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
- The Cape York Peninsula conservation debate - June 24, 2009
- Cape York Peninsula - a step closer to World Heritage - May 25, 2009
- The Wilderness Society supports Cape York Wild River declarations and stands by its work with Traditional Owners - April 14, 2009
Cape York Peninsula in far north Queensland is one of the largest intact and most diverse landscapes left on Earth. It is a land rich in nature and culture, where Indigenous peoples’ connections to their Country are active and strong. A worldwide study by Conservation International to identity the Earth’s last remaining wilderness areas lists Cape York Peninsula as one of “wildest tropical environments left on the planet.”
The decision by the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments to consider Cape York for World Heritage protection is both welcome and long overdue. What this means is that the two Governments are committed to jointly assess the region for World Heritage values, identify areas suitable for long term protection and ensure local community support before making a formal nomination to UNESCO.
Three river basins on Cape York have been declared as ‘wild rivers’. Few important conservation achievements come easily, and these wild rivers declarations have attracted a negative response from pro-large scale development interests, who are attacking The Wilderness Society for its campaign on protecting free flowing rivers. We are now also being accused of not listening to Aboriginal people and of disregarding their rights – claims we completely refute.
Cape York Media Releases
- Conservation and Indigenous partnerships key to future of Cape York - June 24, 2009
- Assumed opposition between Cape York Indigenous people and green groups “simply wrong” - June 09, 2009
- Pearson’s anti Cape York conservation campaign reaches new low - June 07, 2009
Partnerships between Traditional Owners and conservation groups are laying important foundation stones for a brighter future for Indigenous communities on Cape York, the director of peak indigenous group Wik Projects, Gina Castelain told a meeting of the Australian Government Working Group on Advancing Reconciliation in Natural Resource Management in Cairns yesterday.
Suggestions that the Wild Rivers controversy in Queensland shows a fundamental opposition between Cape York Indigenous people and ‘green’ groups are “simply wrong”, The Wilderness Society stated today. The recent declaration of the Archer River basin as a Wild River by the Queensland Government was the impetus for a gathering on Country between Wik, Wik Waya, and Kugu senior elders and Traditional Owners, and Wilderness Society campaigners.
The Wilderness Society accused Noel Pearson of reaching a new low in his misinformation campaign against conservation initiatives on Cape York Peninsula. Mr Pearson challenged anyone to "Tell me one World Heritage Area where fishing and hunting are allowed". In response, the Wilderness Society can immediately name at least three such Australian examples, two of which are in close proximity to Cairns, where Mr Pearson lives.
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