ARF transfers 12 Daintree Blocks to National Park

ARF CEO Roger Phillips walks visitors through an ARF owned and privately sponsored block in the Daintree.

In May the Australian Rainforest Foundation (ARF) transferred 12 blocks, totaling 22 hectares of Daintree rainforest to the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency for inclusion into the Daintree National Park.

Over the past five years, the Foundation has purchased 25 blocks in the Daintree, including two blocks which were donated and has raised over $300,000 from individuals and companies in support of the conservation of the Daintree.

With Commonwealth and State funding support, over $6 million has been spent on land acquisition and other conservation efforts in the Daintree rainforest.

ARF Chief Executive Officer, Roger Phillips said the land purchased was targeted because of its high ecological value and proximity to the National Park.

“The land was previously zoned as residential but under the new planning scheme, owners lost their rights to build on the blocks, so the best use for the land was to pass it onto the EPA for inclusion in the surrounding National Park,” Mr. Phillips said.

The ARF is still seeking buyers for the remaining blocks of land, having sold two conservation blocks to people wishing to own and protect some of the world’s oldest and biodiverse rainforest.