Wet tropics heritage celebrated with new planting
ENVIRONMENT
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Wet Tropics of Queensland being inscribed on the World Heritage List, an endangered plant species native to the Daintree Forest has been planted at Cairns Botanic Gardens.
“The plant had been given to the CBG as a gift and it had been growing in the nursery until Saturday, when it was planted.
“It’s considered an endangered species, which is why it was selected for this event. The Cairns Regional Council provided the plant from the nursery and a suitable spot to plant it,” according to a Council spokesperson.
To mark the occasion of the 30-year anniversary, Minister for Environment, Leeanne Enoch, said the listing of the Wet Tropics was complex, controversial and caught the attention of not just Queensland, but the world.
“Today is a celebration of the great progress that has been achieved over the past 30 years and it’s time to reflect on the work done to protect this magnificent landscape.
“The Heritage Area retains the largest area of rainforest in Australia and is home to an exceptionally high proportion of the nation’s biodiversity,” she said.
The endangered plant – a Daintree gardenia (gardenia actinocarpa) – was planted in the botanic gardens’ Gondwana Evolution Garden. Wet Tropics Management Authority Chair, Leslie Shirreffs, joined with local children to plant the gardenia.
It is an attractive shrub and a plant of the Daintree Forest. It can be found along the coastal fringe between Cow Bay and Noah Beach just south of Cape Tribulation. It is regarded as one of the sweetest smelling of the gardenias.
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