Cape York NRM

Enhancing the Biodiversity Values of Nature Refuges in Northern Gulf and Cape York Regions

Posted on November 15, 2012
Blue Tongue Lizard – images M.Anthony

Land managers with Nature Refuges on their properties in the Northern Gulf and Cape York Regions are invited to be involved in a project titled ‘Building resilient landscapes – maintaining and enhancing biodiversity values in Northern Gulf and Cape York’.

Northern Gulf Resource Management Group (NGRMG) have secured funding and will work in partnership with Cape York Natural Resource Management (Cape York NRM) to carry out an assessment of the biodiversity values of these Nature Refuges and identify threats to those values. Continue Reading…

Marine turtle conservation project

Posted on December 3, 2011
The Hawksbill turtle is susceptible to high levels of pig predation on western Cape York

Cape York Natural Resource Management Ltd. was founded in 2010 making it the most recently established regional NRM body in Australia.

The company has recently been working with WWF-Australia and the Northern Gulf Resource Management Group (Ghost Nets Australia Program) on an Ecosystem Based Marine Turtle Conservation Project for Cape York Peninsula. The focus of this project is to establish a holistic approach to marine turtle conservation across Cape York Peninsula with links to the regions marine turtle conservation efforts. Continue Reading…

Good signs for environment and culture on the Cape

Posted on September 3, 2011
Alerah Ross (SCYC) holding fallen Cluster Figs before they had ripened.

Cape York Natural Resource Management is working with South Cape York Catchments to inspire community members to take part in environmental and cultural preservation.

South Cape York Catchments recently worked with the Laura Rangers to hold a cultural plant awareness event for World Environment Day with community elders, pupils and teachers of Laura State School and the local community. The excursion was part of a combined South Cape York Catchments and Laura Ranger project to preserve traditional knowledge and install an interpretive cultural plant trail at the Split Rock and Mushroom Rock art galleries. Continue Reading…

Cape York producers share costs of improved practices

Posted on May 9, 2010

By Isha Segboer, Cape York Sustainable Futures

Much of the horticulture on Cape York Peninsula is situated within the Lakeland Downs district, an area of fertile soils which overlie a large basalt outcrop. Farmers in this area are eager to embrace sustainable farming practices, including those which are beneficial for water quality, and have been implementing many of these improvements of their own accord.

One of the large pieces of machinery funded through the last round of Reef Rescue was a spreader. The spreader, which helps farmers distribute soil conditioners thereby increasing organic matter and nutrient holding capacities, has been used across a number of properties in the area, including the one pictured.  Continue Reading…

Fire a Reef issue on the Cape

Posted on March 14, 2010
Fire affected some 61% of the cape in 2009. Photo shows a fire affected property in Cape York showing loss of groundcover.

2009 was a major year for fire on Cape York Peninsula.  Wildfire is a significant issue for managing nutrient and sediment flows in the Cape York catchments.  Fires in the region are responsible for extensive loss of groundcover, release of nutrients, removal of organic matter and powdering the soil surface.

Eight million hectares of the Cape burnt during 2009, equating to 61% of the total landmass.  Given that some of the Cape’s 13 million hectares is rainforest, that should never burn, such a large area affected by fire has significant land management impacts. Many of these fires occurred during the late dry season, producing burns of great intensity which removed not only green vegetation, but also fallen branches and trees that provide valuable groundcover and habitat for biodiversity.  Continue Reading…

A new voice for natural resource management across the Cape

Posted on February 18, 2010

After a lengthy community consultation process across Cape York, the region will soon have its own community based organisation for natural resource management planning.

For the past five years, every region of Australia, except Cape York, has been supported in natural resource planning by a regional organisation responsible for community engagement and investment in on-ground programs.

The community consultation process, which ran across 12 months in Cape York communities has led to Queensland and Australian Governments recognising the importance of providing an avenue for community interaction in natural resource management across the region.

The new organisation will allow the Cape York community to provide input into regional planning processes and to identify natural resource management investment priorities across the Cape.

Continue Reading…