Covering an area of 14 million hectares, Cape York Peninsula in far north Queensland has miraculously survived the wave of destruction that has engulfed the environments of the east coast of Australia. It is one of Australia’s, and the world’s, great wilderness areas. As a result of its remoteness and wildly fluctuating monsoonal climate, the ‘Cape’ is one of the last wild regions on the planet. It is an ‘ark’ of biological diversity. Along the eastern coast of the Peninsula are found the last strongholds of old growth rainforest. Off the east coast is found the least damaged section of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef. Fringing the Gulf of Carpentaria, the western coast contains a near continuous line of wetlands that rival Kakadu in terms of migratory bird habitat. Since 1996, environment groups, the cattle industry and indigenous communities have worked together to protect these superlative environments and to build an economic base that is compatible with the protection and maintenance of the Cape’s special environment.
In recognition of the importance of protecting Cape York, the Queensland Government agreed last year to undertake a comprehensive study to identify those places on Cape York of global and national importance. The results of this study can then be used to identify places that should be protected for all time as part of the World’s Heritage. The Cape is at the crossroads. This election will determine whether it will be protected or whether it will fall to short sighted, destructive development.
Development of a Cape-wide Conservation Policy
Background
Considerable progress has been made in this term toward the protection of the conservation values of the region through the retirement of the Shelburne and Bromley properties from the pastoral estate, the undertaking of the Statement of Conservation Significance, the establishment of the Tenure Resolution Group executive and to a lesser extent, the reformation of the Cape York Regional Advisory Group and the CYP 2010 process. However, there is still much to be done. In particular, the release of the results of the Statement of Conservation Significance will create the need for the development of a Peninsula wide conservation policy, including voluntary acquisitions, legislation and on reserve and off reserve funding, which will provide binding protection to those areas of identified national or global significance.
Political Commitments TWS is Seeking on Cape York
The State agrees to implement a comprehensive and well resourced whole of Peninsula conservation policy that will ensure very high levels of protection for areas identified as being of national and international significance by the results of the Statement of Conservation Significance.
As a first step in the development of the Cape wide conservation policy, the State supports the integration of the results of the Statement of Conservation Significance across all the existing strategies and processes dealing with land management. These include Cape York Property Planning and the Cape York Natural Heritage Trust Plan, CYP 2010 (particularly the development of a Natural Resource Management Strategy) and Cape York Partnerships.
As part of a Cape wide conservation plan, the State commits to introduce special Cape York legislation in the second term to create the basis for a regionally distinct land management process that recognises the superlative natural and cultural conservation values of the region and provides flexibility in relation to existing state processes such as tree clearing, joint management etc.
A key feature of any strategy to protect conservation values identified by the Statement of Conservation Significance must be voluntary acquisitions. A commitment to voluntary acquisitions was contained in the Cape York Heads of Agreement (Land Use) and in the Cape York Natural Heritage Trust. The Cape York Heads of Agreement parties flagged a requirement that at least $20 million be available for voluntary acquisitions. Given the failure of the Federal Government to deliver on this initiative, we seek the commitment of the State to the creation of a $20 million land acquisitions fund, to be administered by the Tenure Resolution Group Executive with the support of a 2-member acquisitions unit.
A key feature of a Cape wide conservation should be an enhanced, well-resourced and jointly managed protected area estate. Under funding and mismanagement of Cape York’s National Parks has undermined the special status parks hold in other parts of the State. Under funding and poor presentation also negatively impact upon the expansion of the eco and cultural tourism market and the development of a real economy on the Cape. Furthermore, the decade long stalemate regarding joint aboriginal management of the Cape’s parks is now a national disgrace. Therefore the state commits to the following actions:
i) State to provide $4 million to match Strategy Two of the Natural Heritage Trust Plan to give the existing and expanded Cape protected area a significant injection of Capital funding to dramatically improve facilities and presentation.
ii) Recurrent Parks management funding should be increased from approximately $1.00 per hectare per annum to $16.00 per hectare per annum.
iii) Review existing operational processes to encourage those with remote area experience to apply for Ranger positions within QPWS Far North.
iv) As a matter of urgency, resolve joint management issues to the satisfaction of traditional owners. This will necessitate the amendment of the relevant legalisation and a significant increase in recurrent park funding as per ii) above.
The process for developing a whole of Cape conservation policy that protects areas of identified conservation significance requires an evaluation of economic activities that are compatible and incompatible with the ongoing maintenance and protection of areas of national and global significance.
Therefore, the state commits to fund and commission two studies that identify uses compatible with the maintenance of natural heritage significance at the global and national levels and a study that provides economic valuations of these uses. The results of these studies should then be incorporated into the conservation planning process that will seek to phase compatible activities in and phase incompatible activities out.
Some areas of identified national and global significance will not be protected in an expanded protected area network, particularly on Aboriginal land. It is important that the State provides legislative and financial support to an array of initiatives to protect identified conservation values off reserve.
This should include ongoing funding and support for the further development and implementation of Indigenous Natural and Cultural Resource Management Centres at the sub regional level to provide ongoing protection for identified values.
Furthermore, through the Partnership Planning process, strategies should be developed, funded and implemented so INCRMA’s can work in partnership with government natural and cultural resource management strategies to protect identified values.
Pastoralists, who agree to phase out incompatible activities with the maintenance of places of national or global significance, should benefit from recurrent and capital funding to protect these areas and funding for stewardship agreements.
Although our focus has remained on terrestrial issues, a number of actions are required to protect the marine environment as part of a Cape wide conservation plan. These include funding for surveillance (including broader aerial surveillance) of fishing and other activities along the coast, particularly estuarine, by Community Rangers and others (through Indigenous Natural and Cultural Resource Management Agencies).
A commitment of funding for community based permits managing traditional hunting and fishing activity. And an commitment to ensure that the representative areas analysis being proposed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is used only to create additional highly protected zones in the Far northern section.
The development of a real economy, particularly in relation to the indigenous peoples of Cape York is being addressed through the State Governments’ partnership planning process. Our groups support this process and strongly support the development of the tourism industry, based upon the presentation and enjoyment of the natural and cultural values of Cape York, as a key plank in the development of a real economy.
The State government should commit to provide funding to support a comprehensive Cape-wide eco and cultural tourism strategy utilising the results of the SOS and negotiated through processes such as Cape York Partnerships and the CYPDA Tourism Strategy.
For more information, please contact:
Lyndon Schneiders
Cape York and Far-North Australia Campaigner
Email Lyndon Schneiders
Workphone: 07 3846 1420
Mobile:
Created: 03 May 2001 | Last updated: 03 May 2001