Protect habitat across all tenures and minimise threats to threatened species, including the Spectacled Flying Fox, Kuranda Tree Frog and Southern Cassowary.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Climate change is increasing the pressure on species and ecosystems that already face significant threats. Urban development in our area threatens wildlife populations with habitat loss, road kills and dog attacks. A number of species are at particular risk:
* Cassowaries are crucial to rainforest plant diversity and community structure, but habitat loss and fragmentation has severely impacted populations.
* 80% of the Spectacled Flying Fox population has been lost in the last 14 years, with additional stress placed on populations with increasing temperatures from climate change.
* Large areas of the Kuranda Tree Frog’s habitat is degraded and not protected. Riparian habitat protection across tenures is vital for their survival.
EXAMPLES OF LOCAL ACTION
Support the Spectacled Flying Fox Recovery Plan.
Identify and protect Spectacled Flying Fox roosts; incorporate community awareness programs, particularly for roosts in urban locations.
Construct exclusion fencing for cassowaries along the Kennedy Highway.
Construct under/overpass for Din Din Corridor.
Provide landholders with information and support for habitat management, including weed management and land restoration, particularly in riparian areas where Kuranda Tree Frogs could be found.
Conduct ongoing monitoring of populations of threatened species.