Conservation Management Zones of Australia
NorthEastern Australia Tropical Rainforest
Prepared by the Department of the Environment
Acknowledgements
This project and associated products are the result of a collaboration between the Biodiversity Conservation Division and the Environmental Resources Information Network (ERIN). Invaluable input, advice and support were provided by staff and leading researchers from across the Department of the Environment (DotE), Department of Agriculture (DoA), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and the academic community. We would particularly like to thank staff within the Wildlife, Heritage and Marine Division, Parks Australia and the Environment Assessment and Compliance Division of DotE, Nyree Stenekes andRobert Kancans (ABARES), Sue McIntyre (CSIRO), Richard Hobbs (University of Western Australia), Michael Hutchinson (ANU); David Lindenmayer and Emma Burns (ANU); and Gilly Llewellyn, Martin Taylor andotherstaff from the World Wildlife Fund for their generosity and advice.
Special thanks to CSIRO staff Kristen Williams and Simon Ferrier whose modelling of biodiversity patterns enabled identification of the Conservation Management Zones of Australia.
© Commonwealth of Australia, 2015.
The Conservation Management Zones of Australia profile is licensed by the Commonwealth of Australia for use under a Creative Commons By Attribution 3.0 Australia licence with the exception of the Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth of Australia, the logo of the agency responsible for publishing the report, content supplied by thirdparties, and any images depicting people.
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Contents
Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners and Country
Introduction
Zone at a glance
Population characteristics
Employment, volunteering and incomes
Agriculture, Natural Resource Management practices and sources of NRM advice
Land tenure, land use, Native Title and Local Government Areas
Zone vegetation characteristics
Nationally Important Wetlands
World and National Heritage
Major National Reserve System properties
EPBC Act (1999)threatened ecological communities
EPBC Act (1999) threatened species
EPBC Act (1999) migratory species
Threatened endemic species
Invasive species
Vegetation profiles and management recommendations
Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners and Country
The Australian Government acknowledges Australia’s Traditional Owners and pays respect to Elders past and present of our nation’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We honour the deep spiritual, cultural and customary connections of Traditional Owners to the Australian landscape, including Australia’s waterways, land and sea country.
Introduction
The 23 Conservation Management Zones of Australia are geographic areas, classified according to their ecological and threat characteristics. The zones are also aligned with the long-standing Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia.
The Conservation Management Zones provide a way of understanding Australia’s natural environment that will assist in long-term conservation planning and help the Australian Government to better design, deliver and report on Natural Resource Management (NRM) investments, including ensuring alignment of national NRM priorities with local action.
The Conservation Management Zones also provide a filter through which to make national environmental and socio-economic data more accessible and comprehensible, and a framework for gathering on-ground knowledge and expertise about the environment. This will improve information flow to the Australian Government about regional NRM requirements, best practice management, emerging NRM issues and knowledge gaps.
The Conservation Management Zones do not represent any change to existing administrative boundaries or governance structures, but aim to support the NRM and wider community to cooperatively manage environmental assets across boundaries, where they share common threats, ecological characteristics and stakeholders.
Each Conservation Management Zone profile contains a standard suite of nationally available ecological and socio-economicinformation. We hope that this information will enable Australians of all ages and backgrounds to engage with, understand and appreciate Australian landscapes, and support all Australians to manage our natural resources more effectively.
The profile information provides an indicative, high-level stock-take of the environmental and socio-economic landscape and it is not intended to be comprehensive. It should also be noted that, at present, the profiles contain only limited information on aquatic ecosystems, coastal assets and Indigenous land management practices. In future, consultation and comprehensive literature reviews will enable us to provide more complete information.
Zone at a glance
Source:Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data
Cities and major towns / PopulationCairns / 142,528
Atherton / 6,673
Gordonvale / 5,491
Ingham / 4,706
Innisfail / 7,172
Regional centres / Population
Allingham / 1,229
Babinda / 1,075
Cardwell / 1,181
Cooktown / 2,339
Kuranda / 2,169
Malanda / 1,678
Mossman / 1,730
Palm Island / 2,339
Port Douglas – Craiglie / 3,930
Tully / 2,265
Wongaling Beach / 1,066
Yarrabah / 2,406
Natural Resource Management (NRM) regions
Cape York NRM / QLD
Terrain NRM / QLD
NQ Dry Tropics NRM / QLD
Top five agricultural commodities / Value (millions)
Other broadacre crops / $295
Fruit / $287
Beef / $38
Dairy / $27
Vegetables for consumption / $25
Total value of agricultural commodities (including other commodities not listed here) / $706
Climate characteristics*
Mean annual temperature / 22.6 Celsius
Mean Maximum of the Hottest Month / 30.3 Celsius
Mean Minimum of the Coldest Month / 13.9 Celsius
Mean Annual Rainfall / 1895.3 mm
Dominant rainfall season / Summer
* The figures are interpolated 75-year means (1921 to 1995) representingthe period prior to the onset of rapid climatic warming. Cited in: Williams KJ, Belbin L, Austin MP, Stein J, Ferrier S (2012) Whichenvironmental variables should I usein mybiodiversity model? International Journal of GeographicInformation Sciences 26(11), 2009–2047. (DataderivedfromAustralian Climate surfaces version 2.1 fortheANUCLIM-BIOCLIM package).
For future climate projections please refer to:
Source:Based on data from the National Native Title Register; Collaborative Australian Protected Area Database (CAPAD); National Vegetation Information System (NVIS); Species’ Profile and Threats Database (SPRAT).
Population characteristics
Population
Source:Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data
Languages spoken at homeEnglish / 83.31%
Other languages / 9.34%
Not stated / 6.58%
Source:Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data
Education
Source:Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data
Employment, volunteering and incomes
Employment
Source:Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data
Volunteering
Income
Source:Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data
Agriculture, Natural Resource Management practices and sources of NRM advice
Australian farmers manage over 60% of the Australian continent and shoulder much of the burden of responsibility for maintaining and protecting Australia’s natural resource wealth. The information contained in this profile aims to assist the wider community, non-governmental organisations and government agencies to support Australia’s key environmental custodians.
Agricultural commodity values
Source:Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data
Natural Resource Management practicesand sources of NRM advice
* Data obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2012 Land Management Practices Survey (LaMPS) 2012. LaMPS collected land practices informationfrom approximately 50,000 farm businesses across Australia. The data has been aligned to Conservation Management Zones from ABS Statistical Area 2 units and Australian Agricultural Environment. For thisreason the figures presented here are indicative only. For more information on LaMPS please refer to: @.nsf/mf/4630.0
** The sample for the Drivers of Practice Change 2012 survey consisted of a random subsample of 1228 broadacre farm managers from the Australian Agricultural and Grazing Industries Survey (AAGIS) frame. The data has been aligned to Conservation Management Zones from ABS Statistical Area 2 units. Forthis reason, the figures presented here are indicative only.
^ This chart indicates the sources of advice utilised for native vegetation management from respondents who identified they sought advice.
For more information please refer to
Land tenure, land use, Native Title and Local Government Areas
Source:Land tenure data based on Environmental Resources Information Network (ERIN) categorisation of Public Sector Mapping Authority (PSMA) State Tenure 2012; Land use mapping based on Australian Collaborative Land Use and Management Program (ACLUMP) 2012. For more information on Australian land use and management information and classification please refer to:
Indigenous Land CouncilsCape York Land Council:
North Queensland Aboriginal Land Council:
Indigenous natural resource management
North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance:
Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples Alliance:
Native Title and Traditional Owners
Traditional Owners / Registered Native Title Body Corporate / Hectares / % of zone
Eastern Kuku Yalanji People / Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC / 125,239 / 4.20
Gamaay, Dingaal, Nugal, Thuubi, Nguurruumungu, Dharrpa, Binhthi, Thiithaarr, Tha / Dhubbi Warra Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, Hopevale Congress Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, Walmbaar Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC / 109,864 / 3.69
Jirrbal People / Wabubadda Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC / 82,235 / 2.76
Gugu Badhun People / Gugu Badhun Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC / 35,832 / 1.20
Wanyurr Majay People / Wanyurr-Majay Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC / 19,793 / 0.66
Dulabed and Malanbarra Yidinji People / Dulabed Malanbarra and Yidinji Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC / 16,424 / 0.55
Tableland Yidinji People / 15,116 / 0.51
Ngadjon-Jii People / Choorechillum (Ngadjon Jii PBC) AboriginalCorporation RNTBC / 13,247 / 0.44
The Djiru People / Djiru Warrangburra Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC / 8,850 / 0.30
Gunggandji People / Gunggandji PBC Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC / 8,137 / 0.27
Mandingalbay Yidinji-Gunggandji People / Gunggandji-Mandingalbay Yidinji Peoples PBC Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC / 8,121 / 0.27
Mandingalbay Yidinji People / Mandingalbay Yidinji Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC / 4,195 / 0.14
Tableland Yidinji People / 3,973 / 0.13
Djabugay People / Djabugay Native Title Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC / 2,749 / 0.09
Jirrbal People / Wabubadda Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC / 1,306 / 0.04
Bar-Barrum People / Bar-Barrum Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC / 738 / 0.02
Girramay People / Girramay People Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC / 479 / 0.02
The Djiru People / Djiru Warrangburra Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC / 441 / 0.01
Jirrbal People / Wabubadda Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC / 61 / –
Source:The Native Title Tribunal Register, October 2013.
For more information please refer to:
Cairns Regional / QLD
Cassowary Coast Regional / QLD
Charters Towers Regional / QLD
Cook Shire / QLD
Douglas Shire / QLD
Hinchinbrook Shire / QLD
Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire / QLD
Mareeba Shire / QLD
Palm Island Aboriginal Shire / QLD
Tablelands Regional / QLD
Townsville City / QLD
Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire / QLD
Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire / QLD
Zone vegetation characteristics
The National Vegetation Information System (NVIS) framework is a nationally consistent vegetation classification system based on vegetation data collected by states and territories. It provides information on the extent and distribution of vegetation types across the Australian landscape.
Two products are used to provide the Zone Vegetation Characteristics graph. A modelled pre-European vegetation distribution (pre-1750), and extant (current extent) vegetation, which is based on contemporary vegetation mapping. The information presented here relates to Major Vegetation Subgroups (MVSs). There are 85 MVS types across Australia, describing the structure and floristic composition of dominant and secondary vegetation stratums (e.g.canopy and mid-storey species). Major Vegetation Subgroups only reflect the dominant vegetation type occurringin an area from a mix of vegetation types. Less-dominant vegetation groups which may also be present aretherefore not represented.
It is important to note that the vegetation information is indicative only, as state and territory mapping in Australia is of variable resolution and scale. However, this data is the best available nationally consistent information on vegetation, and the dataset continues to evolve and increase in accuracy.
Analysing this information at Conservation Management Zone, rather than national level provides greater discrimination for decision makers, as clearance levels of vegetation types are not uniform across Australia. Forexample, eucalypt woodlands with a tussock grass understory is a vegetation type found across Australia. IntheBrigalow Woodlands Conservation Management Zone, eucalypt open woodlands with a tussock grass understory originally covered approximately 36% of the zone, but today it only covers only 14.5 % of the zone (58.7%of this vegetation community has been cleared in the Brigalow). In the Northern Australia Tropical Savannah zone, thisvegetation type originally occupied 19.6% of the zone. Today, it occupies approximately 19.4% of the zone (only2.3% of this vegetation type has been cleared). It should be noted that this data only provides an indication ofchange in extent, and not vegetation condition.
For more information on the National Vegetation Information System (NVIS) please refer to:
Nationally Important Wetlands
Nationally Important Wetlands / Jurisdiction / Hectares / CriteriaCape Flattery Dune Lakes / QLD / 43,949 / 1, 2, 3
Herbert River Floodplain / QLD / 41,421 / 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Tully River – Murray River Floodplains / QLD / 39,171 / 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park / QLD / 23,014 / 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Herbert River Gorge / QLD / 18,269 / 1, 2
Hinchinbrook Channel / QLD / 18,036 / 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Edmund Kennedy Wetlands / QLD / 10,969 / 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Cowley Area / QLD / 8,365 / 1, 3, 5
Port of Cairns and Trinity Inlet / QLD / 5,561 / 1, 2, 3
Cape Melville – Bathurst Bay / QLD / 5,270 / 1, 5
Lower Daintree River / QLD / 5,264 / 1, 2, 3, 5
Missionary Bay / QLD / 5,166 / 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Bambaroo Coastal Aggregation / QLD / 4,836 / 1, 3, 5
Russell River / QLD / 2,290 / 1, 5
Eubenangee – Alice River / QLD / 1,992 / 1, 3, 5
Wyvuri Swamp / QLD / 1,491 / 1
Ella Bay Swamp / QLD / 1,309 / 1, 3, 5
Innisfail Area / QLD / 1,221 / 1, 5
Laura Sandstone / QLD / 1,088 / 1
Alexandra Bay / QLD / 861 / 1, 5
Kurrimine Area / QLD / 650 / 1, 3
Yuccabine Creek / QLD / 529 / 1, 6
Marina Plains – Lakefield Aggregation / QLD / 268 / 1, 2, 3, 5
Russell River Rapids / QLD / 235 / 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Licuala Palm Forest / QLD / 232 / 1, 2, 3, 5
Alexandra Palm Forest / QLD / 146 / 1, 2, 5
Princess Charlotte Bay Marine Area / QLD / 114 / 1, 2, 3, 5
Lake Barrine / QLD / 99 / 1, 2, 6
Bromfield Swamp / QLD / 63 / 1, 3, 6
Clack Reef Complex / QLD / 59 / 1, 3, 5, 6
Lake Eacham / QLD / 43 / 1, 6
Birthday Creek / QLD / 43 / 1
Sunday Creek Broad-leaved Paperbark Site / QLD / 39 / 1, 2, 5
The Jack Lakes Aggregation / QLD / 37 / 1
Nandroya Falls / QLD / 19 / 1, 2, 5
Zillie Falls / QLD / 16 / 1, 3, 5
West Mulgrave Falls / QLD / 7 / 1, 5
Hilda Creek Headwater / QLD / 5 / 1, 2, 4, 5
Nationally important wetlands are defined according to the following criteria:
- It is a good example of a wetland type occurring within a biogeographic region in Australia.
- It is a wetland which plays an important ecological or hydrological role in the natural functioning of a major wetland system/complex.
- It is a wetland which is important as the habitat for animal taxa at a vulnerable stage in their life cycles, or provides a refuge when adverse conditions such as drought prevail.
- The wetland supports 1% or more of the national populations of any native plant or animal taxa.
- The wetland supports native plant or animal taxa or communities which are considered endangered or vulnerable at the national level.
- The wetland is of outstanding historical or cultural significance.
Please note, the above are a subset of all the Nationally Important Wetlands found within the Zone. For more information on Nationally Important Wetlands please see:
World and National Heritage
Heritage values / World or National / Heritage type / Jurisdiction / Hectares / % of zoneGreat Barrier Reef / World and National / Natural / QLD / 34,981,026 / n/a
Wet Tropics of Queensland / World and National / Natural and
Indigenous / QLD / 897,301 / 30.11%
Please refer to the Australian Heritage Database for detailed information on listing criteria for these heritage values:
For more information on Australia’s world and national heritage please refer to:
Major National Reserve System properties
Major National Reserve System propertiesName / Property type / IUCN category / Jurisdiction / Hectares / % of zone
Girringun / Indigenous Protected Area / <Null> / QLD / 324,345 / 10.88
Girringun / National Park / II / QLD / 171,446 / 5.75
Cape Melville / National Park / II / QLD / 146,179 / 4.90
Daintree / National Park / II / QLD / 119,212 / 4.00
Wooroonooran / National Park / II / QLD / 114,970 / 3.86
Jack River / National Park / II / QLD / 77,669 / 2.61
Paluma Range / National Park / II / QLD / 73,057 / 2.45
Tully Gorge / National Park / II / QLD / 60,006 / 2.01
Ngalba Bulal / National Park / II / QLD / 40,435 / 1.36
Hinchinbrook Island / National Park / II / QLD / 39,377 / 1.32
Eastern Kuku Yalanji / Indigenous Protected Area / <Null> / QLD / 39,240 / 1.32
Mount Windsor / National Park / II / QLD / 34,616 / 1.16
Girramay / National Park / II / QLD / 33,753 / 1.13
Koombooloomba / National Park / II / QLD / 29,248 / 0.98
Kuranda / National Park / II / QLD / 27,092 / 0.91
Mount Lewis / National Park / II / QLD / 25,210 / 0.85
Japoon / National Park / II / QLD / 24,794 / 0.83
Dinden / National Park / II / QLD / 20,165 / 0.68
Kalpowar / Nature Refuge / VI / QLD / 18,828 / 0.63
Kirrama / National Park / II / QLD / 17,463 / 0.59
The IUCN categories are as follows:
Ia Strict Nature Reserve / IUCN protected area management categories classify protected areas according to their management objectives. The categories are recognised by international bodies such as the United Nations and are utilised by many national governments, including the Australian Government, as the global standard for definingand recording protected areas.
Ib Wilderness Area
II National Park
III Natural Monument or Feature
IV Habitat/Species Management Area
V Protected Landscape/ Seascape
VI Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources
Please refer to the IUCN website for further explanation:
For more information on Australia’s National Reserve System please refer to:
Source:Collaborative Australian Protected Area Database 2012.
EPBC Act (1999)threatened ecologicalcommunities
Threatened ecological communitiesName / Listing status / % of total distribution* / % of zone**
Mabi Forest
(Complex Notophyll Vine Forest 5b) / Critically Endangered / 100 / 0.05
Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia / Critically Endangered / 63.46 / 0.78
Broad leaf tea-tree (Melaleuca viridiflora) woodlands in high rainfall coastal north Queensland / Endangered / 55.92 / 4.83
Semi-evergreen vine thickets of the Brigalow Belt (North and South) andNandewar Bioregions / Endangered / 0.04 / 0.00
* % of the total national distribution describes the proportion of the total national distribution
of theThreatened Ecological Community that is found within the zone.
** % of the total zone area describes the proportion of the zone that the Threatened Ecological Community
is likely or known to occur in.
It should be noted that the identification of any given Threatened Ecological Community above does not imply that the Threatened Ecological Community (TEC) is found uniformly across the Conservation Management Zone. Rather, the % of the TEC’s total distribution (*) within the zone is an indication of its importance to that zone interms of conservation efforts. The % of the zone (**) indicates how rare, or difficult the ecological community may be to find within the zone.
The threatened ecological communities above are listed under The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), which is the Australian Government’s principal environmental legislation.
For more information, please refer to