is entirely consistent with the principles, objectives and strategic actions identified in both the Queensland Protected Area and Biodiversity Conservation Strategies Given the Very high values attributed to all criteria in the assessment of the Daintree lowlands by the State’s Biodiversity Planning Assessment including recognition of Outstanding Universal Values (OUV), there is justification for protection levels above that normally applied to State Significant biodiversity
Gondwana Rainforest Trust’s Daintree Expanded Protected Area proposal represents global best practice It is based on the best science available and seeks to combine private and public funds with First Nation People’s knowledge and empowerment to serve a public good whose benefit extends beyond the Australian community Queensland government support for this proposal would serve to deliver on ground outcomes representative of global best practice and recompense for a poor development planning legacy that threatens natural heritage of outstanding universal value The case for further acquisition of Daintree lowland rainforest on freehold land for inclusion into the Protected Area System in Queensland is unequivocal.
BACKGROUND
Gondwana Rainforest Trust
Gondwana Rainforest Trust (GRT) is a not-for-profit company and registered charity that is dedicated to safeguarding the future of the world’s rainforests. GRT strives to protect and restore rainforests by purchasing land, creating new protected areas, stopping and reversing the impacts of development, and restoring rainforest ecosystems damaged in the past. GRT achieves their mission using science-based advocacy, data-driven decision making, community fundraising and engagement, and by establishing and maintaining relationships with Traditional Owners and Indigenous organisations.
The rainforests of the Daintree lowlands in far north Queensland have been a primary focus for GRT program delivery There are many reasons for conserving the Daintree Lowland Rainforest and these have been acknowledged by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) who note that;
“Within the region, the Daintree River to Cape Tribulation coast has a special status It is the last surviving, essentially intact tropical lowland rainforest in Australia It has one of the highest diversity of plant families anywhere in the world Its rarity, fame and superlative beauty make it one of the foundations of the region’s economy It is the only place in the world where two World Heritage Areas meet"
GRT’s fundraising and conservation program has supported the purchase of thirty two (32) freehold tenure rainforest allotments within the Daintree lowlands for conservation Ownership of six of these properties has been transferred to Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation (JYAC) so they can be jointly managed by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) and Traditional Owners as part of the Cape York Peninsula Tenure Resolution Program A further twelve (12) of these properties are currently in the final stages of a process that will see them added to the Daintree National Park (CYPAL)
Daintree Expanded Protected Area Proposal
In late 2021, GRT presented a program proposal titled Daintree Freehold Lands Conservation Program to the Queensland Government (GRT 2021) This proposal included both the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation and the Queensland Government as program partners, the latter also nominated as a co-financing partner.
The motivating factors for GRT seeking to secure the Queensland Government as a co-financing partner include to:
Increase the impact of funds raised by the charity from the public; Present an attractive complimentary government funding proposition to potential donors; Increase the capacity and accelerate the delivery of land acquisition for conservation in the Daintree lowlands; and
Provide the Queensland Government with a cost-effective funding mechanism for securing additions of at-risk rainforest biodiversity to the State Protected Area Estate
The nominated purpose of the proposed program is to help expand, conserve and restore Queensland’s unique rainforest biodiversity and protected areas via the acquisition and protection of undeveloped, high conservation value freehold property in the Daintree lowlands guided by First Nations’ knowledge and expertise, global best practice and community needs
In delivering this program the overall aim is to develop a collaborative co-financing and management partnership between key stakeholders to grow Queensland’s protected area system in the Daintree Lowlands region and to support the transformation of the way these protected areas are managed
The program proposal nominates specific goals across three broad areas including: (1) nature conservation; (2) First Nations people capacity building and economic development; and (3) stakeholder partnerships (GRT 2023).
The Queensland and Commonwealth Governments have invested $29 million to protect the Daintree over the past 30 years. This has led to a substantial amount of at-risk lowland rainforest being added to the protected area system, however, only 16% of the Daintree Bloomfield subregion’s original lowland rainforest extent is in the protected area system and more than half the remnant extent of Lowland Tropical Rainforest on alluvial lowlands (Land Zone 3) remains outside protected areas within both the Wet Tropics Bioregion and Daintree – Bloomfield Subregion.
Econcern Scope of Work
Econcern was engaged by Gondwana Rainforest Trust to prepare a report that examines the scientific basis for an advocacy position that there is a case for further State financial support for acquisition of Daintree lowland rainforest on freehold land for addition to the protected area estate
As part of the initial scope of work nominated to develop this case, Econcern was asked to provide a critical examination of the Qld government’s reluctance to support GRT’s proposed Daintree Freehold Lands Conservation Program (above), particularly the veracity of the statement that “the Daintree and its lowlands are now well represented in the protected area system”, and the relevance to the case of the government’s concomitant proclamation that “the Wet Tropic (sic) Bioregion now has the highest proportion of land dedicated as protected area, out of all bioregions in Queensland”
Beyond arguments associated with the adequacy of representation of the Wet Tropics Bioregion and Daintree-Bloomfield Subregion in the protected area estate, Econcern was also engaged to examine broader justifications for further State investment in Daintree lowland rainforest acquisition These include the outstanding biodiversity conservation values of Daintree lowland rainforest (DES 2019), the alignment of GRT’s proposed Daintree Freehold Lands Conservation Program with State Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Area Strategies (DES 2020, Des 2022), and the effectiveness of protected area designation as a means of addressing the threats facing lowland tropical rainforests of the Wet Tropics, an endangered ecological community listed under the Commonwealth EPBC Act (DAWE 2021)
STUDY APPROACH
Literature Review
A relatively limited but highly relevant and current list of publications were reviewed to inform this study. Most of the key publications have been produced by the Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science (DES) between 2019 and 2022 These include:
DES (2019), A Biodiversity Planning Assessment for the Wet Tropics Bioregion
This assessment draws on published sources and expert panels to examine biodiversity conservation values across fauna, flora and landscape ecology themes within the context of the entire Wet Tropics bioregion and includes identified values for the specific area of interest within the Daintree – Bloomfield subregion lowlands
DES (2020) Queensland’s Protected Area Strategy 2020 - 2030
This document presents the strategic underpinnings and priorities for maintaining, improving and increasing Queensland’s protected area estate It provides a key reference for examining the alignment between GRT’s proposed Daintree Freehold Lands Conservation Program and State nominated strategies for Queensland’s protected area estate
DES (2022) Conserving Nature – A Biodiversity Conservation Strategy for Queensland
This document presents the Department of Environment and Science’s vision for Queensland’s biodiversity It commits to addressing the needs of threatened species, whole landscape approaches and the need to leverage partnerships and integrate international obligations in looking after Queensland’s biodiversity It provides a comparative reference for GRT’s program aspirations
DAWE (2021) Approved Conservation Advice for the Lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics
A publication produced by the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment also provided highly pertinent information regarding the conservation needs of Queensland’s Wet Tropics lowland rainforest. This publication confirms the endangered ecological community status of lowland tropical rainforest within Queensland’s Wet Tropics bioregion, identifies the key threats contributing to its endangerment, the associated biodiversity values at stake and required management actions to protect it. This Australian Government advice provides foundational support for GRT’s operations and program aspirations.
Assessment of Wet Tropics Lowlands Representativeness in Protected Area Estate
The Queensland Government has committed to creating a comprehensive, adequate and representative (CAR) protected area system that protects samples of the biodiversity of all biogeographical regions of the state (DES 2020) Specifically, CAR means:
Comprehensive: the inclusion in the Protected Area System of examples of regional-scale ecosystems in each bioregion;
Adequate: the inclusion of sufficient levels of each ecosystem within the protected area network to provide ecological viability and to maintain the integrity of populations, species and communities;
Representative: the inclusion of areas at a finer scale, to encompass the variability of habitat within ecosystems (NFPSIS 1997)
Queensland has a sophisticated biodiversity assessment and planning framework It is comprised of a hierarchical, biogeographic and geomorphic framework that divides the entire state into biogeographically defined bioregions and sub regions, geologically and geomorphically defined land zones, and hosted component regional ecosystems, or ‘REs’ (Sattler and Williams 1999) This framework enables the comprehensiveness, adequacy and representativeness (CAR Principles) of spatially defined components of biodiversity (eg, bioregions, subregions, land zones and regional ecosystems) within the protected area estate to be spatially assessed and quantified by use of a Geographic Information System (GIS).
To assess the Daintree – Bloomfield subregion and the broader Wet Tropics bioregion protected area estate in relation to CAR principles, a GIS analysis was conducted using State spatial data layers including bioregion, sub region and land zone boundaries and the current remnant vegetation and pre-clear regional ecosystem (RE) coverage (see Appendix 5). Land tenure data sets were used to amalgamate national parks and other conservation tenures into a ‘protected area estate’ mapping class within which included land zones and regional ecosystems could be quantified in terms of area (ha) and proportion (%), at both bioregional (Wet Tropics) and sub regional (Daintree – Bloomfield) scales.
The pre-clear (prior to European settlement) extent of land zones and their component regional ecosystems was used to define the composition of the pre-European development landscape mosaic The current remnant vegetation coverage was then used to define the composition of the present-day remnant vegetation landscape in terms of both land zone and regional ecosystem composition Finally, the areal extent and proportion of land zones and component regional ecosystems within the protected area estate was quantified
This analysis quantifies the extent to which the contemporary remnant vegetation landscape and the subset area included within the protected area estate ‘represents’ the predevelopment (pre-clear) landscape mosaic in terms of its diversity and proportional composition of land zones and regional ecosystems Given the focus of this report is on Wet Tropics lowland rainforest, data analysis was directed primarily at alluvial landforms of the lowlands ie, Land Zone 3 (Wilson and Taylor 2012), and the rainforest regional ecosystems it hosts (see Appendices 2 -4)
The GIS was also utilised to produce mapped outputs of contemporary remnant vegetation cover in relation to protected area boundaries and component land zones at three scales, including the Wet Tropics Bioregion, Daintree – Bloomfield Subregion and Daintree lowlands study area (see Figures 1 – 3)
STUDY FINDINGS – THE CASE FOR PROTECTED AREA ACQUISITIONS
Comprehensiveness, Adequacy and Representativeness of Wet Tropics Lowlands in Protected Area Estate
The GIS analysis quantified the pattern of regional ecosystem vegetation clearing that has accompanied the development of the Wet Tropics Bioregion Most clearing has occurred on land zones with higher suitability for agricultural development and human settlement including those with flat lying topography, higher soil fertility and coastal proximity. These include Land Zone 2 – Coastal Dunes, Land Zone 3 – Alluvial River and Creek Flats, and Land Zone 8 – Basalt Plains and Hills (see Table 1, Figure 1).
Land Zone 3 – Alluvial River and Creek Flats has experienced the greatest reduction of native vegetation cover in terms of total extent cleared (272,034 ha), proportional reduction in Bioregional extent (from 20.4% to 6.73% i.e., 77% reduction), and proportional reduction of its regional ecosystems representation in the bioregion’s vegetation cover (from 20.4% to .8.81% i.e., 57% reduction). In contrast, land zones less suited to development have experienced only small reductions in the bioregional extent of their vegetation cover and have increased their proportional representation in the residual, post-development remnant vegetation landscape These include Land Zone 12 - Hills & Lowlands on Granitic Rocks, 3% reduction in bioregional extent but 27% increase in proportional representation in the bioregion’s remnant vegetation cover, Land Zone 11 – Hills and Lowlands on Metamorphic Rocks, 105% reduction in bioregional extent but 17% increase in proportional representation in the bioregion’s remnant vegetation cover, and Land Zone 1 – Tidal Flats and Beaches, 65% reduction in bioregional extent but 22% increase in proportional representation in the bioregion’s remnant vegetation cover
The over representation of land zones less suitable for development in the contemporary remnant vegetation coverage of the bioregion (ie, the residual post-development landscape) is an important consideration when examining the comprehensiveness, adequacy and representativeness of its protected areas for conserving threatened elements of lowland rainforest biodiversity While the Wet Tropics is cited to have the greatest proportion of any bioregion (645%) included in protected areas (Accad et al 2024), protection levels can still be insufficient for poorly represented components of the region’s biodiversity The findings of this study indicate that this is the case for the Wet Tropics lowland rainforests, a fact supported by the Queensland Government’s own expert panel engaged to produce the Wet Tropics Bioregion Biodiversity Planning Assessment (BPA)
The topographic ruggedness of the bioregion, coupled with recognition of its world heritage values and accompanying declaration of protected area estate, imbues a greater level of protection comparative to the majority of bioregions in Queensland, as well as Australia Conversely, clearing has been focused in the restricted lowland areas and Atherton plateau Thus, a higher proportion of the extant remnant vegetation remaining within these areas is considered threatened under state or federal legislation The importance of the remaining lowland rainforest, melaleuca wetlands, and system interconnectivity to upland areas was emphasised throughout the panel (DES 2019).
Land Zone 3 represents most of the Wet Tropics ‘lowlands’ (see Figure 1), though Land Zone 2 (13 451 ha cleared, 42% reduction), and portions of Land Zone 8 (100 405 ha cleared, 76% reduction) also occur on the lowlands. Within the broader Bioregion, Land Zone 8 – Basalt Plains and Hills, is more typically associated with the Atherton Tablelands region and has only a very small occurrence within the Daintree – Bloomfield Subregion and none within the Daintree lowlands study focal area (Figures 2 & 3, Table 3). The land zone most indicative of the Wet Tropics Lowlands, Land Zone 3 – Alluvial River and Creek Flats, provides the focus for further assessment of the protected area estate in the Wet Tropics Bioregion
Figure 1. Component Land Zones, Remnant Vegetation Cover and Protected Area Boundaries of the Wet Tropics Bioregion of North Queensland
Figure 2. Component Land Zones, Remnant Vegetation Cover and Protected Area Boundaries of the Daintree Bloomfield Subregion of Far North Queensland
Table 1. Proportional Composition of the Wet Tropics Bioregion Pre-clear and Current Remnant Vegetation Landscape by Land Zone with Land Zones with Greatest Proportional Reduction Highlighted
More than one fifth (204%) of the preclearing landscape of the Wet Tropics Bioregion was comprised of lowland alluvial landforms, AKA Land Zone 3, (Table 1, Figure 1) Over a quarter of this Land Zone, or 111 830 ha, representing 563% of the total Bioregion, was comprised of lowland rainforest regional ecosystems, with almost half that extent (257% of Bioregion) comprised by a single rainforest RE 7310a Mesophyll vine forest (see Appendix 1) Today there is an approximate total of 26 102 ha of remnant rainforest regional ecosystems remaining on Land Zone 3 This represents a 77% reduction of the preclearing extent of lowland rainforest REs collectively which now comprise 172% of the total remnant vegetation within the Bioregion Of the remnant lowland rainforest extent of 26 102 ha, less than half (12 519 ha), is within protected areas (Appendix 2) Protected lowland rainforest represents 121% of the total protected area within the Bioregion, and less than one percent (082%) of the total remnant vegetation area
Examining the preclear composition of the Daintree – Bloomfield Subregion reveals that it was 74% comprised of regional ecosystems hosted on lowland alluvial landforms ie, Land Zone 3 (Table 3, Figure 2) Over half (51%) of this Land Zone, or 13 654 ha, representing 38% of the total Subregion, was comprised of lowland rainforest regional ecosystems, with more than half that extent (23% of Subregion) comprised by a single rainforest RE 7310a Mesophyll vine forest (see Appendix 3) Today there is an approximate total of 5 262 ha of remnant rainforest regional ecosystems remaining on Land Zone 3 within the Subregion This represents a 615% reduction of the preclearing extent of lowland rainforest REs collectively which now comprise 157% of the total remnant vegetation within the Subregion. Less than half of the remnant lowland rainforest extent of 5 262 ha is within protected areas (2199 ha). This represents approximately one percent (0.99%) of the total protected area within the Bioregion, and slightly more than half a percent (0.65%) of the total remnant vegetation area.
Table 2. Proportional Composition of the Wet Tropics Bioregion Protected Area Estate and Unprotected Remnant Vegetation Landscape by Land Zone with Indicative ‘lowlands’ Land Zone 3 statistics highlighted
Landzones
Extent(ha)of Landzone within Protected Area
Bioregion Comprised byLandzone Protected Area %oftotal Bioregion Remnant Vegetation contributed byLandZone Protected Area
Protected Areain Landzone
Extent(ha)of unprotected remnantin Landzone
Bioregion Comprised byLandzone Unprotected Remnant
Bioregion Remnant Vegetation contributed byLandZone Unprotected Remnant
Bioregion Unprotected Remnant Vegetation contributed byLandZone
Table 3. Proportional Composition of the Daintree – Bloomfield Subregion Protected Area Estate and Unprotected Remnant Vegetation Landscape by Land Zone with Indicative ‘lowlands’ Land Zone 3 statistics highlighted
DaintreeBloomfield Subregion
Landzones
Extent(ha)of LandZone within Protected Area
%of Subregion Comprised byLandZone Protected Area
Subregion Remnant Vegetation contributed byLandZone Protected Area
Protected AreainLand Zone
unprotected remnantin LandZone
Subregion Comprised byLandZone Unprotected Remnant
Subregion Remnant Vegetation contributed byLandZone Unprotected Remnant
Subregion Unprotected Remnant Vegetation contributed byLandZone
Protected Area Comprehensiveness – While only one of the Wet Tropics Bioregions’ and Daintree – Bloomfield Subregion’s land zones (Land Zone 3), and a subset of its regional ecosystems (lowland rainforest associated, see Appendices 1 - 4) were specifically examined by this study, several lowland rainforest REs were found to lack any representation in protected areas at a bioregional or subregional level (see orange highlights Appendices 2 and 4) Several other REs had proportional representation in protected areas that was more than 80% less than their proportional representation in the pre-clear landscape (see rose highlights Appendices 2 and 4) These statistics highlight that both the Wet Tropics Bioregion and Daintree - Bloomfield Subregion’s Protected Areas system is far from fully comprehensive
Protected Area Adequacy – Given the described historical extent of lowland rainforest within the Wet Tropics Bioregion and the dependence of its associated flora and fauna communities on the productivity and connectivity of the extensive and fertile, flat lying alluvial landforms that hosted it, it is unlikely that its vastly reduced proportional representation within the protected area estate (reduced 79% for bioregion, 74% for Subregion) would meet a critical assessment of the adequacy criteria for a CAR reserve system Indeed, the number of threatened species now associated with lowland rainforest habitat is indicative of a lack of adequacy (DES 2019, DAWE 2021).
As noted by the expert panel engaged for the Biodiversity Planning Assessment (BPA) of the Wet Tropics Bioregion, “within the Wet Tropics Bioregion the remaining diversity of ecosystems and biodiversity in lowlands ecosystems depends upon retaining the complete mosaic of ecosystems and interactions between them” (DES 2019)
Protected Area Representativeness – A full assessment of representativeness as a criterion applied to test whether a reserve system meets CAR principles requires access to species level (or finer) data to examine intra ecosystem, or intra habitat compositional variability across its geographical expression and whether that variability is ‘represented’ within the protected area system. For much of Queensland including the Wet Tropics, there is limited availability of such data and where it does exist, usually for a limited set of taxa, significant resources beyond the scope of this study are required to analyse it. As discussed above for comprehensiveness, some lowland rainforest regional ecosystems are completely unrepresented in the bioregion and subregion’s protected area estate. As discussed for adequacy, lowland rainforest REs have undergone very significant reductions in their proportional representation in the protected area estate relative to the pre-clear landscape. Both these facts provide robust evidence of a low likelihood of adequate representation of lowland rainforest in protected areas particularly in the Daintree Lowlands where the Wet Tropics Bioregion Biodiversity Planning Assessment (BPA) found “Substrate variation within the dominant landzone (metamorphics), drives high species turnover resulting in a taxa rich and ecosystem diverse landscape” and “Atypical in comparison to other lowland areas of the wet tropics, the area includes the highest concentration and diversity of lowland bioregional endemics” (DES 2019)
Table 4. Proportional Composition of the Daintree – Bloomfield Subregion Pre-clear and Current Remnant Vegetation Landscape by Land Zone with Land Zones with Greatest Proportional Change Highlighted
DaintreeBloomfieldSubRegion TotalSubregion(Pre-clear) SubregionwithRemnantVegetation
Figure 3. Component Land Zones, Remnant Vegetation Cover and Protected Area Boundaries of the Daintree River mouth to Cape Tribulation Study Focal Area
To summarise, Lowland rainforest REs (on Land Zone 3) constituted 553% of the total preclear Wet Tropics Bioregion and 38 % of the total preclear Daintree - Bloomfield Subregion They now constitute less than one percent (082%) of the total remnant vegetation cover of the bioregion and just over half a percent (065%) of the total remnant vegetation cover of the Subregion Lowland rainforest now makes up 121% of the Bioregion’s Protected Area Estate and 099% of the Subregion’s Protected Area Estate This level of proportional representation of lowland rainforest REs in protected areas is 79% less than their representation in the preclear landscape of the Bioregion and 74% less than their representation in the preclear landscape of the Subregion.
These low levels of proportional representation provide robust evidence that lowland rainforest biodiversity is not well represented in the protected area estate of the Daintree Bloomfield Subregion or the broader Wet Tropics Bioregion. The absence or very small proportional representation of some individual lowland rainforest regional ecosystems in the protected area estate as for the collective of RE’s forming lowland rainforest also indicates that the current protected area system is wanting in terms of the comprehensiveness and adequacy of protection for this endangered ecological community (DAWE 2021).
Though the extent of loss of lowland rainforest across the bioregion and subregion places constraints on the capacity to increase its representation in the protected area estate, it is salient to recognise that a greater area and proportion of the total Bioregion and Subregion’s remnant lowland rainforest regional ecosystems remain outside the protected area system than within it, see Appendix 2 and 4 This highlights the capacity for affirmative conservation actions including land acquisition to improve its protected area representation
While a significant area of remnant lowland rainforest remains outside the protected area estate and could potentially be available for inclusion into it via acquisition and/or protected area designation, it is important to understand the geographical context of these remnant areas For much of the Wet Tropics Bioregion, remnant vegetation on Land Zone 3 outside protected areas occurs as a thin periphery on the margin of the developed lowland landscape (Figure 1) In contrast, remnant vegetation on Land Zone 3 in the Daintree – Cape Tribulation lowlands study area (Figure 3), extends across alluvial landscapes providing ecosystem connectivity between coastal land zones (1 & 2) and hilly Land Zones (11 & 12) This landscape connectivity and integrity is one of many high values of the area that underpins justification for further protected area acquisition and consolidation Other high nature conservation values of the focal study area are identified in the following section
Biodiversity Conservation Values of Daintree Lowlands
While biodiversity conservation values of the Daintree Lowlands have been described in numerous past assessments and publications, a Biodiversity Planning Assessment (BPA) prepared for the Wet Tropics Bioregion provides current, multiple discipline expert informed, and State Government endorsed information within a bioregion wide and State consistent assessment context (DES 2019). BPAs have been compiled across many of the State’s bioregions and results are used to inform a wide range of assessment, planning and referral activities including State government tenure dealings such as identification of protected area designation priorities. One of the main merits of BPAs is the use of a consistent approach i.e., the Biodiversity Assessment and Mapping Methodology for assessing biodiversity values at the landscape scale using vegetation mapping data generated or approved by the Queensland Herbarium.
The Wet Tropics BPA expert panel identified the Daintree Lowlands study area either specifically or collectively with other focal areas of the bioregion in 17 significant biodiversity value decisions across flora, fauna and landscape themes (see Table 5). All biodiversity values identified for the Daintree lowlands provides substantial collective support to the case for further acquisition of land hosting threatened lowland rainforest for inclusion into the protected area estate (Table 5)
The description of values underpinning the most specific ‘Daintree Lowlands’ expert panel decision, Flora wet fl 07 (Table 5) which was founded on a very high rating across all criteria, provides some of the most compelling evidence of the need to further secure the region’s biodiversity via land acquisition and protected area designation Salient extracts include:
Substrate variation within the dominant landzone (metamorphics), drives high species turnover resulting in a taxa rich and ecosystem diverse landscape
Over 50 regional ecosystems occur including rainforests, large fan palm forests and unique swamp wetland communities not found elsewhere in the bioregion.
Atypical in comparison to other lowland areas of the wet tropics, the area includes the highest concentration and diversity of lowland bioregional endemics
In addition to high species and ecosystem diversity, a number of other Outstanding Universal Values (OUV) for which the WTWHA was originally nominated are encompassed, including the presence of relictual, or evolutionary important taxa
A high concentration of fern species occur, a number of which are considered representative of ancient and primitive lineages.
Similarly, the area is also considered relatively rich in taxa representative of ancient and evolutionary important flowering plant lineages
One of the primary applications of Biodiversity Planning Assessments (BPAs) is to identify priorities for protection (DES 2019). Given the numerous State and Outstanding Universal Values (OUV) attributed to Daintree Lowlands biodiversity (Table 5), it clearly represents a priority for protection, not only at a State, but National and International levels. Values at this level warrant the highest levels of protection possible. Appropriate forms of biodiversity protection depend upon the nature of threats confronting biodiversity. In the case of the Daintree and broader Wet Tropics lowlands one of key threats confronting biodiversity is habitat loss and hydrological changes due to clearing for agriculture and urbanisation (DES 2019) Land acquisition and dedication as protected area provides one of the most effective means for protecting biodiversity values where it is faced with this threat (DES 2020) The following section further identifies appropriate forms of protection in relation to the specific threats endangering Wet Tropics lowland rainforest ecological communities
Table 5. Wet Tropics Bioregion Biodiversity Planning Assessment Expert Panel Decisions on Significant Biodiversity Values Referencing Daintree Lowlands (continued following page)
Expert Panel Theme and Decision Number
Flora wet fl 06
Feature
& Significance (Level)
Mangrove systems of Daintree and MulgraveRussell rivers, Trinity inlet and Hinchinbrook Island (State)
Flora wet fl 07
Daintree lowlands (State)
Id (range limits): M
Ie (species richness): VH
Ig (ecosystem variation): H
Ik (climate change refugia): H
Ia (endemic richness): VH
Ib (refugia): VH
Id (range limits): VH
Ie (species richness): VH
If (relictual taxa): VH
Ig (ecosystem variation): VH
Ik (climate change refugia): VH
Relevance to Protected Area Acquisition Case
Inclusion of adjoining terrestrial areas in protected area estate helps protect value
Very High ratings across all biodiversity conservation value criteria support argument for greater representation in Protected Area Estate
Flora wet fl 26
Endemic Richness mapping (State)
Fauna wet fa 02
Fauna wet fa 04
Fauna wet fa 15
Coastal fringing ecosystems (State)
Short steep coastal streams (State)
Large lowland patches of remnant rainforest on alluvium (area >= 10ha) (State)
Ia (endemic richness): VH
Ib (refugia): VH
Ie (species richness): H
Ij (aggregation site): VH
Ib (refugia): H
Ic (disjunct populations): VH
Id (range limits): M
Ie (species richness): VH
Ij (aggregation site): VH
Ia (endemic richness): H
Ib (refugia): VH
Ic (disjunct populations): VH
Ie (species richness): VH
Ii (hollows and habitat): H
Ij (aggregation site): H
Ib (refugia): VH
Ic (disjunct populations): VH
Id (range limits): H
Underpins need to maximise proportional representation in Protected Areas to fully represent endemic species with limited distributions.
Inclusion of adjoining terrestrial areas in protected area estate helps protect value
Inclusion of stream and adjoining terrestrial areas in protected area estate helps protect catchments hosting value
Focal study area represents most extensive area within bioregion hosting value and presents best opportunity to secure it via protected area designation
Fauna wet fa 16
Large patches of lowland swamp forest (State)
Ie (species richness): M
Ig (ecosystem variation): H
Ii (hollows and habitat): H
Ij (aggregation site): VH
Inclusion of adjoining non wetland areas in protected area estate helps buffer and protect catchment areas hosting value
Fauna wet fa 22
High 'rainforest vertebrate' taxa richness (State) Ie) (species richness): VH
Key value nominated for prioritised protection in State Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Areas strategies (DES 2020, DES 2022)
Fauna wet fa 23
High 'rainforest vertebrate' WET endemic taxa richness (State) Ia) endemics: VH
Key value nominated for prioritised protection in State Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Areas strategies (DES 2020, DES 2022)
Expert Panel Theme and Decision Number
Landscape wet l 03
Landscape wet l 22
Lowland rainforest climate refugia (State)
Wet Tropics World Heritage Area Outstanding Universal Values – Relictual and important evolutionary Areas (State)
Landscape wet l 23
Landscape wet l 24
Wet Tropics World Heritage Area Outstanding Universal Values – Concentrations of endemism (State)
Wet Tropics World Heritage Area Outstanding Universal Values – Habitats for conserving biodiversity and rare and threatened species of flora and fauna (State)
Ia (endemic richness): VH
Ib (refugia): VH
Ic (disjunct populations): VH
Ie (species richness): VH
If (relictual taxa): VH
Ik (climate change refugia): VH
If (relictual taxa): VH
Ia (endemics): VH
Ib (refugia): VH
Ie (species richness): VH
Landscape wet l 25 Core areas (Regional) Ib (refugia): H
Landscape wet l 30
Terrestrial bioregional corridors (landscape connections) (State & Regional)
Landscape wet l 31 Riparian bioregional corridors (landscape connections) (State)
Landscape wet l 32 WTMA ecological corridors (Regional & Local)
Criterion J (terrestrial corridor)
Criterion J (riparian corridor)
Criterion J (local corridor)
Relevance to Protected Area Acquisition Case
Key value nominated for prioritised protection in State Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Areas strategies (DES 2020, DES 2022)
Outstanding Universal Values (OUVs) support the case for higher levels of protected area representation than State only values
Outstanding Universal Values (OUVs) support the case for higher levels of protected area representation than State only values
Outstanding Universal Values (OUVs) support the case for higher levels of protected area representation than State only values
Major indicator of ecological significance and strongly correlated with the long-term viability of biodiversity values if incorporated into protected areas
Inclusion in protected areas provides greatest long-term security for value
Inclusion in protected areas provides greatest long-term security for value
Inclusion in protected areas provides greatest long-term security for value
Protecting an Endangered Ecological Community
In November 2021, the Australian Government listed lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics in the Endangered category of the threatened ecological communities list under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (DAWE 2021) Lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics was assessed by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee to be eligible for listing as Endangered under criteria 1 - decline in geographic distribution, criteria 2 – limited geographic distribution coupled with demonstrable threat, and criteria 4 –reduction in community integrity.
To examine the status of lowland rainforest, the Threatened Species Scientific Committee used a slightly different aggregation of rainforest associated REs to the current study, employing a topographic cutoff to also include land zones and REs more typically associated with hills and uplands (i.e., land zones 8, 11 and 12), rather than the singular focus of the current study on the more development impacted alluvial lowlands (land zone 3). Despite this, the values calculated for proportional reduction in extent of ‘lowland rainforest’ are largely concurrent i.e., 71% versus 77% (of the current study) where >70% represents an ‘endangered’ classification. In contrast to the current study, the approved conservation advice for lowland rainforest of the Wet Tropics (DAWE 2021), only examined representation of lowland rainforest in protected areas in terms of the proportion of extant forest included, rather than the proportional representation in the overall protected area estate relative to the preclear landscape mosaic, the latter having greater biodiversity conservation relevance considering landscape ecology and the maintenance of ecosystem processes
In terms of prosecuting the case for further acquisition of Daintree lowland rainforest for inclusion into the protected area estate, the most salient sections of the Threatened Species Scientific Committee’s conservation advice for endangered Wet Tropics lowland rainforest concerns the identification of current threats and appropriate protective management action
Clearing for residential and commercial development and associated infrastructure is identified as one of the more recent and current threats and proximity to urban development is nominated as an indicator for increased threats generally This threat is particularly relevant to the freehold land development confronting the Daintree lowlands Where such modified landscape surrounds lowland rainforest, edge effects undermine its ecological integrity, movement of flora and fauna is impeded, and ecosystem processes altered via road impact to faunal movement, changes in animal behaviour due to light and noise disturbance, and subsequent effects on plant species where seed dispersers and pollinators are impacted (DAWE 2021) Other key threats associated with residential development identified in the conservation advice include domestic pets and escaped garden plants, which represent a serious threat to the integrity and condition of lowland rainforest communities and their various ancient, endemic or threatened species
In contrast to lowland rainforest that has been fragmented by residential or other forms of development, contiguous or well-connected areas with larger area to edge ratios (i.e. greater ‘core’ or ‘interior’ areas) such as the Daintree lowlands (DES 2019), are recognised to have relatively higher resilience to disturbance including that associated with cyclones (DAWE 2021).
Ultimately, DAWE (2021) acknowledges that the main threats to the endangered lowland rainforest ecological community and the priority actions required to address them are largely understood The primary conservation need nominated for this threatened ecological community is the ongoing management and protection of the remaining occurrences, under the overarching principle that it is preferable to maintain existing areas of the ecological community that are relatively intact and of high quality (DAWE 2021)
The first, priority conservation action nominated for lowland rainforest of the Wet Tropics by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee is to ‘Protect the ecological community to prevent further losses.’
“There should be no further clearance and damage to this ecological community because it has been greatly reduced in its extent and condition.”This includes “for activities such as residential and other development,” with “high conservation value, less modified and older growth areas” nominated as “particularly important for retention and management.”
In terms of protective management actions, reference is made to a mitigation hierarchy that first avoids, then mitigates, then offsets potential impacts on the ecological community from development or other actions “The priority is to avoid further clearance and fragmentation of remnants with offsetting as the last resort”
Other recommendations of the scientific committee that are particularly relevant to Gondwana Rainforest Trust’s conservation programs in the Daintree lowlands include to “Improve understanding of Traditional Ecological Knowledge relevant to the ecological community and to identify and support culturally appropriate mechanisms to implement this knowledge, with the support and participation of local Indigenous peoples, to protect and restore the ecological community”
In regard to promoting the protection of lowland rainforest with relevant agencies eg, state and local government planning authorities, the committee recommends that planning must take the protection of remnant areas into account, with “due regard to principles for long-term conservation” (DAWE 2021) Protected areas are widely recognised as providing the most secure and highest level of protection for the conservation of biodiversity (DES 2020)
Gondwana Rainforest Trust has a long history of documenting the emerging impacts of freehold land development on the endangered lowland rainforest ecological community of the Daintree lowlands Their ‘Daintree Expanded Protected Area’ proposal includes empowerment of Traditional Owner management aspirations and responsibilities It presents one of the most effective protective management responses possible in relation to the values of the area and the threats confronting it and is entirely consistent with the conservation advice for endangered lowland Wet Tropics rainforest as provided by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (DAWE 2021)
Supporting the Implementation of Queensland’s Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Area Strategies
The Queensland Government has developed both Protected Area and Biodiversity Conservation Strategies (DES 2020, DES 2022). Considering protected areas are one of the most important tools for conserving biodiversity there is significant overlap between these strategies in some of the principles, objectives and strategic priorities they identify.
Gondwana Rainforest Trust’s conservation programs in the Daintree lowlands are concerned with the protection and restoration of threatened biodiversity via community engagement, the building of genuine partnerships with First Nations People, and the designation of protected areas These program elements are key components of GRTs Daintree Expanded Protected Area proposal and concord with many elements of Queensland’s protected area and biodiversity conservation strategies (DES 2020, DES 2022)
Identifying common elements (below) shared by both State government Strategies and GRTs Daintree Expanded Protected Area proposal strengthen the case for further government support for it, and its goal of additional freehold land acquisition for protected area designation.
Scientific Basis for Prioritising Biodiversity Protection
Both the protected area and biodiversity conservation strategies make a commitment to using the best available science to support biodiversity conservation protection, including the use of a Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative (CAR) framework for prioritising protected area designations GRTs Daintree Expanded Protected Area proposal seeks to protect lowland tropical rainforest recognised by listing under the Commonwealth EPBC Act as an endangered ecological community based on severe decline in geographic distribution, limited geographic distribution coupled with demonstrable threat, and reduction in community integrity The priority action nominated by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee for Wet Tropics lowland rainforest is protection to prevent further losses The Daintree lowlands focal area has also been identified by the State’s own Wet Tropics Biodiversity Planning Assessment (BPA) (DES 2019) to have Very High ratings across all biodiversity conservation value criteria including internationally recognised Outstanding Universal Values (OUV) This current study as well as the Wet Tropics BPA has also found that conversely to the well protected rugged uplands of the Wet Tropics Bioregion, the lowlands particularly its rainforests have a low level of representation in the protected area estate Considering the preceding, the scientific case for further inclusion of Daintree Lowland rainforest in protected areas is unequivocal, and GRTs Daintree Expanded Protected Area proposal provides an avenue for the Queensland Government to collaboratively act on the science
Protect and provide climate refugia and resilience
With the emerging impacts of global heating and climate change becoming increasingly apparent in our natural world, the protection of areas that provide climate change resilient refugia for biodiversity is a key objective of both State strategies Several of the key biodiversity values of the Daintree lowlands (Table 5) are related to its function as a refugia of relictual biodiversity through evolutionary time, and given its core tract size and connectivity, as a resilient lowland climate refugia Beyond biodiversity compositional and representativeness values, these functional values demonstrate the area’s bona fides as a climate refuge In line with the strategic priorities identified by the State strategies this warrant its increased inclusion in the protected area estate as sought by GRTs Daintree Expanded Protected Area proposal.
Building Stronger Relationships and Supporting First Nations Owned/ Co-managed Protected Areas
This guiding principle is embedded in both State Strategies and underpins goals to better protect biodiversity in Queensland Gondwana Rainforest Trust through its relationship with Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation has been engaged in facilitating increased access of First Nation custodians to traditional lands and in delivering co-managed protected areas GRTs Daintree Expanded Protected Area proposal will build upon this existing foundation and provide further program support for First Nations people empowerment including professional development and economic opportunities.
Access to novel market / partnership funding mechanisms.
Government fiscal constraints place limitations on the politically tenable level of investment that can be committed to biodiversity conservation. Queensland’s Protected Area and Biodiversity Conservation Strategies both acknowledge the need to explore novel markets and partnership funding mechanisms to better archive biodiversity conservation outcomes including additions to the protected area estate Gondwana Rainforest Trust has an established record of raising rainforest conservation funds through community and philanthropic engagement and making these resources available to secure additional areas for Queensland’s Protected Area Estate GRTs Daintree Expanded Protected Area proposal seeks State Government funding partnership to increase the extent and rate of conservation outcomes for Daintree lowland rainforest in a way that still delivers cost effective outcomes for government, and which also serves to address the urgency of the freehold land development threat
Global best practice
Queensland’s Protected Area and Biodiversity Conservation Strategies both make commitments to the delivery of biodiversity conservation outcomes by best practice The freehold land development threat confronting the Daintree lowland rainforest is a legacy of past government actions While it may be inappropriate to review actions of the past through the lens of contemporary values and knowledge, there is always merit in seeking opportunities to recompense past failures with contemporary best practice Clearing and destruction of endangered remnant lowland tropical rainforest for residential development is not best practice for any government in the 21st century, particularly that of a wealthy western democracy GRTs Daintree Expanded Protected Area proposal seeks to combine private and public financial resources with First Nation People’s knowledge and empowerment to serve a public good whose benefit extends beyond the Australian community Queensland government support for this proposal would serve to deliver on ground outcomes representative of global best practice
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Lowland tropical rainforest is an EPBC Act listed endangered ecological community (EEC) and one of the most threatened components of biodiversity within the Wet Tropics Bioregion EPBC Act listing of the EEC was based on three criteria including severe decline in geographic distribution, limited geographic distribution coupled with demonstrable threat, and reduction in community integrity
Lowland rainforest has undergone major reductions (>70%) in both total extent and proportional representation in the vegetated landscape of both the Wet Tropics Bioregion and Daintree – Bloomfield Subregion from the historical preclear condition to the contemporary remnant vegetation landscape Despite the Wet Tropics Bioregion having the greatest proportion of any Queensland bioregion included in protected areas, the low level of proportional representation of lowland rainforest in the bioregional and subregional remnant vegetation landscape also extends to the protected area estate Consequently, lowland rainforest is not well represented in the protected area estate and any critical assessment of the broader CAR principles (Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative) used as a scientific framework to assess protected areas is likely to find Queensland’s protected areas inadequate in relation to all three criteria in the case of lowland rainforest of the Wet Tropics All Australian Governments including the State of Queensland have committed to CAR as the scientific foundation for protected area prioritisation and designation.
More than half of the total area of remnant lowland rainforest regional ecosystems assessed by this study occur outside the protected area estate in both the Wet Tropics Bioregion and Daintree Bloomfield Subregion. This highlights available opportunities for affirmative protective management actions to substantially increase the representation of endangered lowland tropical lowland rainforest in protected areas within Queensland.
The Daintree lowland tropical rainforests that form the focal area for this study have outstanding values at a bioregional, state, national and even international level These values include: relictual flora that provide representative examples of the evolutionary history of flowering plants, concentrated centres of species endemism, richness and rarity, core tract size, integrity and connectivity, and a functional value as an area that has provided a climate refugia in evolutionary time and presents resilience in the face of contemporary climate change
The priority conservation action nominated by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee that listed lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics as an endangered ecological community is to ‘Protect the ecological community to prevent further losses’ Protected areas are recognised by Queensland’s own Department of Environment and Science as ‘providing the most secure and highest level of protection for the conservation of biodiversity’ (DES 2020) Protection of the Daintree’s lowland tropical rainforest in protected areas is entirely consistent with the principles, objectives and strategic actions identified in both the Queensland Protected Area Strategy (DES 2020) and in its Biodiversity Conservation Strategy (DES 2022) Given the Very high values attributed to all criteria in the assessment of the Daintree lowlands by the State’s Biodiversity Planning Assessment (BPA) for the Wet Tropics (DES 2019), including recognition of Outstanding Universal Values (OUV), there is ample justification to seek protection levels above that normally applied to State Significant biodiversity
Gondwana Rainforest Trust’s Daintree Expanded Protected Area proposal represents global best practice It is based on the best science available and seeks to combine private and public funds with First Nation People’s knowledge and empowerment to serve a public good whose benefit extends beyond the Australian community Queensland government support for this proposal would serve to deliver on ground outcomes representative of global best practice and recompense for a poor development planning legacy that threatens natural heritage of outstanding universal value
The case for further acquisition of Daintree lowland rainforest on freehold land for inclusion into the Protected Area Estate of Queensland is unequivocal.
REFERENCES
Accad, A Kelley, JAR, Richter, D, Li, J, Neldner, VJ and Ryan TS (2024) Remnant Regional Ecosystem Vegetation in Queensland (Version 131), Analysis 1997–2021 Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation: Brisbane
DAWE (2021) Approved Conservation Advice for the Lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Australian Government, November 2021
DES (2019). A Biodiversity Planning Assessment for the Wet Tropics Bioregion. Expert Panel Report Version 1.1. Prepared by: Biodiversity Assessment, Queensland Herbarium, Science and Technology Division, Department of Environment and Science, Brisbane, State of Queensland.
DES (2020). Queensland’s Protected Area Strategy 2020 - 2030. Protecting our world-class natural and cultural values. Department of Environment and Science, State of Queensland 2020.
DES (2022). Conserving Nature – A Biodiversity Conservation Strategy for Queensland. Department of Environment and Science, State of Queensland 2022.
GRT (2021) Daintree Freehold Lands Conservation Program Proposal In Confidence to the Queensland Government Gondwana Rainforest Trust, November 2021
NFPSIS (1997) Nationally Agreed Criteria for the Establishment of a Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative Reserve System for Forests in Australia A Report by the Joint ANZECC / MCFFA National Forest Policy Statement Implementation Sub-committee
Sattler, P S and Williams, R D (eds) (1999) The Conservation Status of Queensland's Bioregional Ecosystems Department of Environment and Heritage, Brisbane, Qld
Wilson, PR and Taylor, PM (2012) Land Zones of Queensland Queensland Herbarium, Queensland Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts, Brisbane 79 pp
Appendix 1. Pre-clear and Current Remnant Extent of Rainforest Regional Ecosystems of Wet Tropics Bioregion Lowlands (Land Zone 3)
7310a Mesophyllvineforest
7310b Mesophyllvineforestrecoveringfromdisturbance
7310c Mesophyllvineforestwithscatteredfeatherpalm
7310d Openareasinvineforestsdominatedbysprawlingvines
7310e Simplenotophyllvineforestwithnumerousco-dominantspecies
7310f SimpleNotophyllvineforestwithSyzygiumangophoroides
7310g SimplenotophyllvineforestdominatedbyBlepharocarya involucrigera
Simple-complexsemi-deciduousnotophylltomesophyllvineforest
7323b Semi-deciduousvineforestwithNaucleaorientalis Cryptocarya hypospodiaandCastanospermumaustrale
7323c ComplexNotophyllvineforestwithemergentArgyrodendron polyandrum,
7323d Glochidionharveyanum,Melicopeelleryanaopenwoodlandtoclosed forest,
7336a Complexmesophyllvineforest Highrainfall,cloudyuplands,on alluvium
7336b Simplenotophyllvineforest Alluviumonuplands
7336c Complexnotophyllvineforest Highlandsinthecloudywetrainfall zone
7337 Complexsemi-evergreennotophyllvineforest Uplandsonalluvium
ComplexnotophyllvineforestwithemergentAgathisrobusta (Queenslandkauri)
733a Mesophyllvineforestwithfeatherleafpalminlowlandswamps
733b Mesophyllvineforestwithfeatherleafpalmrecoveringfrom disturbance
733c MesophyllvineforestwithdominantSyzygiumtierneyanumand/or Barringtoniaracemosa
734 MesophyllvineforestwithLicualaramsayi(fanpalm)
7349a TristaniopsisexilifloraandXanthostemonchrysanthuslayeredopen forest andclosedforest
7349b Closedforestwithsclerophyllco-dominantsandemergents
Summary RainforestRegionalEcosystemTotals(LandZone3)
Appendix 2. Protected and Current Unprotected Remnant Extent of Rainforest Regional Ecosystems of Wet Tropics Bioregion Lowlands (Land Zone 3)
7310d
7310e
7323b
7323c
Openareasinvineforestsdominatedbysprawling vines
Simplenotophyllvineforestwithnumerouscodominantspecies
SimpleNotophyllvineforestwithSyzygium angophoroides
Simplenotophyllvineforestdominatedby Blepharocaryainvolucrigera
Simple-complexsemi-deciduousnotophyllto mesophyllvineforest
Semi-deciduousvineforestwithNaucleaorientalis, CryptocaryahypospodiaandCastanospermumaustrale
ComplexNotophyllvineforestwithemergent Argyrodendronpolyandrum
7323d Glochidionharveyanum,Melicopeelleryanaopen woodlandtoclosedforest,
7336a Complexmesophyllvineforest Highrainfall,cloudy uplands,onalluvium
7336b Simplenotophyllvineforest Alluviumonuplands
7336c Complexnotophyllvineforest Highlandsinthecloudy wetrainfallzone
7337
7338
Complexsemi-evergreennotophyllvineforest Uplands onalluvium
ComplexnotophyllvineforestwithemergentAgathis robusta(Queenslandkauri)
733a Mesophyllvineforestwithfeatherleafpalminlowland swamps
733b Mesophyllvineforestwithfeatherleafpalmrecovering fromdisturbance
733c MesophyllvineforestwithdominantSyzygium tierneyanumand/orBarringtoniaracemosa
734 MesophyllvineforestwithLicualaramsayi(fanpalm)
7349a TristaniopsisexilifloraandXanthostemonchrysanthus layeredopenforest,andclosedforest
7349b Closedforestwithsclerophyllco-dominantsand emergents
Summary RainforestRegionalEcosystemTotals(LandZone3)
Appendix 3. Pre-clear and Current Remnant Extent of Rainforest Regional Ecosystems of Daintree - Bloomfield Subregion Lowlands (Land Zone 3)
7310b Mesophyllvineforestrecoveringfromdisturbance
7310d Openareasinvineforestsdominatedbysprawlingvines
Simplenotophyllvineforestwithnumerousco-dominantspecies
7310f SimpleNotophyllvineforestwithSyzygiumangophoroides
7310g SimplenotophyllvineforestdominatedbyBlepharocarya involucrigera
7323a Simple-complexsemi-deciduousnotophylltomesophyllvineforest
7323b Semi-deciduousvineforestwithNaucleaorientalis,Cryptocarya hypospodiaandCastanospermumaustrale
7323c ComplexNotophyllvineforestwithemergentArgyrodendron polyandrum,
7323d Glochidionharveyanum Melicopeelleryanaopenwoodlandto closedforest,
7336a Complexmesophyllvineforest Highrainfall,cloudyuplands,on alluvium
7336b Simplenotophyllvineforest Alluviumonuplands
7336c Complexnotophyllvineforest Highlandsinthecloudywetrainfall zone
7337 Complexsemi-evergreennotophyllvineforest Uplandsonalluvium
7338 ComplexnotophyllvineforestwithemergentAgathisrobusta (Queenslandkauri)
733a Mesophyllvineforestwithfeatherleafpalminlowlandswamps
733b Mesophyllvineforestwithfeatherleafpalmrecoveringfrom disturbance
733c MesophyllvineforestwithdominantSyzygiumtierneyanumand/or Barringtoniaracemosa
734 MesophyllvineforestwithLicualaramsayi(fanpalm)
7349a TristaniopsisexilifloraandXanthostemonchrysanthuslayeredopen forest,andclosedforest
7349b Closedforestwithsclerophyllco-dominantsandemergents
Summary RainforestRegionalEcosystemTotals(LandZone3)
Appendix 4. Protected and Current Unprotected Remnant Extent of Rainforest Regional Ecosystems of Daintree –Bloomfield Subregion Lowlands (Land Zone 3)
7310e Simplenotophyllvineforestwithnumerouscodominantspecies
angophoroides
Simplenotophyllvineforestdominatedby Blepharocaryainvolucrigera
ComplexnotophyllvineforestwithemergentAgathis robusta(Queenslandkauri)
Mesophyllvineforestwithfeatherleafpalminlowland swamps
733b Mesophyllvineforestwithfeatherleafpalmrecovering fromdisturbance
733c
7349a
7349b
MesophyllvineforestwithdominantSyzygium tierneyanumand/orBarringtoniaracemosa
TristaniopsisexilifloraandXanthostemonchrysanthus layeredopenforest,andclosedforest
Closedforestwithsclerophyllco-dominantsand emergents
RainforestRegionalEcosystemTotals(LandZone3)
Appendix 5. Data Layers Used for GIS Analyses
Bioregion
Source - https://feddcceewgovau/datasets/erin::interim-biogeographic-regionalisation-for-australia-ibra-version-7regions/about
Summary
Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA), Version 7 (Regions) - 2012
Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) version 70 represents a landscape based approach to classifying the land surface of Australia 89 biogeographic regions and 419 sub regions have been delineated, each reflecting a unifying set of major environmental influences which shape the occurrence of flora and fauna and their interaction with the physical environment across Australia and its external territories (excluding Antarctica) IBRA Version 70 data consists of two datasets
IBRA bioregions, which is a larger scale regional classification of homogenous ecosystems, and sub regions, which are more localised IBRA Version 70 is the result of both significant changes to certain IBRA 61 boundaries, plus refinement of other boundaries due to better data availability amongst some states and territories, and alterations by the states/territories along state borders
The updated boundaries were jointly defined by the Commonwealth, State and Territory nature and conservation agencies In this respect refinements were carried out to all mainland jurisdictions with significant changes in Queensland and South Australia In addition the dataset was also updated to more closely conform to the Geoscience Australia 1:100K State borders, and a standard coding/naming convention introduced (for both regions and subregions) resulting in differences to both names and codes used in earlier IBRA Versions Various sources were used to delineate islands - these included the GA100K Admin layer plus the Australian Maritime Boundaries dataset, a Coral Sea dataset (held in ERIN) and the GA Commonwealth Fisheries 2006 dataset
Protected areas of Queensland
Source - http://qldspatialinformationqldgovau/catalogue/custom/searchpage?
q=%22Protected%20areas%20of%20Queensland%22
Abstract / Description:
Protected areas of Queensland represent those areas protected for the conservation of natural and cultural values and those areas managed for production of forest resources, including timber and quarry material These areas are defined spatially using cadastral parcels
Purpose:
To show the protected area estate as managed by QPWS (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service) for areas managed under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (National Park of various types, Regional Park, Forest Reserve), and areas managed under the Forestry Act 1959 (State Forest and Timber Reserve)
Biodiversity status of pre-clearing regional ecosystems – Queensland
Source - http://qldspatialinformationqldgovau/catalogue/custom/searchpage?
q=%22Biodiversity%20status%20of%20pre-clearing%20regional%20ecosystems%20%E2%80%93%20Queensland%22
Abstract / Description:
Version 131 - Pre-clearing regional ecosystems are vegetation communities in a bioregion that are consistently associated with a particular combination of geology, landform and soil
Purpose:
A foundational dataset that provides a geographical representation of the Pre-clearing regional ecosystems at a map scale of 1:100,000 and 1:50,000, 1:25,000 in part, based on surveys of vegetation communities and related landform, soils and geology
Biodiversity status of 2021 remnant regional ecosystems - Queensland
Source - http://qldspatialinformationqldgovau/catalogue/custom/searchpage?
q=%22Biodiversity%20status%20of%202021%20remnant%20regional%20ecosystems%20-%20Queensland%22
Abstract / Description:
Version 131 - Remnant 2021 regional ecosystems are vegetation communities in a bioregion that are consistently associated with a particular combination of geology, landform and soil
Purpose:
A foundational dataset that provides a geographical representation of the 2021 Remnant Regional Ecosystems at a map scale of 1:100,000 and 1:50,000, 1:25,000 in part, based on surveys of vegetation communities and related landform, soils and geology