The issue to be addressed
With the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area covering almost 900,000 hectares, and being home to significant numbers of people, the Authority recognises that a range of community services infrastructure (CSI) is required, such as roads, utilities, telecommunications and water supplies, including the need for ongoing maintenance of this infrastructure. To facilitate this, the Authority will work with CSI providers to ensure impacts on the World Heritage Area are minimised from construction and ongoing maintenance.
Action we will take
The Authority will continue to work with CSI providers to enable best practice construction, operation and maintenance of their infrastructure to ensure minimal impact on the World Heritage Area by:
- facilitate education and training about the Area and the Management Plan for stakeholders involved with constructing or maintaining infrastructure in the World Heritage Area
- encourage and support CSI providers to appropriately engage with and involve Rainforest Aboriginal People in the permit application process, to ensure native title duty of care and free, prior and informed consent responsibilities are met
- develop and review environmental management plans with local government and CSI providers
- develop guidelines and codes of practice to ensure any works proposed are operating to the highest standards of environmental practice within the World Heritage Area
- provide pre-lodgement advice and assess applications for permits
- issue permits in accordance with parts 3 and 4 of the Management Plan
- provide documented advice to the Authority’s board regarding activities that might impact on the World Heritage Area in accordance with the Management Plan
- ensure science is used to support decision making
- clearly define what activities can occur where in each management zone within the Wet Tropics Management Plan 1998.
