The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area (WTWHA) is a 450km-long stretch of Far North Queensland that’s been recognised for its unique biodiversity and importance as a record of the ecological and evolutionary processes that shaped Australia’s unique plants and wildlife. The Wet Tropics Management Plan 1998 protects the WTWHA by regulating activities through a zoning and permit system. This Management Plan must be reviewed every 10 years, with the latest revision coming into effect on 11 September 2020.
The Environmental Defenders Office has made submissions throughout the review process since it began in 2017. The Wet Tropics Management Authority’s (WTMA) response to our final submission can be found Phase Two Consultation Report under Submission 20.
The revised Management Plan was released alongside a complementary Wet Tropics Strategic Plan 2020-2030 and an updated Zoning Map. The Management Plans governs the zoning and permit system while the Strategic Plan sets out the strategies that WTMA will implement to protect and present the World Heritage Values of the WTWHA.
This document is intended only to describe and comment on the changes to the Management Plan, and not a comprehensive review of the entire Management Plan.
Zoning Updates
The revised Management Plan divides the WTWHA into 3 zones based on their purpose. This is major change compared to zoning under the previous Management Plan.
| Zone | Previous Plan Purpose | New Plan Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| A | – Land of high integrity and remote from disturbance. – To the greatest extent possible, to protect the integrity of the land and if the land is disturbed, to restore the land to its natural state. | – Management purpose is to protect and conserve the integrity of the land. – If the land is disturbed to restore the integrity of the land to the extent that is reasonably practicable and to enable visitors to access parts of the land. |
| B | – Land of mostly high integrity but not necessarily remote from disturbance. – Land undergoing recovery or rehabilitation towards its natural state or becoming remote from disturbance by activities associated with modern technological society. – Limited mainly to activities required for the recovery or rehabilitation of the area. | – Management purpose is to protect and conserve the integrity of the land. – If the land is disturbed to restore the integrity of the land to the extent that is reasonably practicable and to enable visitors to access parts of the land. – To be a buffer zone between Zone A and community service infrastructure. |
| C | – Land on which, or adjacent to which, there is a disturbance associated with community service infrastructure. – To accommodate community service infrastructure and facilities. To ensure that any adverse impact from activities is minimal and acceptable under the plan. To protect and otherwise enhance the integrity of the land. | – Management purpose is to accommodate community service infrastructure and visitor infrastructure. – Particular existing uses of parts of the zones shown on a zoning map. |
| D | – Land on which there are, or proposed to be, developed facilities for visitors to enjoy the wet tropics area. – To accommodate facilities for visitors. To ensure that any adverse impact from activities is minimal and acceptable under the plan. To protect and otherwise enhance the integrity of the land. | – Subsumed into Zone C |
These changes result in a lack of identification of areas where particular rehabilitation is required. However, the protects and intent of Zone A is for rehabilitation to occur. The identification of priority rehabilitation areas will now have to be managed by WTMA.
Rezoning an area
The previous Management Plan allowed local government to apply for rezoning of Zone B land to Zone C for the purpose of community service infrastructure. An EIS was required as part of the application. The revised Management Plan has extended the application for rezoning rights to state authorities as well and an EIS is only required upon request.
Applications to rezone must be published for public comment, however, public submitters are not afforded appeal rights, while applicants (local or state government authorities) are.
Permitted Activity Changes
There are small changes to the allowed activities within the WTWHA. Across all zones, limited visitor infrastructurecan be developed. This includes low-impact infrastructure including walking tracks, small scale viewing platforms, and small-scale shelters. Within Zone C, developed visitor infrastructure including camp grounds, tourism accommodation, and BBQ facilities must be built and maintained in a way that is ecologically sustainable, sensitively integrated into surrounding landscape, and enhances visitors understanding of the natural and cultural heritage of the area.
As part of the consultation process, WTMA has indicated an intention to undergo a separate public consultation process to development a tourism and infrastructure management plan to map the location and vision for tourism development into the future.
Reconfiguration of Lots
The revised Management Plan imposes additional restrictions not covered in the previous plan. Firstly, the reconfiguration of lots (ROL) within WTWHA now requires a permit. This is an important improvement as some permitted activities are directly linked to lots. For example, even if a landowners successfully obtains a development approval to reconfigure the lot into 4 lots they must also seek a permit to do so from WTMA.
Material Change of Use
WTMA also has the authority to approve or reject a permit for dwellings and structure to be built on a lot. While they have no authority to reject a permit to build the first residence on a lot, they can reject a second dwelling or structure on the same lot. The impact of one building on a large lot is significantly less than one building on each of several smaller lots.
Other changes
Another activity directly linked to lots in the revised management plan is the restriction of keeping cats and dogs to one of each animal.
When making a decision to issue a permit, the previous plan required a consideration of the cumulative impacts of the activity. The revised plan further clarifies the cumulative impact consideration to include proximity of time and place of the proposed and existing activities, and the extent those activities impact similar world heritage values.
Offsets
WTMA has indicated that it will not be implementing an offsets policy within the WTWHA, but will impose conditions that require positive action to enhance the World Heritage Values where appropriate. This approach enables WTMA to address cumulative small-scale impacts, where the individual developments would not trigger the threshold under the criticised Commonwealth Offsets Policy.
Finally, a breach of permit condition now carries a penalty. This provides WTMA with an additional compliance method.
Cooperative management agreements
The revised management plan places a greater emphasis on collaboration and consultation with Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples. A specific consideration for the impact a permit will have on Aboriginal tradition. The consultation guidelines for entering into Cooperative Management Agreements has been updated to include having regard to Aboriginal tradition and require a free prior and informed consultation process.
To assist in ensuring proper consideration and consultation, a guideline will be developed for WTMA, permit applications and Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples. It is understood that WTMA will collaborate with Native Title Representative Bodies to develop the guideline.
The strategic plan also addresses the incorporation of the rights, interests and aspirations of Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples in the management of the WTWHA. Included in the strategy are measures to implement a rights-based approach, update the regional agreement, and support Traditional Owner led cultural and natural resource management initiatives.
Summary
The revised Management Plan has made progress to improving the protection of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The adapted zoning system clearly expresses the intention of the Zones and greatly increase the area with the highest level of protection. Further, limited visitor infrastructure allowed in all zones must be built and maintained in a way that is ecologically sustainable, sensitively integrated into surrounding landscape, and enhances visitors understanding of the natural and cultural heritage of the area.
The expansion of activities requiring a permit to reconfigure a lot, and various landholder activities is encouraging. However, the removal of the requirement for an EIS to be undertaken when a government authority applies to rezone land is concerning.
Ultimately, the success of the revised plan will hinge on the consultative development of the tourism development strategy, guidelines for various permit activities, and WTMA’s exercise of its power to impose and enforce appropriate conditions.
