Q4. What are Some Contemporary Issues Surrounding the Wet Tropics?

Question 4 – What are some contemporary issues surrounding the Wet Tropics?

There’s no doubt that many Australians love the rainforest. One way to tell is by looking at how many visitors come up this way to visit our World Heritage rainforest. What is it about the Wet Tropics that they love?

Let’s think about tourists. It sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? People travel to Tropical North Queensland and pay out lots of their holiday money to spend some time in our beautiful rainforests. This gives people jobs and gives holidaymakers a fantastic experience. Sounds like a great deal for everyone. Surely, this is all good…

But is there the possibility that too many people are visiting our rainforests? Are visitors ‘loving the rainforest to death’? What impact are visitors having on the forests? Should we limit visitor numbers until we can ensure we’re not harming the rainforest?

And what about us locals? Most of us love the rainforest as much as tourists. Yet, some locals reckon that the World Heritage area, with all its rules and regulations, is a bit of a pain. Are too many people living near the Wet Tropics rainforest? What do locals (including you!) do that might hurt the Wet Tropics? What about roads through the forest? This is a big issue at the moment. However, until we delve into these kinds of questions, new issues, like the Kuranda Range Road upgrade, will continue to stir people’s emotions.

Focus Questions

Are tourists ‘loving the rainforest to death’?
The tourism industry has no doubt replaced the timber industry in terms of giving local people jobs. But what impact are tourists having on the very areas they come to see? Activities 4.1 and 4.2 give you a chance to analyse the impact of tourism.

What impact do growing communities have on the Wet Tropics?
Tropical North Queensland is a busy place. With the Wet Tropics on our doorstep it’s probably inevitable that we’ll have some sort of impact on the rainforest. One issue that has divided the community is the proposal to upgrade the road on the Kuranda Range. Activities 4.3 and 4.4 will help you explore this issue and analyse the road’s impact.

Are you ready to start on the First Learning Activity? (4.1)