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In the Gold Coast Hinterland in Queensland, Springbrook National Park’s World-Heritage rainforests and wildlife are under threat.

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Twin Falls turned into bottled “spring water”?

The legal battle to defend a World Heritage-listed rainforest

Springbrook is part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. It is home to ancient songbirds, 3,000 year-old trees, spectacular glow worms and stunning waterfalls.

But right now a water mining company is trying to extract groundwater from this Gondwana ecosystem to turn into plastic bottles of “spring water”.

bottles

This could equate to around

32,000,000

plastic bottles every year.

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Natural Bridge

The Natural Bridge is a popular viewing site for one of Australia’s largest populations of glow worms.

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Devastating
impacts

If it goes ahead, precious groundwater will be mined just 1km upstream from the iconic Twin Falls.

This could have devastating impacts on the water flow to Twin Falls and the Natural Bridge, both major attractions in this World Heritage rainforest.

Rainforests
should be wet.

In already drier and hotter conditions due to climate change, taking more water from this fragile ecosystem would be devastating for local wildlife that depend on a wet environment.

litoria pearsoniana

The Cascade tree frog is one of many frogs that could be impacted by the development.

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Endangered wildlife at risk

albertsLyre bird
near threatened

Albert’s lyrebird

smooth scrub turpentine
Critically endangered

Smooth scrub turpentine

Ravine orchid
endangered

Ravine orchid

pouched frog
vulnerable

Pouched frog and masked mountain frog

Only inhabit South-East Queensland and Northern NSW.

That’s why we’re going to Court to defend Springbrook’s Gondwana rainforest.

On behalf of our clients, the Australian Rainforest Conservation Society, we’ll argue that the proposed water mine will impact groundwater availability leading to adverse impacts on ecology, tourism, amenity and World Heritage.

Gondwana rainforests shouldn’t be damaged so corporations can sell its precious water in plastic bottles as “spring water”.

lawyer Revel with Client
bottles

If it goes ahead, this project would extract the equivalent of 1 bottle of water every second over the course of a year.

water bottle

Since you’ve been on this page,
that equals

0 bottles

of spring water.

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Our environment needs a lawyer on its side, and that’s why we exist.

We are the lawyers for your environment. As a non-profit, community legal centre, we depend on individuals like you to power the legal fight. Your support today can help us stand up in court for special places like Springbrook.