Gondwana Rainforests of Australia
Key Messages
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World Heritage sites are places that have Outstanding Universal Value that transcend the significance they hold for a particular nation.
These qualities are expressed in the convention concerning the protection of the world’s cultural and natural heritage. The World Heritage Convention aims to promote cooperation among nations to protect heritage around the world that is of such Outstanding Universal Value that its conservation is important for current and future generations.
It is important to ensure that all World Heritage areas, regardless of their Outstanding Universal Value, acknowledge First Nations peoples’ ongoing connection to Country.
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The Gondwana Rainforests of Australia comprises the major remaining areas of rainforest in southeast Queensland extending into northeast New South Wales.
The area covers the traditional Country of many First Nations groups and represents outstanding examples of major stages of Earth’s evolutionary history, ongoing geological and biological processes, and exceptional biological diversity. A wide range of plant and animal lineages and communities with ancient origins in Gondwana, many of which are restricted largely or entirely to the Gondwana Rainforests, survive in this collection of reserves. These rainforests were entered on the World Heritage Register in 1994.
Gondwana Rainforests of Australia
State
- Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage natural criteria
The Gondwana Rainforests of Australia meet three World Heritage natural criteria, representing major stages of the earth's history, significant ongoing ecological and biological processes and significant habitat for protecting our biodiversity.
- Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage integrity (Queensland Section)
Wildfires in 2019-2020 have demonstrated the vulnerability of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (Queensland section) Outstanding Universal Values to increased temperature, drought conditions and catastrophic events. In addition, invasive species, including pathogens, may be affecting natural ongoing evolutionary processes for some species and this trend is likely to increase. The trends for some threatened species are uncertain.
Pressure
- Climate change and the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (Queensland Section)
Climate change presents one of the greatest emerging threats to the Outstanding Universal Values of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (Queensland sections). The impacts include: higher temperatures; extended periods of drought; more frequent and intense storms and changes to the cloud base, mist availability or rainfall.
- Invasive species and pathogens and the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (Queensland Section)
The 2019-2020 wildfires in the Gondwana Rainforests caused a significant reduction in vegetation density in many areas, leading to an increased invasion of weeds, pests, and pathogens. Myrtle rust poses a significant long-term threat to the Gondwana Rainforests and is causing the severe decline of several species.
- Fragmentation and the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (Queensland Section)
The Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area (Gondwana Rainforests) areas are naturally fragmented in sections due to the historic geology and geormorphology of the landscapes.
- Tourism and the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (Queensland Section)
Tourism has minor and site-specific impacts on the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (Queensland Sections) World Heritage values. Increasing visitor numbers and associated supporting infrastructure present a minor and localised threat and are addressed within the relevant national park management plans and statements, which consider the threat as low.
- Altered fire regimes and the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (Queensland Section)
The 2019-20 bushfires impacted approximately 34% (20,023 ha) of the Queensland section of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage area, with 4,000 hectares of rainforest burnt. While some areas of the property and particular plant and animal species appear to be recovering some areas experienced high to catastrophic ecological impacts from the fires.