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Cape York - Natural Resource Management region

Regional summary

The governance arrangements for the delivery of the Trust in Cape York remain under the guidance of a Ministerial Steering Committee. The Department of Communities has the responsibility for the administration of Trust processes in Cape York.

Priority isssues

Key natural resource management issues in the region include:

• ineffective institutional arrangements and management for maintaining a viable, sustainable network of land and natural resources in healthy condition
• lack of respect and understanding of value systems (cultural heritage, historical heritage, conservation)
• economic and social viability
• lack of coordination and collaboration
• political and off-Cape influence on decision-making
• lack of agreements on land tenure and access to land and sea country
• poor, unsustainable land and sea management practices
• ineffective, inequitable access to NRM resources (funds and information)
• weeds and feral animals
• over-exploitation of marine assets
• limited organisational and community capacity
• unregulated tourism activities

Regional plan

The Cape York Landcare Programme recognised the special natural and cultural values of the Peninsula and is working towards protecting those values while supporting the economic, cultural and social needs of land managers.

This programme complements other programmes, including future Cape York Property Planning and Indigenous Land and Sea Management programmes, guided by the outcomes of the regional plan and regional arrangements.

Cape York is developing a regional capacity to tackle natural resource management (NRM) issues. Industry, Indigenous communities, conservationists, land managers and state and local governments had a role in developing and implementing the integrated NRM regional plan and associated investment strategy.

The regional plan was based on a whole-of-region approach and address significant NRM issues incorporating social, environmental and economic aspects. The investment strategy is essentially the business plan that attracts investment from the Australian and state governments and will detail the specific actions, costs and timeframes required to implement the regional plan.

Current activities

NRM priority	Activities addressing the priority
Land management practices	land and Sea Management Centres are promoting indigenous involvement in natural and cultural resource management; helping the continued successful running and management of the Land and Sea Management Centres; and establishing and implementing natural resource management plans for the regions
Fire management	work is underway to document best practice fire management practices on the Peninsula, develop appropriate fire management practices at the property level, document existing fire regimes using remote sensing and extension and communicate fire management information to land managers and the wider community
Natural resource management	community capacity and natural resource management in the Cape York region are being enhanced. Work is focusing on the strategic locations of Cape York, Albatross Bay Weipa and Laura-Normanby catchment and will help promote of ecologically sustainable development within the community
Weed and pest control management	activities are occurring to transfer pest management skills to the local community and develop a Cape York Pest Management Strategy. This will ensure ongoing management of pests in Cape York within a strategic framework and consolidate the valuable achievements of the Cape York Weeds and Feral Animals Project
Protection of endangered species	surveys of potential habitat are undertaken to look for signs of the Wenlock River Pseudophryne frog. This will help determine its conservation status and then develop management actions for its long-term survival

Contacts

Further information can be obtained by contacting the Regional Facilitators for Queensland.