Cape York Peninsula
Twenty-one major wild river systems sustain Cape York's unique tropical landscape. Cape York is one of the last great wild places on Earth. Like the Congo, the Serengeti and the Amazon, it deserves the highest protection possible. It is an extraordinary environment with seamless transitions between mangroves, tropical rainforests, savannahs, wetlands - and bountiful coasts and seas. Bounded by the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics World Heritage areas, it is half the size of Britain, and nearly as big as the entire state of Victoria.
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| Cape York for World Heritage |
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Cape York Peninsula is a land of abundant nature and culture - where less than 1% of the land has ever been cleared. But this diverse and unspoilt landscape is largely unprotected. Today, you and I have an opportunity to ensure it becomes part of the largest network of World Heritage areas on the planet. |
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| Protecting our Wild Rivers |
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Cape York Peninsula’s wild rivers are the lifeblood of the Cape’s communities and home to a huge abundance of wildlife. But these rivers are under threat. We stand at the crossroad: protect these magnificent natural assets, or condemn them to the same fate as degraded rivers such as the once mighty Murray. |
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| Indigenous Conservation |
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Taking a WildCountry “big picture” approach to conservation, The Wilderness Society is supporting the development of a globally recognised Indigenous Conservation Estate on Cape York Peninsula. |
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Watch Cape York slideshow |
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Take action online - help protect Cape York. |
Cape York Updates
- Australia’s newest National Park! - August 13, 2008
- First Indigenous Protected Area on CYP leads the way - June 12, 2008
- Cape York Peninsula’s Indigenous Conservation Estate - May 22, 2008
On Wednesday, 6 August 2008, the Kulla National Park was created. The new National Park, on Cape York Peninsula, protects 160 000 hectares of irreplaceable wild country - including the largest remaining tract of wilderness tropical rainforest in Australia.
Northern Kaanju Traditional Owners and their guests gathered on traditional homelands in central Cape York Peninsula to share in the celebration of the Cape’s York Peninsula’s first Indigenous Protected Area.
Taking a WildCountry “big picture” approach to conservation, The Wilderness Society is supporting the development of a globally recognised Indigenous Conservation Estate on Cape York Peninsula.
Cape York Media Releases
- Mining companies must reveal water plans for the Wenlock - December 01, 2008
- Wilderness Society urges action on Cape York wild river protection - November 21, 2008
- Cape York critters warn Cape Alumina investors of impacts of bauxite mine - November 14, 2008
The Wilderness Society calls on bauxite mining companies Rio Tinto and Cape Alumina to come clean about their water plans for the wild Wenlock River on Cape York Peninsula. TWS is concerned that the companies have been seeking special exemptions from the Queensland Government’s Wild River protection policies for the river before nomination plans have even been released.
The Wilderness Society calls for greater protection of the Aurukun wetlands and more Indigenous Wild River Rangers, as part of the Queensland Government’s proposed wild river protection plans for three Cape York river basins.
Outside a Cape Alumina meeting held in Cairns last night, critters from Cape York warned potential investors of the serious environmental threat that the company’s large bauxite mine proposal poses to the Wenlock River and its surrounding environment.
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