green connections

GREEN CONNECTIONS

NEIGHBOURS WORKING TOGETHER FOR BIGGER RESULTS

OCTOBER 2026

From planting trees along creeks to trapping feral pigs – neighbours are joining forces in the Wet Tropics so that new land conservation projects can deliver more ‘bang for the buck’.

A strong response from private landholders has meant 14 projects will start soon between the Daintree, Tablelands and Ingham on land in important areas between forests – where tree-planting and pest and weed control can make a big difference.

Seven of the projects cross property boundaries.

Connecting endangered Mabi forest

“Cane farmers along a creek near Atherton are planting trees in what could be the beginnings of a new green corridor connecting sections of endangered Mabi forest between the Curtain Fig National Park and Wongabel State Forest,’’ Terrain NRM’s Bronwyn Robertson said.

Removing pond apple

“Further south, pond apple is being removed across 50 hectares near Babinda thanks to an agreement with neighbouring landholders. This builds on previous work in the area to control pond apple and improve habitat condition.

Feral pig control

“At Topaz and in the Daintree, feral pig control programs will bring neighbouring landholders together over more than 200 hectares of high-value habitat.”

These new projects are part of ‘Green Connections’, funded by the Queensland Government’s Natural Resource Management Expansion Program. Community conservation groups and local councils will be working on many of them.

Tree planting to help mahogany gliders

Ms Robertson said the program was targeting areas where conservation investment could deliver the greatest benefits. It also includes tree-planting along a creek in the Ingham area to help endangered mahogany gliders, and the expansion of a Tableland couple’s forest restoration project at the base of Mt Bartle Frere, Queensland’s highest mountain.

cassowary credit scheme

She said the project was homing in on high-priority areas.

“We’ve drawn on decades of great work by many different organisations and used spatial mapping tools to tie in threatened species outcomes. We’ll be working in areas with threatened ecological communities and with good opportunities to connect and protect habitat.”

80+ hectares of land to be restored

Overall, more than 80 hectares of land will be restored through weed and pest control and assisted natural regeneration of plant species, and over 10 hectares of land will be revegetated.

“Biodiversity doesn’t stop at property boundaries,” Bronwyn said. “There are lots of really important areas on private land and there are many landholders who recognise the biodiversity values but need some extra resources.

“The goal is to work together with landholders, conservation groups, local councils and community nurseries to improve the condition and extent of native forest in our region, to help threatened plants and animals and to make our ecosystems more resilient.”

Find out more about the project here.