How should the Daintree be managed?

The Daintree rainforest is situated in North East Queensland, Australia, it is a biodiversity hotspot, biodiversity being the variation of species in an ecosystem, due to its warm tropical climate and close location to the Great Barrier Reef. The Daintree is home to hundreds of species many of which are endemic so it is therefore crucial to protect the rainforest through management schemes to conserve biodiversity whilst utilising the rainforest for communities. The Daintree has many ecological, cultural and importantly economic benefits for local communities as it harbours species with medicinal qualities, is a place of spirituality for aborigines and is a large tourist industry supplying much of the local income. However with tourism and use of the rainforest comes a threat to the biodiversity. When managing the Daintree it is vital to conserve the biodiversity that has been here for millions of years whilst allowing people to enjoy the rainforest and help to fund conservation through economic use of the rainforest.

Biodiversity conservation is a management scheme crucial for the Daintree, by limiting development and retaining 540 blocks of land for pure wildlife whilst reducing planning permission for forest cut backs, habitats and species will remain safe. The Douglas Shire Council imposed planning controls and monitored the impacts of tourism as a management scheme, by allowing tourism they allowed a source of income which in return could be used to fund conservation whilst monitoring the effects of tourism such as pollution and litter. If the level of damage caused by tourism were to become unsustainable, stricter management schemes would be needed such as a limit to the number of tourists allowed per year or guidelines that must be followed by each tourist with a resulting fine if the rules were not abided by. By preserving the biodiversity in the ecosystem the rainforest will retain its natural beauty and species and remain a tourism destination however if management schemes incur boundaries and limited development such as no electricity up to Cooper Creek, tourists may be deterred from visiting having a negative impact on the local economy. Conservation may also be costly and therefore reliant on local government spending or charities, this dependency may mean the Daintree is at risk of a lack of conservation as charity funds can fluctuate.

Whilst conservation is necessary in the Daintree as it provides medicines, spirituality and biodiversity it is also necessary to manage the economic aspect of the rainforest to ensure efficiency and sustainability from the economic activity. The Douglas Shire council also set up plans to actually increase tourists to 550,000 a year to sustain the local economy and improve tourist facilities, including education of the importance of the Daintree. However increasing the number of tourists may increase the threat as tourism can cause litter, footpath erosion and damage so this may not be sustainable. They suggested the ferry price should be raised by $4 to deter some tourists to manage levels whilst using the profit from the ferry transport to assist community infrastructure for locals and biodiversity conservation. Another management scheme involved basing employment on tourism, organic farming, tropical horticulture and small businesses to help the community to gain economic success whilst using “green” schemes to preserve the natural area. By managing a balance between using the Daintree for economic means and using the profit to aid communities and conservation to preserve this ancient hotspot, the Daintree will be able to sustain many more years.

Local governments and councils devised management schemes however charities also help in the management of the Daintree. The Australian Rainforest Foundation is a not for profit scheme dedicated to education, research and habitat rehabilitation. The ARF proposed a management scheme called Operation Big Bird to protect the Cassowary bird in the Daintree, they created a 250km corridor to enable the birds movement, feeding and protection. They also implement a Buy-Back scheme whereby they purchase land from developers in order to reduce the available land for development so it is not destroyed, however this is incredibly costly and may cause conflict with key players such as landowners and investors perhaps management would be more efficient if the ARF were to work together with landowners to plan what is sustainable development and what will cause harm to biodiversity. Local authorities can also help manage the Daintree by providing education on its importance and monitoring the effects of tourism, key functions of the Wet Tropics Management Authority based in Cairns. Its locality means it will know local residents needs and be able to strike a balance between economic and biodiversity needs.

The Daintree has been around for 135 million years practically untouched however in the last 100 years tourism and development have created threats to the high level of biodiversity present. Therefore it is crucial to protect and conserve this hotspot with the help of government policies and charities. The Daintree however is important on not just a biodiversity level but for economic activity so management schemes must incorporate management of income and development into plans so that the Daintree can continue to boost the local economy but not at the expense of the wildlife within it.