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

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. 

Hooray! Lot 373 Hickory Road at Cow Bay will now be purchased and managed for its exceptional conservation values. This great outcome will provide a secure habitat for the endangered Southern Cassowary and 210 native plant species of plants. Thank you to all of our wonderful donors! 

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

PURCHASE OF LOT 257 SILVER ASH ROAD, COW BAY IN THE DAINTREE LOWLAND RAINFOREST

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

Action: Purchase Lot 257 Silver Ash Road at Cow Bay (RP 738999)

Area: 1.09 hectares

Location: Cow Bay, Daintree Lowland Rainforest, Queensland

Vegetation type: Lowland tropical rainforest classified as Simple-complex mesophyll to notophyll vine forest on moderate to poorly-drained alluvial plains of moderate fertility

Regional Ecosystem 7.3.10a 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 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Threatened Species: Endangered Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii), Macleay's Fig-Parrots (Cyclopsitta diophthalma macleayana), Greys Walnut (Endiandra grayi), Noah’s Walnut (Endiandra microneura), Daintree Gardenia (Randia audasii)

Lot 257 Silver Ash Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest

We purchased Lot 257 Silver Ash Road in 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. Lot 257 Silver Ash Road is located between two isolated areas of the Daintree National Park and the purchase of this property has linked them up. 

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 257 Silver Ash Road is one of these properties.

Beautiful rainforest and creek on Lot 257

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 16th of November 2021 identified 258 native plant species including three plant species listed on the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992. There are also 4 endemic plant species that have their distribution largely restricted to the Daintree lowlands. 

Other plants of importance on Lot 257 include the Hope’s Cycad (Lepidozamia hopei). 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.

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.

One of many large trees on Lot 257 Silver Ash Road

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 257 Silver Ash Road 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 Rainforest.

Spur Mahogany (Dysoxylum pettigrewianum)

Background information on the Daintree Lowland Rainforest 

The Daintree Lowland Rainforest is one of the oldest rainforests on Earth having survived undisturbed 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 eastern Australia, however, as conditions became drier the rainforest contracted and today the Daintree provides a refuge for many unique species. The Bennett’s Tree-kangaroo, Musky Rat-kangaroo, and the Southern Cassowary can be found here, as well a number of endemic plant species that have retained the same primitive characteristics of their ancestors. 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.

In 1982 the Queensland government approved an 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. The development that followed has resulted in fragmentation of the rainforest with the construction of roads and the building of hundreds of houses. Settlement has introduced exotic plants that have become weeds and domestic dogs and traffic that are a threat to wildlife. Because the land in question is in private ownership, the only option to resolve the issue has been the purchase and protection of additional lands to expand Daintree National Park.

Our vision for the Daintree Lowland Rainforest is to buy back land to remove the threat of further development and to address the impact of past development while supporting the Traditional Owners, the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people in caring for country.

While we purchase land at risk of development for housing we also purchase other freehold properties without development approvals to reverse the impacts of the disastrous subdivision by closing and revegetating obsolete roads.

Since 1992 non-profit organisations have purchased seventy-five properties for conservation. 

Threat to Wildlife, Climate People and Planet

Daintree Rainforest is regarded as an iconic national treasure for its unique evolutionary history and tremendous conservation value. A number of rare and endangered species are found within Daintree National Park, including the Southern Cassowary, large flightless birds that in Australia are found only in the wet tropical rainforests of Queensland. Southern Cassowaries consume over 150 different fruits and play a vital role as seed dispersers in the rainforest. Due to the destruction and fragmentation of their rainforest habitats, these large charismatic birds are classified as Vulnerable to extinction.

More than 430 other bird species have also been recorded in Daintree National Park, including rare or range-restricted species like the Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher and the Lesser Sooty Owl, making the Daintree a Globally Important Bird Area. Many unique marsupials, reptiles, and amphibians are also found in the Daintree Rainforest including the Bennett’s Tree-kangaroo, Musky Rat-kangaroo, Spotted-tailed Quoll, and Boyd’s Forest Dragon.

A risk to the Daintree comes from development for housing and fragmentation of the rainforest, which jeopardises the integrity of the ecosystem with increased human traffic and the introduction of exotic species. Expanding settlement results in the spread of exotic plants that become weeds and stress to wildlife from human traffic and introduced dogs. Further buyback of land for conservation is required urgently as there are calls for an upgrade to Cape Tribulation Road, to build a bridge over the Daintree River, and to provide a reticulated electricity supply that would all lead to further development.

The purchase of additional properties will prevent further development to these sensitive areas while protecting and restoring critical habitat for wildlife. It will also allow for winding back past development through the closing of roads and the revegetation of land as habitat for Threatened species.

PURCHASE OF LOT 18 DALEY CLOSE, KIMBERLEY IN THE DAINTREE LOWLAND RAINFOREST

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

Action: Purchase and protection of Lot 18 Daley Close (Lot 18 RP 740684)

Area: 0.9588 hectares

Location: Kimberley, Daintree Lowland Rainforest, Queensland

Vegetation type: Regional ecosystem 7.11.1 described as Mesophyll vine forest. Present on lowlands and foothills on metamorphics in very wet and wet rainfall zones. 

Threatened Species: Southern Cassowary, Noah's Walnut

Another great outcome for the protection of the Daintree Lowland Rainforest has been achieved with the purchase of Lot 18 Daley Close at Kimberley. 

Thank you to the hundreds of wonderful donors who helped make this happen.

Lot 18 Daley Close at Kimberly shares a boundary with the Daintree National Park and World Heritage Area. Undeveloped freehold properties in the Daintree should not be left in the ownership of people who would destroy the rainforest. Development for housing fragments the rainforest and has negative on impacts the surrounding rainforest.

The rainforest on this freehold property is of equal value to the adjoining Daintree National Park and World Heritage Area and must be protected. 

Lot 18 Daley Close at Kimberly in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest was a freehold property in private ownership and could have been developed for housing. The development of other properties at Kimberley has caused significant damage. Clearing of vegetation and the creation of roads to the top of the ridges obtain views causes enormous damage.  

View from Lot 18 Daley Close in the Daintree Rainforest

The vegetation on Lot 18 Daley Close is intact with no evidence of past clearing. See the photos of the rainforest on Lot 18 Daley Close here. 

Lot 18 Daley Close provides habitat for the endangered Southern Cassowary and the rare Bennett’s Tree-kangaroo. An important plant found on the property is Noah’s Walnut (Endiandra micronuera) which is listed as Near Threatened under the Queensland Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

The vegetation ecosystem occurring on Lot 18 Daley Close is mapped as Regional Ecosystem 7.11.1 described as Mesophyll vine forest. Present on lowlands and foothills on metamorphics in very wet and wet rainfall zones. This regional ecosystem is a habitat for over 50 threatened plant species.

A subdivision was carved into the Daintree Lowland Rainforest in 1982. This created Lot 18 Daley Road and dozens of rural residential lots in Kimberley. The houses that have been built here fragment the rainforest and occupation brings domestic dogs and exotic plants. This has damaged one of the most significant areas of tropical rainforests in Australia.

Fifteen years ago, the Douglas Shire Council created a new town plan that included measures to conserve the Daintree Lowland Rainforest, however, they excluded the subdivision at Kimberley and the freehold properties at this location remain at risk of being developed for housing.

Thanks to the generous support of many donors Lot 18 Daley Close is now protected forever. 

Rainforest on Lot 18 Daley Close in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest

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

LOT 93 CAPE TRIBULATION ROAD, DIWAN IN THE DAINTREE LOWLAND RAINFOREST

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

Action: Purchase Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road at Diwan (RP 738999)

Area: 8.09 hectares

Location: Diwan, Daintree Lowland Rainforest, Queensland

Vegetation type: Lowland tropical rainforest classified as Simple-complex mesophyll to notophyll vine forest on moderate to poorly-drained alluvial plains of moderate fertility

Regional Ecosystem 7.3.10a 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 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Threatened Species: Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii), Native Spiral Ginger (Cheilocostus potierae), Noah’s Walnut (Endiandra microneura), Climbing Pandan (Freycinetia percostata), Ant Plant (Myrmecodia beccarii), Malayan Brighteye (Torenia polygonoides).

Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest

The high biodiversity and threatened species on Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road at Diwan identified this property as a high priority for acquisition.

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 93 Cape Tribulation Road is one of these properties.

Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road is an 8.09-hectare freehold property is located at Diwan in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. It was created through the subdivision of land that occurred in 1982. To prevent Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road is being acquired and included in the Daintree National Park Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land (CYPAL) estate.  

Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road is located 15 km north of the Daintree River and another 17km to Cape Tribulation. If you are visiting the Daintree this is an easy property to find and you won't need a 4x4 vehicle. It's located on the western side of the road immediately north of Hutchinsons Creek and opposite the Alexandra Bay State School. The property has a boundary with the Daintree National Park and three other properties we have purchased for conservation are located within 1 km.

Lot 93 has a 375 m frontage on Hutchinson Creek

CONSERVATION VALUES

Before we made a commitment to purchase this Daintree Rainforest property for conservation we had ecologists undertake a comprehensive survey to confirm the conservation values.

A vegetation survey identified 258 native plant species including five plant species listed on the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992. There are also 4 endemic plant species that have their distribution largely restricted to the Daintree lowlands. 

The survey identified the Malayan Brighteye (Torenia polygonoides). There are only six records of this plant in Australia. We were also able to record a range extension for the Sapindaceae tree species Rhysotoechia flavescens. The previously known northern limit of this species was from the Daintree village, while its distribution extends south to near Tully.

Other plants of importance on Lot 93 include the Hope’s Cycad (Lepidozamia hopei). 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

Lot 93 is located on Hutchinson Creek which flows off Thornton Peak. This area is a centre for the potential evolution of new species. During the vegetation survey, the botanist and ecologist identified a potentially new species of Bolwarra (Eupomatia) was identified from Lot 93 and additional investigations will now follow.  

This property provides habitat for the Endangered Southern Cassowary. Many food plants for the Cassowary are present on the lot in the form of Laurels (Lauraceae), Mahogany (Meliaceae) and several species of Figs, Palms and fleshy Myrtaceous plants. Regional ecosystem 7.3.10a is listed as Essential Cassowary habitat by the Queensland government. The vegetation on the creek edge possesses large specimens of Kuranda Quandong (Elaeocarpus bancroftii), Northern Silky Oak (Cardwellia sublimis), Spur Mahogany (Dysoxylum pettigrewianum), Candlenut (Aleurites rockinghamensis), Blackbean (Castanospermum australe), Fan Palms (Licuala ramsayi), Alexander Palm (Archontophoenix alexandrae), Damson Plum (Terminalia microcarpa) and Briars Silky Oak (Musgravea heterophylla).

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.

An aquatic ecology survey was undertaken in Hutchinson Creek on the 375 m of the frontage of Lot 93 and also 600 m upstream, 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.

Hutchinson Creek in 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. 

Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road adjoins the Daintree National Park 

Background information on the Daintree Lowland Rainforest 

The Daintree Lowland Rainforest is one of the oldest rainforests on Earth having survived undisturbed 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 eastern Australia, however, as conditions became drier the rainforest contracted and today the Daintree provides a refuge for many unique species. The Bennett’s Tree-kangaroo, Musky Rat-kangaroo, and the Southern Cassowary can be found here, as well a number of endemic plant species that have retained the same primitive characteristics of their ancestors. 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.

In 1982 the Queensland government approved an 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. The development that followed has resulted in fragmentation of the rainforest with the construction of roads and the building of hundreds of houses. Settlement has introduced exotic plants that have become weeds and domestic dogs and traffic that are a threat to wildlife. Because the land in question is in private ownership, the only option to resolve the issue has been the purchase and protection of additional lands to expand Daintree National Park.

Our vision for the Daintree Lowland Rainforest is to buy back land to remove the threat of further development and to address the impact of past development while supporting the Traditional Owners, the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people in caring for country.

While we purchase land at risk of development for housing we also purchase other freehold properties without development approvals to reverse the impacts of the disastrous subdivision by closing and revegetating obsolete roads.

Since 1992 non-profit organisations have purchased eighty properties for conservation. 

Another block in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest has been protected forever at Lot 213 Teak Road at Cow Bay. This wonderful outcome was made possible through the contributions of hundreds of generous donors and the significant fundraising efforts of fellow not-for-profit HalfCut.

Donors from around Australia are celebrating a huge win with Lot 110 in the Daintree protected forever as a result of their contributions. Lot 110 Palm Road, Diwan is the 11^th property to be secured by Rainforest 4 Foundation, working collaboratively with Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation and non-profit partner HalfCut.

We’ve provided answers to the most frequently asked questions on the purchase and protection of Lot 2 Thornton Peak Drive in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest.