NATIONAL WILDERNESS RED INDEX

Published by the Colong Foundation for Wilderness Ltd. 30/09/94
Level 2, 332 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000.
Ph (02) 9261 2400; Fax (02) 9261 2144.

Name:

HINCHINBROOK ISLAND

Nominated by:

Not recorded

Location:

On Hinchinbrook Island, off the east coast of Queensland, halfway between Townsville and Cairns.

Size
For size and tenure information contact the Colong Foundation.

DESCRIPTION

This area comprises an island off the coast of tropical Queensland, with large
mountains rising above tidal flats. Deep valleys descend from Mt Bowen (1,200
metres) to the flats. Lying between the island and the mainland is the narrow,
mangrove-filled Hinchinbrook Channel. The underlying rock for much of the island
is Carboniferous granite, although acid volcanics of similar age outcrop in the
north. Some Quaternary sand dunes occur behind beaches. [1]

Rainforests and closed eucalypt forests cover the mountain slopes. On low lying
country, thickets of melaleucas and casuarinas occur on tidal flats. Heath
communities are found on the exposed mountain summits. [2]

The island supports a wide range of fauna. Waterbirds and marine birds are
common whilst marine life in surrounding waters is abundant. [3]

STATE FORESTS

ENDANGERED SPECIES

LAND USE HISTORY




CONSERVATION HISTORY

1994
September 23: The Queensland Senate unanimously supports a motion moved by the
Australian Democrats calling for the protection of Hinchinbrook Island.
The motion passed was as follows:
That the Senate (a) supports the protection of Hinchinbrook Island;
(b) notes that:
(i) the letter of agreement signed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Authority and the Queensland Office of Coordinator General states that there
will be "full public disclosure of all information relating to the Port
Hinchinbrook development, and
(ii) The Department of Environment, Sport and Territories, in its portfolio
response to the Queensland Environment Review Report states that "We believe the
management agreement should be based on ... public consultation and the document
should be publicly available"; and
(c) calls on the Minister for the Environment, Sport and Territories (Senator
Faulkner) to release the Peter Valentine report into world heritage values and
the deed of agreement in keeping with these two documents, after consultation
with the Queensland Government. [4]

THREATS




DEVELOPMENT
21 September 1994: Australian Democrats' Leader Cheryl Kernot calls on the
Federal Environment Minister, John Faulkner, to release for public scrutiny the
final report of the Valentine Inquiry into the massive proposed development at
Port Hinchinbrook.
Senator Kernot said a leaked draft of the report, prepared bty Peter Valentine
reinforced concerns about the project's impact on the /Great Barrier Reef,
marine wildlife, and associated World Heritage values. A leaked draft of the
report says the proposed resort "would effectively destroy the unique beauty and
outstanding World Heritage values of Hinchinbrook Island and Channel". It
confirmed the dredging of Hinchinbrook Channel would represent a breach of World
Heritage obligations.
[5]

CONTACTS

No contacts are recorded from that area.
ENDNOTES
1
Prineas, 1986.

2
Prineas, 1986.

3
Prineas, 1986.

4
Senator John Woodley, Media Release, "Senate gives unanimous support for
protection of Hinchinbrook", 23/9/94.

5
Media Release "Release Hinchinbrook documents - Kernot", 21/9/94, Senator Cheryl
Kernot.

Return to Contents Page