Wet Tropics World Heritage Protection and Management Act 1993: Wet Tropics Management Plan 1998 Review

The Wet Tropics Management Authority is commencing a review of the statutory Wet Tropics Management Plan 1998. 

The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area is approximately 900,000 hectares. It contains a variety of different land tenures including native title registered and claimed lands, national park, unallocated State land, leasehold, freehold and a range of reserves associated with community services infrastructure such as dams, roads and railways. 

The Authority is proposing amendments to improve its operation and protect the values of the World Heritage Area. Proposed amendments include ways to promote recognition of Aboriginal tradition and the significant role Rainforest Aboriginal people play in cultural and natural heritage management and include:

A preliminary section recognising the Plan must have regard to Aboriginal tradition and acknowledge Rainforest Aboriginal people as the traditional custodians of the Wet Tropics landscape.
Amend definitions of all zones to recognise traditional Rainforest Aboriginal land management practices are appropriate in all zones.
The review process entails two formal rounds of public consultation. The first round of consultation will occur for a minimum of 40 days with the first submission period closing 30 June 2017. The draft Plan will undergo a second round of consultation from February 2018.