- Wet Tropics Management
- Legislative framework
- Management partnerships
- Sustainable Tourism Plan
- Threats to the Area
- Research and a Learning Landscape
- How can I help?
Each year the Wet Tropics Management Authority's Annual Report and State of Wet Tropics Report are tabled in the Australian and Queensland parliaments.
The Annual Report satisfies the requirements of Queensland’s Wet Tropics World Heritage Protection and Management Act 1993 and Financial Accountability Act 2009; and the Commonwealth’s Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Conservation Act 1994.
It includes a State of Wet Tropics Report, as required under section 63(1) of the Queensland Act and section 10 of the Commonwealth Act. Since 2007 the Authority has adopted a thematic approach to the State of Wet Tropics Report, producing it as a standalone document alongside the Annual Report.
Tropical Cyclone Jasper and the extreme rainfall that followed in December 2023 brought the challenges that threaten the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area (the Area) into sharp focus. Our Annual Report shows the key to tackling increasing impacts on the Area caused by climate change and growing biosecurity threats is collaboration and partnership. Read about how we worked closely with Cairns Regional Council, CleanCo, Douglas Shire Council, Cook Shire Council, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples and Queensland Rail in cyclone recovery efforts. Our Wet Tropics Restoration Program progressed restoration planning projects in the Daintree lowlands and southern Atherton Tableland and we supported the Interim Steering Group for the Wet Tropics Restoration Alliance, a coalition of member organisations. In partnership with Terrain NRM, we established the Indigenous Advisory Committee, and our Yellow Crazy Ant Eradication Program, nationally recognised as an exemplar in biosecurity management, continued to go from strength-to-strength by using the best available science and our partnerships with industry and the community to reach our goal of eradicating this invasive pest from the Wet Tropics.
The latest State of Wet Tropics report, subtitled, ‘Outstanding Universal Value: now and for future generations’, reveals three of the four criteria underpinning the basis of its World Heritage listing are under threat. The report reviews the impacts to Wet Tropics World Heritage Area (the Area) and provides a snapshot of current management efforts and offers priorities for future action. However, while current efforts have made good progress, the range and scale of current work is not enough to address the significant and complex threats to the Area and its World Heritage values. The report calls for a collaborative effort and ongoing commitment between government, First Nations Peoples, industry, property managers, researchers, and community to ensure that the Area’s natural, cultural, economic, and scenic values are protected for future generations.
