Invasive species such as gamba grass will be targeted as part of two major projects to protect Cape York’s native vegetation and environmental resilience. Photo: Darryn Higgins.
An $8.9 million investment into fire management and invasive species control will protect Cape York’s land, water and biodiversity.
The funding will see two major environmental projects led by Cape York Natural Resource Management (NRM) as part of the statewide Natural Resource Management Expansion Program (NRMEP).
The Cape York Wildfire Resilience project will support fire management practices that improve the resilience of native vegetation across 40,000 hectares, while the Cape York Wetlands and Native Vegetation Resilience project will see coordinated weed and feral animal control enhance 10,000 hectares of wetlands and 10,000 hectares of native vegetation.
Cape York NRM CEO Pip Schroor said the projects would back vital efforts to improve the environmental health of the Cape York Peninsula – one of Australia’s most ecologically significant regions.
“This Queensland Government funding will help us tackle pressing environmental threats head-on and safeguard our unique landscapes and precious natural resources,” she said.
“By working closely with communities to identify regional priorities, these projects will deliver on-ground results that benefit both the environment and the people whose livelihoods depend on healthy land and waterways.”
NRM Regions Queensland CEO Chris Norman said the NRMEP was designed to strengthen regional capacity and support long-term environmental outcomes.
“At its core, natural resource management is about bringing people together to care for our natural assets — our land and soil, our water, and our precious biodiversity,” he said.
“We’re thrilled to be delivering the NRM Expansion Program in collaboration with the Queensland Government, and working alongside regional communities to deliver outcomes for the environment and for the economy.”
In total, the NRMEP will deliver $117.84 million in on-ground land, water and biodiversity projects across Queensland over the next three years.
