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For the Rainforest Aboriginal people connected with the region it is a special place of high natural and cultural value. Since its inscription on the World Heritage List in 1988, the region has been recognised as part of the shared heritage of mankind. The Wet Tropics Management Authority, which has managed the area since 1991, is a successful partnership between the Australian and Queensland governments. The Authority has set the benchmark for governments working with communities to achieve the right balance between conservation and community growth.
I commend the Authority and the Wet Tropics community on their efforts and look forward to continuing to work with them on a sustainable and creative future. Hon Peter Garrett AM MP Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. 
The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area is truly one of Queensland’s great treasures. Queenslanders have a strong affinity with the Area’s scenic beauty and rich diversity. The lush tropical landscapes encourage us to understand more about the extraordinary – and still undiscovered – species that inhabit and define these world-renowned places. This story is beautifully woven into From the Heart. The Area is also home to 18 Rainforest Aboriginal tribal groups who have strong and ancient spiritual connections to the land and its management. Caring for the Area’s natural heritage is a complex and challenging task and with the emergence of climate change, the pressures upon the landscapes and ecosystems in the Wet Tropics place new pressures on the Authority.
I warmly congratulate the Wet Tropics Management Authority on this account of the Area’s first 20 years.
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© Copyright Wet Tropics Management Authority 2010. Copyright over stories and artworks belongs to individual contributors. |  |
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From the Heart shows the strong and particular links that have been forged between nature conservation and the arts. The publication is testament to both the global significance of the area and to the creative and vibrant communities that share and protect it. I encourage you to immerse yourself in the Wet Tropics of Queensland through the words and illustrations of From the Heart.
The Queensland Government is proud of its achievements in safeguarding the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, through legal protection and its day-to-day management. More than 80 percent of the Area is now managed as part of Queensland’s protected area estate.