ST: Protecting Existing Habitat

Protecting existing vegetation through good planning is cost effective and ensures high value habitat is not lost. Keeping these areas healthy will improve their resilience to challenges such as climate change and rural and urban development. Protecting existing habitat also ensures the ongoing health and survival of wildlife species dependent on these areas.

• Focus on areas where there is already healthy native vegetation eg. Boonjie-Topaz Valley; Malanda-Millaa Millaa-Ravenshoe-Jaggan outlier; Russell Pocket Rd-Tinaroo.
• Control invasive weeds like turbina to protect rainforest remnants.
• Implement feral pig and dog control in areas of remnant vegetation to protect the habitat and wildlife species using it eg. forests and cassowaries in the Topaz area.
• Protect novel ecosystems in cooperation with landholders eg. mound springs at Mt Ruby Station.
• Facilitate changes to land tenure more conducive to habitat protection eg. convert temporary tenures over yellow-bellied glider habitat to permanent tenures.

R-CV 10: Initiatives for Protecting Habitat
Implement education, incentive and stewardship schemes to ensure long term protection of high value habitat – protecting what we already have.