Download Terrain NRM Comments on the Draft National Wildlife Corridors

19 April 2012
Director
Conservation Incentives and Design Section
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population
and Communities
GPO Box 787, Canberra ACT 2601
Lodged via email with submission coversheet to: [email protected]
Terrain NRM Comments on the Draft National Wildlife Corridors Plan
Introduction
Terrain NRM welcomes the opportunity to make this submission to the Draft National Wildlife Corridors
Plan. Terrain NRM is the designated regional Natural Resource Management body for the Wet Tropics
region. Established in 2003, Terrain is a not-for- profit public company funded from a range of corporate,
government and philanthropic sources. Current key funding programs include projects under the Australian
Government's Caring for our Country Program and its key component Reef Rescue, which Terrain is
administering on behalf of the region.
Terrain's key role is to support implementation of the Regional NRM Plan, Sustaining the Wet Tropics, by
supporting action, facilitating funding and integrating effort to achieve sustainable communities and
ecosystems in far north Queensland. Terrains activities build partnerships to secure the health of our
natural resources including the region's biodiversity, water, soil, climate, Traditional Owner and community
assets. Terrain provides planning direction, information, advice and practical support to community
groups, organisations and individuals with an interest in NRM.
Key concerns relating to the draft National Wildlife Corridors Plan
Strategy and processes
Terrain welcomes the focus on a strategic approach to conservation and the role that connectivity plays in
this, however we are concerned that the plan as it stands does not provide a sound basis for achieving
priority outcomes. Major concerns are summarised below, with more detailed comments provided in
following sections.
Terrain is concerned that the current draft Plan appears to have no clear strategy for how a viable and well
placed network of national wildlife corridors will be constructed. The current proposed corridors contain
some good projects but no cohesive process to prioritise corridors is evident and the rationale for selecting
these corridors, in terms of conservation outcomes, is lacking.
To date there has been a lack of consultation and a lack of opportunity to provide input on priorities and no
opportunity has been given to assess or evaluate other potential corridors. If the Plan is adopted, a much
more rigorous and consultative process must be developed for selection and evaluation of National Wildlife
Corridors. This should build on existing plans and processes that already have mechanisms for bringing
science and community together to inform priorities at local and regional scales. Regional NRM plans play
an important role in this regard.
Terrain is also concerned about the science and process for selection of corridors. For example, although
there is evidence that connectivity at the local and regional scale is beneficial to biodiversity, there is no
current evidence to support some of the large scale national wildlife corridors. While the plan recognises
the need for regional and local-scale corridors there is lack of attention to the mechanisms for recognising
multiple scales of landscape connectivity that are of great importance to landscape function. Similarly there
is no process identified for how Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge will be taken into account
when designing and prioritising corridors and it cannot always be assumed that ecological corridors always
follow cultural pathways. A much clearer discussion of the overall processes and mechanisms for
developing corridors at various scales is needed, with clear guidelines on what constitutes a National
Wildlife Corridor and where in the landscape these are best placed.
Regional NRM bodies, as flexible brokering institutions, have a vital role to play to ensure integration of
action across tenures, institutions and scales. Terrain strongly supports the role of regional NRM bodies in
facilitating the establishment of landscape corridors and working with regional stakeholders to identify key
connectivity opportunities within the landscape. Regional NRM plans embody this work and should form a
key foundation for consideration of national wildlife corridor priorities. In addition, existing mechanisms
such as Indigenous Protected Areas provide opportunities for tenure blind planning and these processes
should be supported and utilised rather than have another mechanism placed over areas.
Finally, Terrain is concerned that the identified priority corridors will be used to influence funding priorities
without properly addressing the issues above.
Importance of the Wet Tropics Region
Terrain is very concerned that the Wet Tropics region is not included in current proposed corridors. The
Wet Tropics region is recognised as being under particular threat from climate change and the region’s vital
role as a centre of endemism that has persisted under previous long term climatic changes. Increasing
connectivity is a recommended management response to these issues and important linkages exist both
within the Wet Tropics and with adjoining regions. The Wet Tropics fits recommendations by Hodgson et al
(2009) for conservation responses to climate change through being a centre of endemism, having high
landscape heterogeneity and altitudinal gradients. It is recognised as an area under particular threat of
climate change and increasing habitat area, quality and connectivity and reducing threats are
recommended actions for the region.
Connectivity across and through the Wet Tropics is vital to ensure evolutionary connectivity for many
species. In the Wet Tropics region, Terrain NRM, the Wet Tropics Management Authority, Queensland
Department of Environment and Resource Management, the FNQ Regional Organisation of Councils and
community partners have developed and are working to implement a strategy for regional landscape
connectivity (see Appendix A). This strategy will connect the region to ensure evolutionary processes that
will benefit not just the region through altitudinal connectivity and reduced fragmentation of the World
Heritage Area, but linking through to the wet sclerophyll and savannah ecosystems to the west, and north
into Cape York. The Wet Tropics regional also contains connectivity opportunities for biodiversity
management that influence the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area to the east.
In summary Terrain would like to see the National Wildlife Corridor Plan be clear about the scientific basis
and the processes for developing principles and prioritising corridors that will be supported under the Plan.
These processes should recognise and incorporate the extensive planning and community input already
embodied in Regional NRM plans. Terrain strongly supports and is willing to work with the Commonwealth
government to utilise regional NRM knowledge, networks and community input to guide investment in
corridors as well as other conservation actions.
Yours sincerely
Carole Sweatman
Chief Executive Officer
Encl – 9 pages detailed comments
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Comments on Specific Sections of the Draft Plan
Vision
A statement of Australian wildlife corridors pre-European settlement should be included, for example
“Prior to European settlement, the whole of Australia was a connected habitat system.” The Plan should
have a vision for no net loss of wildlife corridors initially leading progressively to a net gain of habitat extent
and quality.
Comments Part 1:
1.1 Wildlife corridors and climate change
Part 1.1 of the NWCP states that “Wildlife corridors are one of the most effective conservation tools
available for protecting biodiversity and preparing landscapes for climate change”. However, this
assumption is not clearly backed by current science.
Hodgson et al (2009) recommend that conservation corridors are one tool for conservation and resilience
to climate change but may not be as important as actions that are known to have a clear link to
conservation benefit being: to increase the area and quality of available protected habitat; to increase
environmental heterogeneity; to concentrate efforts on centres of endemism and to reduce key
pressures/threats.
Whitten et al (2011) reports, there is no clear science behind the idea of connectivity on very large scales,
which suggests that caution be taken in making a select number of large scale corridors the national priority
for policy and funding programs.
There is evidence to support landscape connectivity at local and regional scales.
Terrain NRM suggest that a clearer, referenced argument for the focus on large scale corridors is made
within the document.
Climate change and adaptation
Adaptation should not be considered the sole response to climate change. Although it is important to be
prepared for the impacts of climate change, we must also consider ways to increase the capacity to
minimise anthropogenic climate change such as the protection and restoration of corridors to help prevent
climate change.
1.2 What are wildlife corridors?
Hospitable or hostile: landscapes from an animal’s perspective
“The landscape can be made more hospitable for these animals by construction of overpasses or
underpasses”. Overpasses and underpasses do not work for some species, especially in areas where
funnelling fences are not suitable, e.g. in cyclone prone areas or cassowary habitat. Ideally major roads and
car-dependent development should be located outside of corridors especially in habitat for threatened
species vulnerable to roadkill, e.g. cassowaries.
Rivers play a key role as wildlife corridors and landscape connectivity and major river systems could be
classified as such. Considering rivers as wildlife corridors would align to a range of current policies and
statutory protection and management mechanisms. Creeks are important too, partly because they are
often the only remaining vegetated areas on arable land.
1.3 The objectives of the National Wildlife Corridors Plan
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Protect, maintain and restore native habitats and ecosystems, and their critical processes and
functions
Fauna movement may also be inhibited by dogs and fences.
Enhance the resilience of Australia’s biodiversity and its adaptability to climate change
Retaining and expanding corridors can not only help with adaptation to climate change but can
help mitigate climate change through retention of vegetation.
Support the global and national movements of fauna
This point could be clarified further and refer to both short and long term movement, i.e. daily,
seasonally, annually and in changing climates. Flora as well as fauna should be considered and
identify native species, not pest species. Ecological communities and processes, not just species
need to be considered. The point could read: “Support the global and national movements of
indigenous fauna, flora, ecological communities and processes over short and long timeframes”
Increase community knowledge and understanding of wildlife corridors and connectivity
conservation
Community Engagement:
Terrain supports the concept of using conservation corridors as a way of building community
understanding of appropriate land and resource management. Corridor concepts enable
landholders to see their property management as contributing to an aim larger than the property
level and actions increase their chances of good environmental outcomes, including wildlife
experiences. Biodiversity conservation is complex and a clear concept for action assists in building
a narrative and leads to community and partner engagement.
However, the NWCP provides no strategy for increasing community involvement and action.
Programs must be designed that engage in meaningful ways and provide incentives, financial or
otherwise, for land managers to engage in conservation actions.
Regional bodies have demonstrated expertise in engaging communities in conservation action and
can provide input into the design and delivery of corridor programs.
Connectivity includes human community connectivity and this should be a core principle in corridor
projects. Social and ecological resilience are linked. Terrain’s work at Mission Beach to support
building a viable network of habitat linkages (see Appendix A) has demonstrated that meaningful
participation in environmental projects builds community as well as ecological resilience
1.4 Guiding principles for wildlife corridor design and implementation
 Healthy, functioning landscapes require connectivity at a variety of scales
It is vital that connectivity and habitat function is protected at the local level through a range of
mechanisms including statutory mechanisms. Local corridor protection is sometimes the most
difficult as property rights are affected at the cadastral level. But local corridor protection is
essential for all species that need to move at ground or tree level. Local corridors are a vital
component of national corridors.
Broad corridors can be subject to death by a thousand cuts because each individual action that
erodes connectivity is not considered significant in its own right. When connectivity options
become restricted, those remaining landholders become highly regulated and constrained.
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Effective corridors connect the landscape across a mosaic of land tenures and land uses without
affecting property rights
There needs to be greater detail within the plan of how the NWCP will be implemented with
regards to private land conservation.
Effective corridors must consider a range of mechanisms from voluntary to statutory for long term
preservation of the integrity of the corridor and investment. This is suggested in Table 1 which lists
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“Policy and regulatory settings” and “Strategic land use planning”. As well, in the definition of
“Buffer” on page 33, there is prescription for land use. Building a corridor requires large
investments in incentives, payments for ecosystem services and acquisition where necessary, as
well as some regulation for protection.
The NWCP should specify the relationship between the NWCP and state, local government and
regional statutory and non-statutory land use planning processes. State and local government
vegetation management and land use planning instruments are critical tools for retaining
connectivity in the landscape, e.g. the Qld Vegetation Management Act and Local government
planning scheme conservation zones.
Without clear planning controls, broadly defined corridor areas open the risk of fragmentation by
increasing the likelihood of proposals for alternative connectivity options through an area. Without
protection, there is never long term certainty for avoiding fragmentation and increasing off site
impacts and the cumulative impacts of development or incompatible land use can reduce the
integrity of landscape connectivity.
Physical fragmentation is not the only threat to be dealt with within a connected landscape. The
various land use and activities within corridors also need to be considered and managed through
appropriate planning responses. For example Transport Infrastructure planning, traffic impacts and
road kill where this is a threat to endangered species such as the southern cassowary.
Although this policy may not directly affect property rights, it is not feasible to suggest that a
corridor can be built without altering the status quo of current and potential land use.
Although incentives are mentioned, this is only one aspect of what is required to establish a wildlife
corridor long term. Conservation mechanisms need to be considered as well as how these types of
mechanisms will be resourced within government, eg Nature Refuges. If public investment is made
in protecting and restoring connectivity on a property, the property owner should be encouraged
to agree to retain and maintain the connectivity, ideally through an arrangement binding on title.
The availability of suitable conservation mechanisms must be addressed. Currently, due to lack of
resources at the State level, landowners wishing to enter voluntarily conservation agreements are
faced with disincentives. There have been no new Nature Refuges declared in the Mission Beach
area in the last decade, despite globally significant biodiversity values and 40% of habitat being on
private land.
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The design and location of corridors should be based on the best available information derived from
scientific research, traditional Indigenous knowledge and practitioner experience
Mapping corridors is an essential action. This is particularly urgent in contested landscapes.
Corridor maps need to be publicly promoted so that people are aware of them and avoid actions
that compromise connectivity.
Corridors can include strategic open or cleared areas (i.e. not remnant) that wildlife (e.g.
cassowaries) moves through between habitat areas. These open areas would ideally be restored or
at least not built on. These open strategic areas are often not protected through standard
vegetation mapping and are reliant on corridor mapping for identification. Loss of these strategic
open areas can sometimes compromise a whole corridor.
Detailed information on species using a corridor is often not yet available. The precautionary
principle would support a policy of retaining all existing connectivity.
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Corridors should be designed to assist native species’ adaptation to the impacts of climate change
Design should assist ecological communities as well as species to adapt.
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Corridor design recognises and manages for potential risks, such as those from invasive species and
fire
Add “cyclones and floods” to “bushfire and drought”
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Corridors should be designed and implemented in ways that benefit local communities
Corridors can enhance appropriate wildlife experiences for residents and tourists.
1.5 A national network of wildlife corridors
There needs to be clear guidelines for what constitutes a National Wildlife Corridor and where in the
landscape these are best placed. This needs to be clearly backed by science that considers centres of
endemism, evolutionary potential and diversity of land type.
The current draft NWCP appears to have no clear strategy for how a viable and well placed network of
national wildlife corridors will be constructed. The statement on page 15, final paragraph: “As the national
network of wildlife corridors develops, new opportunities to link National Wildlife Corridors and other
corridor initiatives will emerge. The statement that the Australian Government will seek to identify and
support these initiatives”, appears very vague.
1.6 Different landscapes, different solutions
 Terrain’s experience in the Wet Tropics region has shown that each area has different pressures,
different community capacity and different solutions required to achieve conservation outcomes.
We agree that the method of establishing a wildlife corridor should not be prescriptive and should
be flexible to a diversity of situations and solutions.
 Figure 4 page 18: “Management activities related to corridor building: some examples” – should
include wildlife road crossings and other solutions to reduce fragmentation by infrastructure;
signage etc to raise awareness, control speed etc
 Corridors in peri-urban and urban landscapes are most at risk from incremental fragmentation and
incompatible land use. In these areas in particular, strong planning controls and meaningful
community engagement and incentives play a vital role in preserving landscape connectivity. Some
corridors in urban areas are known to be critical for endangered species, e.g. some cassowary
corridors at Mission Beach. Such corridors need finely targeted and well resourced actions to
protect them.
 Maintaining vegetation within corridors is obviously essential, but so too is managing non-clearing
related threats such as traffic, particularly where the corridor provides for threatened species that
are vulnerable to roadkill, e.g. cassowaries. As well, fences within corridors can block movement,
e.g. for cassowaries, or barbed wire fences can ensnare threatened bats and gliders.
1.7 Who will be involved in building a national network of wildlife corridors?
Regional NRM bodies, as flexible brokering institutions, have a vital role to play to ensure integration of
action across tenures, institutions and scales. Terrain strongly supports the role of regional NRM bodies in
facilitating the establishment of landscape corridors and working with regional stakeholders to identify key
connectivity opportunities within the landscape.
Regional NRM bodies can play a key role in identifying, implementing and co-ordinating the management
and monitoring of existing and new regional corridors.
Terrain has demonstrated capacity in building partnerships and delivering Commonwealth programs at the
regional level, and in engaging farmers and other land managers in conservation and land restoration
activities. Landholder and community ownership will be vital to the on-going management of these
corridors once established, and as a community-based body, Terrain has strong expertise to build and
support landholder and community participation.
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Regional bodies also have an important role to play in working in partnership with protected area managers
and private landholders to link protected areas.
1.8 Foundation stones
National Reserve System
 “The Corridors Plan will help build connections between protected areas and other private and
public lands in the surrounding landscape.” This is true for areas that are identified by the Plan as
National Wildlife Corridors but corridors that are not endorsed by the Plan might find themselves
with an unfair funding disadvantage for resources to build connections, this is particularly
concerning for Wet Tropics corridors.
 As Indigenous Protected Areas contribute 23% of the National Reserve System, there is an
opportunity to achieve both ecological outcomes and Traditional Owner livelihood outcomes by
building on IPAs and associated Indigenous Ranger programs.
Private land conservation:
 The statement “Private landholders may voluntarily wish to manage these areas as part of wildlife
corridors” will not lead to large scale changes in land management. There needs to be clear
leadership and clearly defined available incentives and protection mechanisms. An example of an
effective approach is indicated by the case study in the box below where landholders were
“contracted for 15 years to manage” for ecological values.
Comments Part 2: Building a national network of wildlife corridors
2.1 The five point plan of action
1. A Wildlife Corridors Act
 It is unclear what the benefit of an Act will be and whether further legislation is required in addition
to the range of mechanisms available for conservation currently. More incentives and the
application of available conservation mechanisms may be a more effective approach.
 Terrain’s experience with building and maintaining habitat corridors in the Wet Tropics region,
particularly at Mission Beach (see example in Appendix A) demonstrates that community led
processes are an effective means of establishing a corridor, but to a point. The intent for a
landscape area needs to be established in cadastral planning in order to achieve the vision of a
connected landscape and to preserve habitat areas. There needs to be clarification of how the Act
will translate to or influence State and Local government policy and planning.
2. Developing and supporting existing and prospective corridor initiatives
 The NWC Plan states that corridor identification will be “a community-initiated process” yet the
Plan already identifies existing and prospective corridors which have been nominated without
allowing for community to initiate the process. Given the importance of private land for
connectivity, community input to corridor identification from the outset is vital for community
support.
It is disappointing that none of the existing major corridors include Queensland. Given that the
NWCP is a draft, it is hoped that the final version will include a number of Queensland corridors.
3. Strategic investment
 The draft NWCP identifies that resources for corridors will be drawn from the Biodiversity Fund and
from the Caring For Our Country program. With the scale of corridors and works proposed, and
with locations already nominated, resources will be diverted from alternative worthy conservation
actions in other areas, particularly at local levels. It is vital that adequate funds remain available to
these other areas and activities.
 Establishing a corridor requires long term investments of resources as well as community and
government commitment. Programs such as the Environmental Stewardship Program give long
term commitment and are well suited to conservation actions such as corridor building.
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4. Working with key stakeholders and supporting NRM regional planning
 Terrain NRM strongly supports the use of NRM plans to guide regional investment in conservation
corridors as well as other conservation actions. Terrain is working with regional land management
agencies to assess and identify connectivity corridors that will lead to long term landscape
resilience if adequately resourced. Terrain, as a community-based organisation, plays a vital role in
engaging the regional community into planning processes relevant to landscape connectivity and in
doing so, builds community understanding and support for the concept and activities required to
implement it.
5. Monitoring, evaluation and reporting
 Regional NRM bodies have a role to play in the monitoring and evaluation of corridors.
2.2 A collaborative governance framework
 Terrain NRM agrees that it is important for governments to provide leadership to enable a policy
environment that flows to local level conservation outcomes. A whole-of-government approach
that considers road and infrastructure design, land use planning, conservation protection
mechanisms and management of government lands is vital for addressing the complexity of
responses required for biodiversity conservation. Government actions need to be carried out in
collaboration with other agencies and stakeholders.
 Terrain NRM agrees with the broad principles for successful corridor projects
 Table 1: Collaborative governance and management framework : the Site level lists adaptive
management approaches. This is required across all scales. Income diversification and investment
strategies must be supported by programs and policy at all scales.
Comments on Appendix A: Land use, condition and biodiversity maps
These maps indicate that the Wet Tropics region is a priority for investment via:
Map 2: The Wet Tropics region is fragmented in areas around a central connected area, strong reasons for
working on connectivity.
Map 3 and Map 4: The Wet Tropics region is one of the highest areas in the country for species richness
and species endemism density.
Map 5: The Wet Tropics region is one of the few areas in the country with large numbers of threatened
species and communities.
Map 6: This map is misleading for the Wet Tropics, which has little change in average annual rainfall
projected for climate change but an expected increase in seasonal variability with longer dry spells.
Comments on Appendix B: Potential National Wildlife Corridors
Scale
 Whitten et al (2011) reports, there is no clear science behind the idea of connectivity on very large
scales, which suggests that caution is taken in making a select number of large scale corridors the
national priority for funding programs.
Selection
 Terrain NRM is concerned that national wildlife corridors have been identified without stated
selection criteria, a broad consultation process or a Ministerial selection process as proposed in the
draft Plan.
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The Great Eastern Ranges NSW should be expanded to include the Great Eastern Ranges in Qld,
ACT and Victoria, consistent with the Forests of Eastern Australia International Biodiversity
Hotspot. The background document to the NWCP by Whitten et al (2011) identifies the Great
Eastern Ranges corridor as a national scale corridor that links through the Wet Tropics region.
Corridors in the Wet Tropics region should be included now with certainty due to work done on
identifying corridors in the region and due to the importance of the region for biodiversity
conservation and climate change.
Corridors have been identified for the Wet Tropics region through the Queensland Government
FNQ Regional Plan 2031; Map 3 shows State, Regional and Local Conservation Corridors. The Wet
Tropics Management Authority has identified corridors in the Wet Tropics Conservation Strategy
(WTMA 2004) and Terrain NRM identifies corridors in the regional NRM plan Sustaining the Wet
Tropics (FNQNRM Ltd and Rainforest CRC 2004). Cassowary corridors have been identified for the
Cairns to Cardwell area (Biotropica 2005). Cassowary corridors are also identified in the EPBC
Significant Impact Guidelines: Cassowary Habitat Map. DSEWPaC’s 2011 “Reforming National
Environment Law: An Overview” flags “cassowary movement corridors around Mission Beach” as
potential Ecosystems of National Significance.
The greater challenge for building and maintaining wildlife corridors that will benefit biodiversity is
in populated areas with a variety of land uses and tenures (and often very high biodiversity values),
and not through the centre of Australia which is already connected by protected areas from coast
to coast. What we need to understand for long term environmental, social and economic
sustainability is to be learnt in addressing the hard and complex challenges associated with land use
and conservation such as those being learnt at Mission Beach.
References
Hodgson, J.A., Thomas, C. D., Wintle, B.A., Moilanen, A. (2009). Climate change, connectivity and
conservation decision making: back to basics. Journal of Applied Ecology. 46, 946-969.
Steffen W, Burbidge AA, Hughes L, Kitching R, Lindenmayer D, Musgrave W, Stafford Smith M and Werner
PA (2009) Australia’s biodiversity and climate change: A strategic assessment of the vulnerability of
Australia’s biodiversity to climate change. A report to the Natural Resource Ministerial Council.
Commissioned by the Australian Government. CSIRO Publishing
Whitten, S.M., Freudenberger, D., Wyborn, C., Doerr, V. &Doerr, E. (2011) A compendium of existing and
planned Australian wildlife corridor projects and initiatives, and case study analysis of operational
experience. A report for the Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water,
Population and Communities, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, June 2011.
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Attachment A: Current connectivity initiatives in the Wet Tropics NRM region
Local Corridor Initiative:
Mission Beach to Southern Atherton Tableland:
Mission Beach to Southern Atherton Tablelands Rainforest Corridor is the longest and widest east-west
rainforest corridor in Australia. It is vital for the movement and resilience of tropical rainforest species,
communities and processes over time, especially attitudinally and in a climate change future. Mission
Beach is located on the coast in the Wet Tropics region. The area contains one of the largest coastal blocks
of rainforest in the Wet Tropics which forms part of a vital connection between lowland and upland
rainforest. Retaining this landscape scale connectivity is a key requirement for landscape resilience to face
the adaptation challenges of climate change.
Mission Beach contains some of Australia’s most diverse biological values, significant at an international
scale, including World Heritage listed rainforests and Australia’s largest population of the Southern
Cassowary. It’s coastal location and natural assets make it attractive to people seeking a sea change
lifestyle as well as to developers aiming to take advantage of the areas tourism potential. The combination
of development pressure and the associated increase in population from tourist and new residents, traffic
and dogs, are adversely impacting the Southern Cassowary and its habitat.
The Cassowary acts as a keystone species for dispersing rainforest seeds. Retaining connected habitat from
the coast to the upland forests ensures the Cassowary’s dispersal role in ongoing ecological processes. This
connectivity is vital to the ongoing health of many ecosystem types, including EPBC Act listed Littoral
Rainforest.
Since 2006, Terrain NRM, in partnership with CSIRO and the Marine and Tropical Science Research Facility
has been working to find solutions to the complex conservation issues at Mission Beach. With support
from the Australian Government, Terrain has worked with the community, governments and other
stakeholders to develop a voluntary plan identifying actions that will maintain a viable habitat network as
well as ensure the social and economic wellbeing of the area. This process has been backed by the best
available science and has developed theoretical understanding of community based natural resource
management as well as an investment prioritisation tool for targeted landscape scale investment in habitat.
This work provides a model for implementing recommendations made by Steffen et al (2009) showing a cogenerative participatory research model between CSIRO and the regional Natural Resource Management
body and identifying and addressing in part the need for central-local integration with regard to
governance.
Regional Corridor Initiative:
Wet Tropics Landscape:
To resist the worst impacts of climate change and development pressure, the Wet Tropics region needs to
build resilient landscapes by improving connectivity and habitat condition. Improved resilience in the
region’s ecosystems will not only support land based tourism and agriculture but will also contribute to the
health of the Great Barrier Reef, another threatened natural asset that significantly contributes to this
vulnerable regional economy.
Over the past years, regional partners, Terrain NRM, the Wet Tropics Management Authority, Local and
State Government, CSIRO and the Reef and Rainforest Research Corporation have worked together to
design a regional landscape approach to securing the biodiversity integrity of the wet tropics landscape.
Particular attention has been paid to addressing EPBC listed threatened species and ecosystems with a
focus on improving landscape resilience through local area planning and action in key threatened
biodiversity hotspots as well as securing landscape corridors.
This approach resulted in the submission of a regional connectivity corridors project to the Biodiversity
Fund 2011-2012 for securing the integrity of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The project builds on
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existing significant efforts and capacity in 11 priority corridor areas across the region. The project was
submitted by the Wet Tropics Management Authority partnering Terrain, the Regional Organisation of
Councils, the Queensland Office for Climate Change and Queensland Parks and Wildlife and many other
regional partners.
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