New Project: Purchase of Lot 34 in the Daintree Rainforest

We've got Cassowaries! The need to protect and restore the habitat for these amazing big birds is the reason we’ve chosen Lot 34 Cape Tribulation Road as the next property to purchase.

Lot 34 Cape Tribulation Road at Diwan

Lot 34 Cape Tribulation Road is zoned by the Douglas Shire Council for development. It's also the habitat for the Endangered Southern Cassowary and 195 species of native plants.

To prevent the development of Lot 34 we had to act quickly and take it off the market. We are raising $300,000 to purchase, protect, and restore Lot 34.

Now that we've exchanged a contract of sale we need your help.

Please, donate now and help purchase Lot 34 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Rainforest. Your donation will help purchase and protect essential Cassowary habitat. To help save Lot 34 Cape Tribulation Road please donate now.

Lot 34 in the landscape

A subdivision in the 1980s impacted two-thirds of the Daintree Lowland Rainforest creating 1,136 freehold blocks and 50 km of roads. Our successful buyback program is helping to piece it back together.

We’ve already purchased three blocks close to Lot 34 which is also a short distance from the Daintree National Park. Last year we purchased Lot 85 Cape Tribulation Road and Lot 110 Palm Road. This year purchased Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road.

Now we need to purchase Lot 34 Cape Tribulation Road. We need to raise $300,000 to purchase, protect, and restore Lot 34.

The Endangered Southern Cassowary

I joined ecologist and botanist Kristopher Kupsch during his survey of Lot 34 to assess its conservation values. I arrived a little early and observed a Cassowary on Lot 34 feeding on the fruits of a Variegated Fig. What a fantastic way to start.

As Kristopher used his specialist knowledge and skills to identify 195 species of native plants he pointed out the many trees that produce fruits eaten by the Southern Cassowary.

There are two vegetation types covering the 3 hectares and this occurs as soil fertility and drainage vary. The lower eastern portion of the block is poorly drained, and this provides ideal conditions for ground orchids.

Ground orchids on Lot 34

One plant species of conservation significance is the Climbing Pandan (Freycinetia percostata) which is listed as a Threatened species under the Vegetation Management Act 1999. This species is restricted mainly to the Daintree lowlands and again on Cape York at Iron Range and overseas in Papua New Guinea. This climbing monocotyledon plant possesses unique leaves which the bases catch water and thus provide habitat for arboreal invertebrates and frogs.

There are two other regional endemic plants that occur on Lot 34.

The Daintree Foambark (Jagera madida) only occurs in the lowland rainforests between Julatten and Bloomfield.

The Cooper Creek Haplostichanthus (Polyalthia xanthocarpa) is an understorey tree less than 3m tall with small yellow fruit in clusters from the trunk and branches. This species is restricted to the lowland rainforests of the Daintree.

Cooper Creek Haplostichanthus (Polyalthia xanthocarpa)

Lot 34 Cape Tribulation Road has two Regional Ecosystems.

Regional Ecosystem 7.3.17: Complex mesophyll vine forest on well-drained alluvium of high fertility is listed as “Endangered” under the Vegetation Management Act 1999.

Regional Ecosystem 7.3.10a: Mesophyll vine forest. Moderately to poorly-drained alluvial plains, of moderate fertility. Lowlands of the very wet and wet zone are listed as “Of Concern” under the Vegetation Management Act 1999.

A written report informs the decisions on which properties to acquire. We've published a summary of the survey of Lot 34 Cape Tribulation Road at Diwan here.

Also observed during the survey was a terrestrial termite mound with an excavated nesting tunnel presumably made by a Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher. Lot 34 also provides habitat for the Orange-footed Scrub Fowl (Megapodius reinwardt) which was confirmed by the large incubation mound observed on the property.

Incubation mound of the Orange-footed Scrub Fowl

Rainforest rehabilitation:

The purchase of Lot 34 Cape Tribulation Road will also provide the opportunity to restore “essential habitat” for the Endangered Southern Cassowary. The property has 30 exotic plant species. Their existence reflects the disturbance on the site that has occurred through past clearing. This is estimated to have occurred 40 years ago and a smaller area was cleared for a house site within the last 2-3 years. Singapore Daisy (Sphagneticola trilobata) is the most abundant weed species. Giant Bramble (Rubus alceifolius) is found wherever the canopy is absent. Other novel understorey weeds were the Southeast Asian Beehive Ginger (Zingiber spectabile) and two Central American Heliconia species.

Rehabilitation of the site will focus on reestablishing continuous canopy cover. This can be achieved through facilitating natural regeneration and supplementary tree planting.

Giant Bramble (Rubus alceifolius)

Lot 34 Cape Tribulation Road at Diwan is 3 hectares in size. We are raising $300,000 for the purchase and rehabilitation of the property which is a cost of $10.00 per sqm.

If you have any questions about the purchase and protection of land in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest please see our answers to frequently asked questions or email me at [email protected]. You can also call me during business hours at 0437 423 119.

Thank you to everyone helping to Save the Daintree Rainforest.

Kelvin Davies

Founder, Rainforest 4 Foundation

P.S. Making an affordable gift every month is one of the very best ways to help us buy back land in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest as it allows us to plan ahead. The more people we have making a monthly gift the more confidence we can have in placing a deposit on properties and planning for their purchase.

Please, will you help to save the Daintree with an affordable monthly gift?

Your monthly gift will support the purchase of at-risk freehold properties and protect them forever. Each $2.50 donated will purchase 1 sqm of the Daintree Rainforest. Every $5 you donate will help save 2 square meters of the Daintree Rainforest from the threat of development. A $25 donation will help save 10 square meters of beautiful tropical rainforest. A donation of $50 will help save 20 square meters and $100 will help save 40 square meters of World Heritage value Daintree Rainforest.

Donations are tax-deductible and receipts will be issued. Other frequently asked questions are answered here.

Bennett's Tree-kangaroo - Photo by David White

Endangered Ecological Community

The Daintree Lowland Rainforest itself has now been identified as part of an Endangered Ecological Community. 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.

BACKGROUND

In 1982 the Queensland government approved a 1,136-lot rural residential subdivision in the Daintree. This resulted in two-thirds of the Daintree Lowland Rainforest being excluded from protection in the Daintree National Park and Wet Tropics World Heritage Area that was declared in 1988. Lot 398 Maple Road in Cow Bay is one of these properties.

The Daintree Lowland Rainforest is one of the oldest rainforests on Earth and provides a refuge for wildlife and ancient flowering plants. It holds exceptionally high biodiversity and conservation value and is the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest remaining in Australia. With almost 200 undeveloped properties remaining in private ownership, the future of the Daintree is yet to be determined. Will it be increased development and urbanisation, or will it be the winding back of the disastrous subdivision to save the Daintree Rainforest.

STRONGER TOGETHER

The project to purchase and protect land in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest is a partnership involving the Rainforest 4 Foundation, Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation, and fellow non-profit HalfCut. We recognise that we are Stronger Together and raise funds for the buyback of properties in the Daintree Rainforest and their management for conservation.

Do you like this post?

Showing 1 reaction

Sign in with

Kelvin Davies published this page in Latest News 2022-12-05 15:58:57 +1100