We’ve provided answers to the most frequently asked questions for the purchase and protection of Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road.
Please, donate now and help purchase and protect Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road from the threat of development.
Isn’t the Daintree protected in a National Park and World Heritage Area?
Please, make your tax-deductible donation now to help purchase and protect Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Each $5.00 you donate will purchase and protect one sqm of the Lowland Daintree Rainforest.
Why is the Daintree important?
The Daintree Lowland Rainforest is the oldest rainforest on Earth, having existed continuously for over 120 million years. It holds exceptionally high biodiversity and conservation value and is the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest remaining in Australia. Rainforests once covered much of Australia, however, as conditions became drier the rainforest contracted to remnants along the east coast. The flora of the Daintree contains an almost complete record of the evolution of plant life on Earth, including extremely ancient flowering plant families found nowhere else. The Daintree Lowland Rainforest also provides a refuge for many unique species of fauna including the Southern Cassowary, Bennett’s Tree-kangaroo, and Musky Rat-kangaroo.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature had this to say about the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. “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.” - IUCN
In November 2021 the Australian Government listed the lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics ecological community, in the Endangered Category under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The listing is effective as of Friday 26 November 2021 and includes the Wet Tropics of North Queensland, from near Ingham (just south of the Cardwell Range) in the south to north around Cape Tribulation. While now listed as Endangered the Daintree Lowland Rainforest is still not fully protected. The freehold properties in the Daintree lowland remain at risk from rural residential development.
What are the threats to the Daintree Rainforest?
Since the 1980’s there has been constant pressure applied to further develop the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. This includes calls for a bridge over the Daintree River, upgrading of roads, and the supply of mains electricity. This would only create conditions supportive of further inappropriate development. We have identified 207 undeveloped freehold properties in the Daintree lowlands that we want to purchase and protect. Building more houses on these properties would fragment the rainforest and for that reason, further buyback of land is needed.
Please, make your tax-deductible donation now to help purchase and protect Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Each $5.00 you donate will purchase and protect one sqm of the Lowland Daintree Rainforest.
What about Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road at Diwan?
Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road is an 8.09-hectare freehold property created through the subdivision of land in 1982. It is located at Diwan in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road can be developed for housing subject to approval by the Douglas Shire Council. We are purchasing Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road to ensure it is protected from development and managed for conservation.
Before we make a commitment to purchase a Daintree Rainforest property for conservation we have ecologists undertake a comprehensive survey to confirm the conservation values.
A vegetation survey was undertaken on the 16th of November 2021. This identified 258 native species of plant species including five Five plant species found on Lot 93 are listed on the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 and One (1) of those species is also listed on the National Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) (Table 1). A further 4 species of endemic plants were found on the property.
Threatened species of plants on Lot 93
1, Native Spiral Ginger (Cheilocostus potierae) NCA: Endangered
2, Noah’s Walnut (Endiandra microneura) NCA: Near Threatened
3, Climbing Pandan (Freycinetia percostata) NCA: Vulnerable
4, Ant Plant (Myrmecodia beccarii) EPBC / NCA: Vulnerable
5, Malayan Brighteye (Torenia polygonoides) NCA: Vulnerable
There are only six records of Torenia polygonoides in Australia.
Malayan Brighteye (Torenia polygonoides) on Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road. Photo by K.Kupsch
Endemic plants on Lot 93
There are also four plant species that are Daintree endemics (that have their distribution largely restricted to the Daintree lowlands) occur on Lot 93.
1, Daintree Cleistanthus (Cleistanthus myrianthus)
2, Daintree Foambark (Jagera madida)
3, Cooper Creek Haplostichanthus (Polyalthia xanthocarpa)
4, Daintree Satinash (Syzygium monospermum)
Other plants of importance on Lot 93
A range extension for the Sapindaceae tree species Rhysotoechia flavescens was made, extending the range north from the Daintree village, the previously known northern limit of this species which extends south to near Tully.
Specimens of Hope’s Cycad (Lepidozamia hopei) occur on Lot 93. This species of Cycad is the largest growing in the world and was once utilised by Aboriginal people as a food source. It has evolutionary links dating back some 200 million years and along with other ancient species form some of the reasons why the Wet Tropics World Heritage area has been afforded protection within the National Parks estate.
Hopes Cycad on Lot 93 with cone developing on this female plant
Aquatic ecology survey
An aquatic ecology survey was completed on the 22nd November 2021, in the vicinity of property Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road at Diwan for Rainforest 4 Foundation. The survey focused on the 375 m of the frontage of Lot 93 to the adjacent Hutchinson Creek and also 600 m upstream (including a small side creek), and about 200 m downstream of the property.
The most significant finding of the survey was the discovery of a small population of Daintree Rainbowfish (Cairnsichthys bitaeniatus). This species is on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, where it is classified as Critically Endangered. This species is known only from some small tributary streams of Hutchinson and Cooper creeks,
where it is generally uncommon. The Daintree Rainbowfish was only described as a new species in 2018 and has been listed as Critically Endangered. The number one action needed to ensure their survival is habitat protection. Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road is a freehold property that can be developed for housing subject to approval by the Douglas Shire Council. Purchase this property and its management for conservation will support the conservation of the Daintree Rainbowfish. See the aquatic ecology survey here.
Please, make your tax-deductible donation now to help purchase and protect Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Each $5.00 you donate will purchase and protect one sqm of the Lowland Daintree Rainforest.
Daintree Rainbowfish - photo by Michael Hammer
Management of the land
In 1982 (before the creation of the subdivision) Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road was part of a larger freehold property that was partially cleared and used for grazing cattle. In the last 40 years, natural regeneration has restored rainforest to most of the cleared area, however, there is still some land that requires restoration. On either side of a track that extends the length of the property, there are patches of weeds including Guinea Grass, Asian Brambles, Singapore Daisy, and Lantana. All of these exotic plants will be removed from the property. This will be undertaken within one year with the follow-up to occur for an additional 2-3 years. We will use techniques to facilitate the natural regeneration of the rainforest and where required trees will be established through planting and maintenance. A former owner also planted a lot of exotic palms. They also left behind a donga (a temporary, usually transportable, dwelling), a derelict Toyota van, rusty water tank, car batteries, and assorted rubbish. This will all be removed.
What about feral animals?
The main feral animal problem in the Daintree is pigs. The Douglas Shire Council has a trapping program that removes 600 pigs per year. There are very few if any feral cats in the Daintree due to the number of large pythons that prey on them.
What about the risk of bushfires?
The risk of fires in this location is low as this is one of the wettest places in Australia and rainforest vegetation is less likely to burn. This is managed by removing exotic grasses and other flammable plants.
Reversing the impacts of development
To fulfill our vision of the conservation of the Daintree Lowland Rainforest requires the buyback of all undeveloped freehold properties in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest and their management for nature conservation. Not only do we want to see no further development, but we also want the negative impacts of the rural residential subdivision to be reversed. We aim to purchase as many properties as we can and see them provided with the highest available level of protection. We are working towards having all the properties we acquire included in the Daintree National Park Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land (CYPAL) estate.
Clearing of the Daintree Lowland Rainforest in Cow Bay in June 2021
Who is managing this project?
This project to purchase and protect land in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest is a partnership involving the Rainforest 4 Foundation, Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation, and HalfCut.
The partnership is the only formalised, non-Government program that purchases land for conservation to be owned and managed by its Traditional Owners. The partnership was recognised at the 2021 Queensland Reconciliation Awards winning the Premier’s Reconciliation Award and the Partnership Award category.
2021 Queensland Reconciliation Awards
How are the Traditional Owners involved?
The Eastern Kuku Yalanji Bama (Bama meaning Rainforest Aboriginal people) are the owners of the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Their Country (Bubu) runs along the East Coast of Far North Queensland and it includes land and sea between Port Douglas and just south of Cooktown. The Eastern Kuku Yalanji has a rich cultural identity and strong spiritual connection to Daintree Rainforest.
The Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation represents the Eastern Kuku Yalanji in the management of Bubu. They employ the Jabalbina Rangers who work on Bubu.
Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation, Rainforest 4 Foundation, and fellow nonprofit HalfCut have a partnership agreement to purchase and protect land in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest.
The properties acquired by the Rainforest 4 Foundation will be managed by the Traditional Owners, the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people. We are working towards having all the properties we acquire included in the Daintree National Park Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land (CYPAL) estate.
The Jabalbina Rangers will undertake the management and restoration works on the property.
Please, make your tax-deductible donation now to help purchase and protect Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Each $5.00 you donate will purchase and protect one sqm of the Lowland Daintree Rainforest.
Founder of Rainforest 4 Foundation (left) with Kuku Yalanji Traditional Owners | Photo by Steven Nowakowski
Who will own the land?
The properties are being acquired by the Rainforest 4 Foundation (ABN 49 628 358 323). We are registered with the Australian Government (ASIC) as a Company Limited by Guarantee (a non-profit organisation) and with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC). Our Constitution details that we must use all money raised for charitable purposes. Our constitution restricts our activities to rainforest conservation activities. We ensure the land has the highest level of protection and that they are managed for conservation. To achieve this we are working towards having all the properties we acquire included in the Daintree National Park Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land (CYPAL) estate.
On the 29th of September 2021, a historic handover of land occurred seeing more than 160,000 hectares returned to the ownership of the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people. Read the full story here. The Queensland Government delivered deeds of grant to the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation on behalf of the Eastern Kuku Yalanji People. The land includes the Daintree National Park and three other national parks on Eastern Kuku Yalanji Bubu (County). In addition, an Indigenous Management Agreement was signed for the designation of the Daintree, Ngalba-bulal, Kalkajaka, and Hope Islands national parks as Daintree National Park - Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land (CYPAL). These national parks total 160,108 hectares and will be jointly managed by Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation and the Queensland Government.
These agreements recognise Eastern Kuku Yalanji's rights to be custodians and managers of their traditional country. Under these agreements, Eastern Kuku Yalanji people will be involved in managing Daintree National Park. The Queensland Government provides funding to the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation to co-manage the Daintree National park and this includes the properties acquired through this program.
We will need to pay rates to the Douglas Shire Council up until the property is managed as Daintree National Park - Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land (CYPAL) estate. The process of purchasing the property and transferring it to Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land (CYPAL) may take up to 12 months.
Please, make your tax-deductible donation now to help purchase and protect Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Each $5.00 you donate will purchase and protect one sqm of the Lowland Daintree Rainforest.
Where is the Daintree Rainforest?
The Daintree Rainforest is a large area of tropical rainforest in Far North Queensland that extends from Mossman Gorge (80km north of Cairns) to Cape Tribulation (110km north of Cairns). It includes large areas of rainforest-clad mountains. Between the Daintree River and Cape Tribulation, the rainforest is continuous from the mountain to the sea and when many people speak of the Daintree, they are often referring to this area, which is known as the Daintree Lowland Rainforest.
What about neighbouring properties?
The property shares a boundary with the Daintree National Park / World Heritage Area in several directions. It also shares a boundary with the Alexandra Bay School (a public primary school). Some of the other neighbouring properties have been developed for housing. Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road shares a boundary with the Daintree National Park and World Heritage Area.
Please, make your tax-deductible donation now to help purchase and protect Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Each $5.00 you donate will purchase and protect one sqm of the Lowland Daintree Rainforest.
Will I be able to visit the properties?
Yes, we want donors and supporters to see the rainforest they are helping to purchase and protect. It is quite easy to visit the Daintree Lowland Rainforest as tourism is established. You can make a day trip from Cairns or Port Douglas or stay for as long as you like. There are many accommodation and tour operators in the Daintree Rainforest that you can find online. Self-drive tourism is also very popular and the land we are purchasing for conservation is easily accessed by a 2WD vehicle.
Please, make your tax-deductible donation now to help purchase and protect Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Each $5.00 you donate will purchase and protect one sqm of the Lowland Daintree Rainforest.
Has this type of buyback been done successfully before now?
Yes, in the past two years, we have purchased twenty-four Daintree Rainforest properties for conservation.
Since 1992, non-profit organisations have purchased over seventy Daintree Rainforest properties for conservation. The Douglas Shire Council, Queensland, and Australian governments have all contributed financially to the purchase or ‘buyback’ of freehold land aimed at preventing further development and to reverse the impacts of the subdivision, however, now all three levels of government say they won't make any further commitment to supporting the purchase and protection of more freehold land, even though the threat of development remains.
Purchased properties and Daintree National Park estate
Protection of the Daintree National Park
The Queensland Government’s track record related to the Daintree National Park provides confidence in its future management.
The Daintree National Park is a World Heritage Area, and this provides the highest level of protection for land in Australia. Since the declaration of the Daintree National Park in 1988, the Queensland Government has ensured land in the national park has been protected. They have also made additions to the national park estate. The conservation of the properties we are acquiring aligns with the Queensland Government plan for the conservation of the Daintree Lowland Rainforest.
The Queensland Government has contributed to the conservation of the Daintree in the following ways.
- In the early 1990s, the Queensland Government introduced a policy preventing the extension of mains electricity north of the Daintree River. This remains in place today.
- In 1993 the Australian and Queensland governments funded the Daintree Rescue Program providing $23 million. $11 million was used to purchase 83 properties totaling 1,640ha for their natural values. The remaining funds were used for management purposes such as visitor facilities.
- In 2004 the Douglas Shire Council placed a moratorium on development while a new planning scheme was developed. This ultimately placed limits on development in specified areas north of Alexandra Range and removed development rights from 350 freehold properties. Between 2006-2008 the Queensland State Government created the Daintree Buyback Scheme to purchase land impacted by the Douglas Shire Council planning scheme. Landholders were given the option to sell to the state government or be compensated for the loss of development rights. The Queensland government provided $15 million and 330 properties were acquired for the Daintree National Park estate.
How will the land be purchased?
The properties are acquired in the same manner as other freehold properties in Australia. A contract for sale is exchanged, a deposit paid and a settlement date set. The purchaser and the seller will both have a conveyancer acting on their behalf.
As a charity, we are providing the opportunity for people to make donations to support the purchase and protection of land. We are unable to structure an opportunity for people to be joint owners, to have a share, or to have their name on the title.
Please, make your tax-deductible donation now to help purchase and protect Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Each $5.00 you donate will purchase and protect one sqm of the Lowland Daintree Rainforest.
Zia Flook in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest | Photo by Steven Nowakowski
How much will it cost?
To purchase and protect Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road, we need to raise $404,500. This includes a contribution towards the management and restoration of the land (see description above).
At 8.09 hectares this represents a price of $5.00 per sqm.
We receive pro bono support for conveyancing and we are exempt from government transfer fees (stamp duty).
Please, make your tax-deductible donation now to help purchase and protect Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Each $5.00 you donate will purchase and protect one sqm of the Lowland Daintree Rainforest.
What happens if the target is exceeded?
All monies raised in excess of $404,500 will go straight towards the purchase of an additional property. There are another 200 properties we would like to purchase and protect.
If the fundraising target is not achieved what will happen to my donation?
All funds raised will be spent on Daintree land purchase and protection. We have been successful in purchasing land in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest for conservation 20 times in the last two years. We feel confident in reaching the fundraising target for this property. If it did occur that we didn't reach the target of $404,500 to buy this property then we would use the available funds to purchase a less expensive property.
We want to be successful, now and into the future, so we carefully choose the properties we want to purchase for conservation. We have a plan to reach the fundraising target needed to buy each property. We purchase them one at a time, we space out the acquisitions and we give consideration to the total cost and the success of past fundraising. Of course, nothing is guaranteed and if we are unable to reach the target for a specified property purchase the donated monies will be used for a future land purchase in the Daintree Rainforest, or if necessary for other conservation projects in the Daintree Rainforest, for example, planting trees. The Rainforest 4 Foundation is registered with the Australian Charities and Non-for-profits Commission and we are required to only spend the donations we receive on the cause as specified in our constitution.
How can I make a donation to purchase and protect land in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest?
Please, make your tax-deductible donation now to help purchase and protect Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Each $5.00 you donate will purchase and protect one sqm of the Lowland Daintree Rainforest.
Ways to Donate
If you want to donate with a cheque/money order or through a direct deposit, please see our Ways to Donate page.
Cheque or Money Order
You can donate by sending a cheque or money order made out to the Bunya Sustainability Fund to PO Box 1226, Mullumbimby, NSW 2482.
PayPal:
You can donate using your PayPal account on our website.
You can send your donation to [email protected]
Direct Deposit: If you would like to donate by direct deposit, the account details are:
Bank: ANZ Bank
Account Name: Bunya Sustainability Fund
BSB: 012 742
Account No. 2093 50036
If you contribute by direct deposit, please send an email to [email protected] with the details of the amount and any preference you have for supporting a project. Please also provide your name and postal address so we can issue a receipt.
CASH DONATIONS:
You can make cash deposits at any branch of the ANZ Bank or their agents. The account details are:
Bank: ANZ Bank
Account Name: Bunya Sustainability Fund
BSB: 012 742
Account No. 2093 50036
If you contribute by a cash deposit, please send an email to [email protected] with the details of the amount and any preference you have for supporting a project. Please also provide your name and postal address so we can issue a receipt.
About the Rainforest 4 Foundation
The Rainforest 4 Foundation is an Australian Company Limited by Guarantee (the legal structure of an Australian nonprofit organisation. We are registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (the Australian company regulator).
We are also registered with the Australian Charites and Not-for-profits Commission (the Australian charity regulator).
Australian Company Number (ACN): 628358323
Australian Business Number (ABN): 49628358323
If you have any questions please contact us or call Kelvin Davies on 0437 423 119.
Please, make your tax-deductible donation now to help purchase and protect Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Each $5.00 you donate will purchase and protect one sqm of the Lowland Daintree Rainforest.