PURCHASE OF LOT 26 RONALD ROAD, IN THE DAINTREE LOWLAND RAINFOREST

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

Action: Purchase Lot 26 Ronald Road (RP733653) 

Area: 2.093 hectares

Location: Forest Creek, Queensland

Vegetation type: Lowland Tropical Rainforest (remnant and regrowth) 

Endangered Ecological Community: Lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics ecological community is listed in the Endangered Category under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Threatened Species: Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii), China Camp Laurel (Beilschmiedia castrisinensis), Cyclophyllum costatum (no common name), Gray’s Walnut (Endiandra grayi), Noah’s Walnut (Endiandra microneura), Climbing Pandan (Freycinetia percostata)

Fundraising update for the 29th of May 2023

All donations to this project will now be matched - dollar for dollar. This is a fantastic opportunity to double the impact of your gift. 

Target to purchase and protect this property: $209,300

Amount raised: 27,905

Remaining target: $181,395

Please, donate now and help purchase Lot 26 Ronald Road in the Daintree Rainforest.

Lot 26 Ronald Road

Many people believe the Daintree Rainforest is fully protected however many freehold properties were excluded from inclusion in the Daintree National Park and World Heritage Area when it was declared in 1988. Over time these properties are being developed for housing. This degrades the iconic Daintree Rainforest and damaged the habitat of threatened species of plants and animals.

Lot 26 Ronald Road (RP733653) is a freehold property of 2.093 hectares located at Forest Creek where the endangered Southern Cassowary and the rare Bennetts Tree-Kangaroo have recently been sighted.

We need your help! The Douglas Shire Council has this property zoned as being suitable for rural residential development. To prevent this from occurring we will purchase Lot 26 Ronald Road and ensure the tropical rainforest is managed for conservation. 

The rainforest on Lot 26 Ronald Road deserves the same level of protection as the nearby Daintree National Park and World Heritage Area. 

This is why we urgently need your help to purchase this at-risk property.

Please, donate now and help purchase Lot 26 Ronald Road in the Daintree Rainforest and protect it from the threat of development. Your donation will help purchase and protect essential Cassowary habitat. Prefer to use PayPal? Please donate here.

View over Lot 26 to the Alexander Range 

Lot 26 Ronald Road was offered for sale on the open market and could have been sold to someone wishing to develop the property. 

That's why we took action and exchanged a contract of sale and paid a deposit. Now we have the urgent task of raising $209,300 by the 30th of June 2023. 

The rainforest on Lot 26 Ronald Road deserves the same level of protection as the nearby Daintree National Park and World Heritage Area. 

Please, donate now and help purchase Lot 26 Ronald Road in the Daintree Rainforest and protect it from the threat of development. Your donation will help purchase and protect essential Cassowary habitat. Prefer to use PayPal? Please donate here.

View from Lot 26 Ronald Road 

The purchase of Lot 26 Ronald Road will prevent the development of the property and fragmentation of the landscape. Fragmentation occurs when forests are reduced in the area through deforestation, road building, or other developments, dividing the forest into smaller blocks and creating what is known as the edge effect. The impacts of the edge effect have been thoroughly documented over several decades and show the significant detrimental effects on biodiversity. 

We have purchased 27 properties in the Daintree lowlands over the last 3 years - all funded by donations from the public. Through this process, we are reversing the negative impacts of the subdivision of the Daintree in the 1980s that created 1,136 freehold properties.

To purchase and protect Lot 26 Ronald Road we need to raise $209,300. The property is 20,930 sqm in size and the price is $10 per sqm.

Please, donate now and help purchase Lot 26 Ronald Road in the Daintree Rainforest and protect it from the threat of development. Your donation will help purchase and protect essential Cassowary habitat. Prefer to use PayPal? Please donate here.

The endangered Southern Cassowary

The acquisition of Lot 26 Ronald Road will help to fulfil our vision for the conservation of the Daintree Lowland Rainforest which requires the buyback of all undeveloped freehold properties so they can be managed for their exceptional conservation values. Buying this property will be a fantastic outcome for conservation as it shares a boundary with another property purchased for conservation in 2022 and is located only a few hundred metres from the Daintree National Park and World Heritage Area. Following the purchase of this property, and its restoration we will begin the process for it to be assessed for inclusion in the national park.

The rainforest on Lot 26 Ronald Road deserves the same level of protection as the nearby Daintree National Park and World Heritage Area. 

Please, donate now and help purchase Lot 26 Ronald Road in the Daintree Rainforest and protect it from the threat of development. Your donation will help purchase and protect essential Cassowary habitat. Prefer to use PayPal? Please donate here.

Fan Palm on Lot 26 Ronald Road

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 26 Ronald Road at Forest Creek 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.

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.

Please, donate now and help purchase Lot 26 Ronald Road in the Daintree Rainforest and protect it from the threat of development. Your donation will help purchase and protect essential Cassowary habitat. Prefer to use PayPal? Please donate here.

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.

Urgent action is required to Save the Cassowary! If we'd taken action sooner the Cassowary wouldn't be on the brink. Now the situation is urgent and we must rapidly restore their rainforest habitat. 

PURCHASE OF LOT 150 CAPE TRIBULATION ROAD, IN THE DAINTREE LOWLAND RAINFOREST

Action: Purchase Lot 150 Cape Tribulation Road (RP 738591) 

Area: 1.021 hectares 

Location: Diwan, Queensland

Vegetation type: The majority of Lot 150 contains Regional Ecosystem 7.3.3: Mesophyll vine forest with Archontophoenix alexandrae on poorly drained alluvial plains. This vegetation type is listed as “Of Concern” under the Vegetation Management Act 1999.

Endangered Ecological Community: Lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics ecological community is listed in the Endangered Category under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Threatened Species: Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii), Climbing Pandan (Freycinetia percostata), Daintree Ryparosa (Ryparosa kurrangii), Gray’s Walnut (Endiandra grayi), Isachne sharpii (no common name),  Noah’s Walnut (Endiandra microneura).

Species of conservation Significance (Endemic or found at the limits of their natural range): Green Dinosaur (Idiospermum australiense), Daintree Cleistanthus (Cleistanthus myrianthus), Millaa Ebony (Diospyros pluviatilis), Cooper Creek Haplostichanthus (Polyalthia xanthocarpa). 

Lot 150 Cape Tribulation Road

The Daintree Lowland Rainforest is a living museum and Lot 150 Cape Tribulation Road has a significant population of the ancient flowering plant Idiospermum australiense.

This species represents one of the earliest known lineages of flowering plants, dating back 120 million years. They are found in very few locations in north-eastern Queensland (e.g. the Daintree National Park and nearby freehold properties) and only in the very wet parts of the rainforest. 

The Idiospermum has provided justification for the description of the Daintree as the oldest continuously existing rainforest in the world. They have been called the Green Dinosaur and the Daintree - the place where flowers began. They are found in the fossil record going back 120 million years and are of great significance to science and our understanding of the evolution of flowering plants. 

For this reason, Lot 150 Cape Tribulation Road has been purchased and will be provided with the highest level of protection, and managed for its exceptional conservation values.  

Seedlings of the Ribbonwood (Idiospermum australiense)

Ribbonwood trees (Idiospermum australiense) have a very limited distribution. Unlike fruits of other rainforest plants, they are not distributed by the Southern Cassowary. 

They have a unique poison, a chemical called idiospermuline contained within the seed. The seeds are so toxic that most animals cannot eat them without being severely poisoned. The seeds are mainly spread through gravity dispersal, the seeds rolling down slopes to find their new home. It has been suggested that the seeds were formerly dispersed by the now-extinct Diprotodon, on the basis that many Australian marsupials are adapted to cope with the toxins in Australian plants.

Lot 150 Cape Tribulation Road is a freehold property adjacent to the Daintree National Park. It is located at Diwan and is part of the core Idiospermum habitat in the Daintree. The Idiospermum populations at Diwan is equally significant to populations in the Noah/Oliver Creek valleys.

Leaves of the Ribbonwood (Idiospermum australiense)

The acquisition of Lot 150 Cape Tribulation Road will help to fulfil our vision for the conservation of the Daintree Lowland Rainforest which requires the buyback of all undeveloped freehold properties so they can be managed for their exceptional conservation values. Buying this property will allow it to be included in the adjoining Daintree National Park. 

The Daintree Lowland Rainforest in North Queensland is the oldest rainforest on the planet, with an unbroken evolutionary history going back over 120 million years to the first flowering plants. 

“Small areas on the very wet lowlands, especially between the Daintree River and Cape Tribulation, harbour plant species which are extremely restricted and uncommon. Many areas of this ecosystem are considered refugial in nature and are local centers of endemism. Many representatives of primitive families of flowering plants are present, including the monotypic family Idiospermaceae. The ecosystem is the habitat for many threatened plant species”.

International Union for the Conservation of Nature. 

 Fruits of the Ribbonwood (Idiospermum australiense) on Lot 150

Lot 150 Cape Tribulation Road is located at Diwan in the heart of the iconic Daintree Lowland Rainforest. It is completely covered by tropical rainforest and there is no evidence of a past clearing. On the property, there are many very large trees reaching 35 to 60 meters tall with impressive buttress roots. The trees are festooned with epiphytes being ferns and orchids with large lianas and other vines cascading from above.

Lot 150 is important in maintaining a vegetated corridor across the landscape as the property abuts a significant and extensive tract of forest from the mangroves to the east containing the biologically rich Cooper Creek - Cow Bay mangrove system and the Thornton Peak mountainous region to the immediate west.   

This region of the Daintree houses cryptic and rare species, some of which were identified growing on Lot 150.

A vegetation survey undertaken in May 2023 identified 164 species of plants including five listed at Threatened species. 

The vegetation on Lot 150 Cape Tribulation Road contains two markedly different ecosystems, one that is high diversity well developed luxuriant rainforest growing in better-drained soil while the other is Swamp forest of lower diversity growing in a ponded situation. The entire property is remnant vegetation.

The majority of Lot 150 contains Regional Ecosystem 7.3.3: Mesophyll vine forest with Archontophoenix alexandrae on poorly drained alluvial plains.

This vegetation type is listed as “Of Concern” under the Vegetation Management Act 1999. The Queensland government indicates a pre-clearing amount of 5,000 ha existed with 2,000 ha remaining in 2019. The Queensland government specifically states that this vegetation type has “Special Values” being: “Habitat for threatened plant species include Phlegmariurus dalhousieanus”.

The second vegetation type is Regional Ecosystem 7.11.1: Simple to complex mesophyll to notophyll vine forest on moderately to poorly drained metamorphics (excluding amphibolites) of moderate fertility of the moist and wet lowlands, foothills and uplands.

Regional Ecosystem 7.11.1 is categorised as Essential habitat for the:

• Endangered Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii)
• Spotted-tailed Quoll Northern subspecies (Dasyurus maculatus gracilis)
• Bennett’s tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus bennettianus)
• a Vine (Dioclea hexandra)
• a Fern (Hymenasplenium wildii)

Of note from Lot 150 were 10 species of native Meliaceae (Mahogany’s), 9 species of native Laurels, 9 species of native Palm and 7 species of native Ficus. Some larger specimens of the ancient Hope’s Cycad (Lepidozamia hopei) were identified on the property and a handful of younger seedlings.

Old-growth trees on Lot 150 Cape Tribulation Road

The endangered Southern Cassowary 

Lot 150 Cape Tribulation Road (right of picture) 

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.  

PURCHASE OF LOT 398 MAPLE ROAD, COW BAY IN THE DAINTREE LOWLAND RAINFOREST

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

Action: Purchase Lot 398 Maple Rd, Cow Bay (RP739004)

Area: 1.412 hectares

Location: Cow Bay, Queensland

Vegetation type: The vegetation on Lot 398 Maple Road is classified as 7.11.1a Mesophyll vine forest in lowlands and foothills on metamorphic soils. This is a very wet rainfall zone

Endangered Ecological Community: Lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics ecological community is listed in the Endangered Category under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Threatened Species: Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii), Noah’s Walnut (Endiandra microneura)

This project was completed in November 2022. Thank you to the hundreds of generous donors. 

Lot 398 Maple Road 

We purchased Lot 398 Maple Road in Cow Bay to fulfil our vision for the conservation of the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. This requires the buyback of undeveloped freehold properties in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest and ensuring the land is included in the Daintree National Park (CYPAL) so it can be managed for its exceptional conservation values.

This freehold property deserves the same level of protection as the adjacent Daintree National Park and World Heritage Area. Its strategic location at the end of Maple Road makes this an important acquisition as we work towards reversing the impacts of the subdivision created in 1982. 

An intact canopy of old-growth rainforest trees made Lot 398 Maple Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest an important acquisition for conservation. There is no evidence on the property of past clearing and the canopy trees are 60 meters tall. There are also many old-growth trees with hollows that provide habitat for Birds, Snakes, Gliders, Possums, Bats, and other tree-dwelling animals.

Please make a donation to purchase and protect the next property in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest.

Tropical Rainforest on Lot 398 Maple Road

Two species found on Lot 398 are listed as Threatened in the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992. Noah’s Walnut (Endiandra microneura) is listed as Near Threatened and the Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii) is listed as Endangered. 

The assemblage of plants on Lot 398 Maple Road has many species within the primitive plant family “Lauraceae”, all of which provide food for the Cassowary. We have been focusing on land acquisition in Cow Bay as scientists have identified this area as providing an “Essential habitat for the Endangered Southern Cassowary”. 

Please make a donation to purchase and protect the next property in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest.

Cassowary at Cow Bay in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest

Another exceptional feature of the property is a large Hopes Cycad (Lepidozamia hopei). These cycads are very slow-growing and this specimen is estimated at over 1,000 years old. They are endemic to Queensland and are the world's largest species of cycad.

Also found on Lot 398 Maple Road was the Zamia Fern (Bowenia spectabilis) which is actually a species of cycad, a very ancient group of plants. They don't produce flowers and reproduce by means of cones borne on separate male and female plants. The cones of the Zamia Fern seem to pop out of the ground! The Zamia Fern is endemic to Queensland. 

Please make a donation to purchase and protect the next property in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest.

Zamia Fern (left) and Hopes Cycad

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. 

Lot 398 Maple Road at Cow Bay

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.

Please make a donation to purchase and protect the next property in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest.

PURCHASE OF LOT 34 CAPE TRIBULATION ROAD, DIWAN THE DAINTREE LOWLAND RAINFOREST

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

Action: Purchase and protection of Lot 34 Cape Tribulation Road (SP259951)

Area: 3 hectares

Location: Diwan, Queensland

Threatened Species: Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii), Climbing Pandan (Freycinetia percostata)

Vegetation type: Two vegetation communities exist on the property. Regional Ecosystem 7.3.10a: Mesophyll vine forest. Listed as “Of Concern” under the Vegetation Management Act 1999. And Regional Ecosystem 7.3.17:  Complex mesophyll vine forest. Listed as “Endangered” under the Queensland Vegetation Management Act 1999.

Endangered Ecological Community: Lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics ecological community is listed in the Endangered Category under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

All donations to this project will now be matched - dollar for dollar. This is a fantastic opportunity to double the impact of your gift. 

Fundraising update for the 29th of May 2023.

Target to purchase and protect this property: $300,000

Amount raised: $144,525

Remaining target: $155,475

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.

Lot 34 Cape Tribulation Road 

Lot 34 Cape Tribulation Road is located at Diwan in the heart of the iconic Daintree Lowland Rainforest. This freehold property was created through a rural residential subdivision in 1982 and it is zoned by the Douglas Shire Council as being suitable for development.

The rainforest and the Threatened species found on the property deserve the same level of protection as the nearby Daintree National Park and World Heritage Area. That’s why we need your help to purchase Lot 34 Cape Tribulation Road, prevent it from being developed for housing and ensure it is managed for conservation.

We have purchased 3 nearby properties and 26 properties in the Daintree lowlands over the last 3 years. Through this, we are preventing the development of individual blocks and reversing the impacts of the subdivision of the Daintree in the 1980s that created 1,136 freehold properties.

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.

Lot 34 in the landscape 

A vegetation survey of Lot 34 Cape Tribulation Road by our ecologist identified 195 species of native plants. See a summary of the survey here.

The Endangered Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii) was observed during the survey. There are only 4,400 of these amazing big birds remaining in Australia’s wet tropical rainforest.

We also saw an Orange-footed Scrub Fowl (Megapodius reinwardt) by its large incubation mound and nearby, a terrestrial termite mound with an excavated nesting tunnel presumably made by a Buff Breasted Paradise Kingfisher.

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.

The endangered Southern Cassowary 

Threatened Species

Two species found on Lot 34 are listed as Threatened in the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992. 

The Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii) is listed as Endangered.  The vegetation for Lot 34 has been categorised as Essential Cassowary habitat. Many species of plant identified on Lot 34 produce food for the Southern Cassowary.

Lot 34 provides “Essential habitat for the Endangered Southern Cassowary”.

The Climbing Pandan (Freycinetia percostata) is listed as Vulnerable. This species 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.

Two other significant Daintree endemic plants 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. It is restricted to the lowland rainforests of the Daintree Rainforest.

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.

Kelvin Davies with Cooper Creek Haplostichanthus

The acquisition of Lot 34 Cape Tribulation Road will prevent its development for housing and help reverse the negative impacts of the subdivision created in 1982. This will help to fulfil our vision for the conservation of the Daintree Lowland Rainforest which requires the buyback of all undeveloped freehold properties so they can be managed for its exceptional conservation values.

There is evidence on the property of past clearing. Natural regeneration has been occurring for 40 years however environmental weeds have filled the gaps in the canopy. We will address this problem by directing $60,000 of the funds raised for this project towards rainforest restoration.

Buying and protecting this property will be a fantastic outcome for conservation as it improves connectivity and enables an improved management regime for the conservation of the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Following the purchase of this property, and its restoration we will begin the process for it to assessed for inclusion in the Daintree National Park (CYPAL) estate. 

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

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.

Incubation mound of the Orange-footed Scrub Fowl 

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.

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.

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 34 in Diwan 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. 

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.

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.  

A large Hopes Cycad over 1,000 years old and an intact canopy of old-growth rainforest trees make Lot 398 Maple Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest an important acquisition for conservation. 

PURCHASE OF CHEELONGA ON THE ATHERTON TABLELANDS

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

Action: Purchase of Cheelonga Cloud Forest and protection through addition to the Misty Mountain Nature Refuge

Area: 18 hectares

Location: Millaa Millaa, Queensland

Vegetation type: Regional Ecosystem 7.8.4 high altitude cloud forest on basalt

Threatened Species: Cassowary, Lumhotz’s Tree-kangaroo, Lemuroid Ringtail Possum, Green Ringtail Possum, Northern Pygmy Possum, Golden Bowerbird

Fundraising for this project is now complete. Thank you to everyone who made a donation to achieve this outcome. 

The purchase of Cheelonga has protected 18 hectares of high-altitude Cloud Forest and provides an essential refuge for endemic mammals that have nowhere else to go. 

Climate Change poses a threat to a range of endemic cooler climate Wet Tropics species. Without functional connections within fragmented habitat areas, it is feared that the long-term survival of a range of species will be at substantial risk. 

The Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo and the Lemuroid and Green Ringtail Possums are restricted to the cooler parts of the Atherton Tablelands and other higher areas of the Wet Tropics. Securing this important habitat is essential to support their long-term survival.

Lemuroid Ringtail Possum, Lumhotz’s Tree-kangaroo, Green Ringtail Possum.

One impact of Climate Change is the increasing number of days with high temperatures. On the 15th of January 2019, a record-breaking heatwave in Far North Queensland pushed temperatures to 42 degrees Celcius. This one event is estimated to have killed more than 23,000 spectacled flying foxes, or almost one-third of the species in Australia. Climate Change impacts on bats are highly visible as they often roost near urban areas and heat-stressed animals come to or fall to the ground, however, these extreme events also impact mammals adapted to live in the normally stable environment of the could forests. 

Tree ferns thrive in the cloud forest. 

Donations to this project are being used to achieve the purchase of land, a boundary adjustment (of Lot 303 NR4636), new fencing, and management of the process to include the land in the Misty Mountain Nature Refuge. As these outcomes are achieved we will make further announcements. 

The Cheelonga property will be protected through its inclusion in the Misty Mountain Nature Refuge. A declaration of a Nature Refuge requires gazettal through an act of the Queensland Parliament and provides the highest level of protection for land outside of a national park. 

Lumholtz Tree-kangaroo on the Cheelonga Cloud Forest property.

A key feature of the block is that it includes a significant section of the creek that starts at a spring on Misty Mountain and flows through to the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The property is strategically located between the Malaan National Park and Herberton Range National Park. In addition, the block directly abuts the World Heritage Area. Besides its strategic corridor value also helps buffer the World Heritage Area.

The key species at Cheelonga Cloud Forest are the Southern Cassowary, Lumhotz’s Tree-kangaroo, Lemuroid Ringtail Possum, Green Ringtail Possum, Northern Pygmy Possum, and Golden Bowerbird.

Acquisition of the property will complete the Misty Mountain corridor.

Our project partners are South Endeavour Trust, a successful registered nonprofit organisation that acquires and manages land for conservation. We successfully partnered with them in 2021 for the acquisition of Oakey Scrub near Cooktown. They own and manage the Misty Mountain Nature Refuge which has been created through the acquisition of two other properties in the past decade.  

Purchasing Cheelonga will expand the Misty Mountain Nature Refuge.

If you have any questions about the purchase and protection of Cheelonga Cloud Forest contact Kelvin Davies at [email protected] or call during business hours at 0437 423 119.

PURCHASE OF LOT 197 QUANDONG ROAD IN THE DAINTREE LOWLAND RAINFOREST

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

Action: Purchase Lot 197 Quandong Road (197 RP738167)

Area: 1.015 hectares

Location: Cow Bay, Daintree Lowland Rainforest, Queensland. 

Vegetation type: Regional Ecosystem 7.11.44 “Eucalyptus tereticornis open forest to woodland on coastal metamorphic foothills”. 

Endangered Ecological Community: Lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics ecological community is listed in the Endangered Category under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Threatened Species: Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii), Gray’s Walnut (Endiandra grayi), Noahs Walnut (Endiandra microneura), Daintree Gardenia (Randia audasii)

Lot 197 Quandong Road at Cow Bay

Lot 197 Quandong Road at Cow Bay is a freehold property in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest that provides habitat for the endangered Southern Cassowary and three plants listed as Threatened species.

The vegetation survey of Lot 197 Quandong Road, Cow Bay was undertaken on the 27th of July 2019 by ecologist Kristopher Kupsch. The most important habitat feature on lot 197 is the presence of very tall (35m high) Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis) as they possess large hollow-bearing limbs which are important habitats for Gliders, Possums, Snakes, Birds, and other tree-dwelling animals.

Fan Palms on Lot 197 Quandong Road in the Daintree Rainforest

Lot 197 Quandong Road provides habitat for the Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii) which is listed as Endangered in the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992. This property shares a boundary with the Daintree National Park / World Heritage Area. Evidence of the Southern Cassowary using the property was confirmed by dung. Cassowaries are regularly sighted in the adjoining Daintree National Park and on nearby properties.

Lot 197 Quandong road is entirely vegetated. 170 plant species of native plants were identified during the survey of the 1-hectare property. Three are listed on the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Lot 197 has a high diversity of native Laurel species (Lauraceae) with 13 species identified, also the Mahogany family (Meliaceae) is well represented with 7 species of Dysoxylum, plus 8 species of Palms (Arecaeae) and 11 species of Myrtles (Myrtaceae). These species produce fruits for the endangered Southern Cassowary. 

Cassowary in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest

Lot 197 Quandong Road is located at Cow Bay in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Buying land in this location helps us to reverse the impacts of the disastrous 1980s rural residential subdivision and prevents another house from being built in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Lot 197 Quandong Road is a freehold property and subject to approval by Douglas Shire Council it could have been developed for housing just as nearby properties have been in the past. 

We have purchased two nearby properties, Lot 125 (2020) and Lot 176 Quandong Road (2021). Adding lot 197 increases the area of protected land in Cow Bay.  

Lot 197 Quandong Road at Cow Bay

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.  

PURCHASE OF LOT 6 THORNTON PEAK DRIVE, FOREST CREEK IN THE DAINTREE LOWLAND RAINFOREST

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

Action: Purchase Lot 6 Thornton Peak Drive (RP 738519)

Area: 3.75 hectares

Location: Forest Creek, Queensland. 

Vegetation type: Lot 6 comprises two distinct ecosystems by changes in soil/drainage conditions. One a Sclerophyll open woodland and the other a closed canopy Tropical Rainforest habitat

Endangered Ecological Community: Lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics ecological community is listed in the Endangered Category under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Threatened Species: Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii), Climbing Pandan (Freycinetia excelsa), Ant Plant (Myrmecodia beccarii)

Lot 6 Thornton Peak Drive at Forest Creek

Lot 6 Thornton Peak Drive at Forest Creek is a freehold property in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest that provides habitat for the endangered Southern Cassowary and the rare Bennett's Tree-kangaroo. It can be developed for housing just as nearby properties have been in the past. In the recent past rainforest on nearby properties in Forest Creek have been cleared for rural residential development. Our purchase of Lot 6 Thornton Peak Drive will ensure this important property is protected forever. 

Lot 6 Thornton Peak Drive at Forest Creek

Lot 6 comprises two distinct ecosystems that occur due to changes in soil/drainage conditions. One is a Sclerophyll open woodland and the other is a closed canopy Rainforest habitat. Fan Palms (Licuala ramsayi) occur on the property and the species delineates the two main types of vegetation — the sclerophyll vegetation (sclerophyll forests generally are dominated by plants that have hard leaves adapted to drought and are fire-tolerant) — and the mesophyll vine forest (tropical rainforest) featuring these Fan Palms in abundance. The presence of Cassowaries has been noted from scats within the rainforest habitat near the creek in the eastern portions of the property.

We have purchased two nearby properties, Lot 3 in January 2020 and Lot 3 in July 2021. Adding lot 6 increases the area of protected land in Forest Creek as these three properties share a boundary with the Daintree National Park and World Heritage Area. 

Fan Palms on Lot 6 Thornton Peak Drive in the Daintree Rainforest

Lot 6 Thornton Peak Drive is 3.75 hectares of critical habitat for native wildlife and plants. A small creek runs through the rainforest where the presence of the Southern Cassowary has been observed. The rare Bennetts Tree-kangaroo has also been sighted nearby.

Fan Palms (Licuala ramsayi) occur on the property and the species delineates the two main types of vegetation: sclerophyll vegetation which is generally dominated by plants that have hard leaves adapted to drought and fire; and mesophyll vine forest, which is tropical rainforest featuring these Fan Palms in abundance.

Buying land in this location helps us to reverse the impacts of the disastrous 1980’s rural residential subdivision and prevents another house from being built in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. 

Lot 6 Thornton Peak Drive provides habitat for the Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii) which is listed as Endangered in the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992. This property shares a boundary with the Daintree National Park / World Heritage Area. Evidence of the Southern Cassowary using the property was confirmed by dung. Cassowaries are regularly sighted in the adjoining Daintree National Park and on nearby properties.

Cassowary in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest

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.

Black Palms and Fan Palms on Lot 6 Thornton Peak Drive

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 6 Thornton Peak Drive 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. 

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.  

PURCHASE OF LOT 373 HICKORY ROAD, COW BAY IN THE DAINTREE LOWLAND RAINFOREST

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

Action: Purchase Lot 373 Hickory Road (RP 739002)

Area: 1.0 hectares

Location: Cow Bay, Daintree Lowland Rainforest, Queensland

Vegetation type: Lowland tropical rainforest classified as Mesophyll vine forest on moderate to poorly-drained alluvial plains of moderate fertility. 

Regional Ecosystem 7.3.10a: Listed as “Of Concern” under the Vegetation Management Act 1999.

Endangered Ecological Community: Lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics ecological community is listed in the Endangered Category under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Threatened Species: Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii), China Camp Laurel (Beilschmiedia castrisinensis), Gray’s Walnut (Endiandra grayi), Noah’s Walnut (Endiandra microneura), Fragrant Boxwood (Xanthophyllum fragrans). 

Lot 373 Hickory Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest

The purchase of Lot 373 Hickory Road provides a secure habitat for the endangered Southern Cassowary and 210 native plant species of plants. 

Lot 373 Hickory Road adjoins the Daintree National Park and World Heritage Area. Our survey identified four plant species listed as Threatened on Lot 373. 

We purchased Lot 373 Hickory Road at Cow Bay to fulfill our vision for the conservation of the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. This requires the buyback of all undeveloped freehold properties in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. 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. 

During the survey of Lot 373 Hickory Road we identified 7 exotic plant species. With the purchase of the property, it can now be managed for conservation. Of the weeds, Spanish Shawl (Dissotis rotundifolia) is the most prolific. This is a ground cover species with a flower resembling a Tibouchina or Melastoma. They will be hand weeded and bagged for removal. Other exotic plants are the Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) which likely originated from neighbouring properties and Heliconia rostrata which are likely residual from planted specimens. Lot 373 Hickory Road will now be managed for conservation and all of the exotic plants removed. 

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 373 Hickory Road is one of these properties.

The survey identified 210 native plants on Lot 373 Hickory Road

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 undertaken on the 4th of February 2022 identified 210 native plant species including 4 plant species listed on the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992. There are also 5 endemic plant species that have their distribution largely restricted to the Daintree lowlands. 

The Fragrant Boxwood (Xanthophyllum fragrans) was identified on Lot 373 as one mature-sized specimen. This is the first record of this Threatened species on any of the properties surveyed thus far. The specimen is approximately 10m tall and mature. It produces fragrant showy white flowers and large orange fruits.

Lot 373 Hickory Road is the only property where we have found the Fragrant Boxwood, an endemic tree restricted to the tropical rainforests of Far North Queensland. On lot 373 it was identified from just one mature-sized specimen of approximately 10m tall.

The survey of Lot 373 Hickory Road by our ecologist and botanist identified 210 species of native plants including four species of conservation importance. The China Camp Laurel (Beilschmiedia castrisinensis), Gray’s Walnut (Endiandra grayi), Noah’s Walnut (Endiandra microneura), and the Fragrant Boxwood (Xanthophyllum fragrans), are listed as Threatened species in the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992. We've taken many photographs of the property and you can see them here.

Lot 373 Hickory Road provides essential habitat for the Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii) which is listed as Endangered in the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992. This property shares a boundary with the Daintree National Park / World Heritage Area. Evidence of the Southern Cassowary using the property was confirmed by dung. Cassowaries are regularly sighted in the adjoining Daintree National Park and on nearby properties.

Fragrant Boxwood (Xanthophyllum fragrans) was identified on Lot 373

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. 

Lot 373 adjoins the Daintree National Park 

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. 

Lot 373 provides habitat for the Southern Cassowary

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.

The Rainforest 4 Foundation and HalfCut recognise that we are Stronger Together and now raise funds together for the buyback of properties in the Daintree that are at risk of clearing and development. Thanks to HalfCut and their wonderful supporters for their significant contribution to the purchase of Lot 373 Hickory Road and the other Daintree Rainforest properties we are acquiring for conservation.