Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search

Queensland and NSW floods 2022

Visit recovery.gov.au to see what help is available.

Close
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Ministers
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Climate change
    Climate change Driving climate action, science and innovation so we are ready for the future.
    • Climate science and adaptation
    • Australia's climate change strategies
    • Emissions reduction
    • Emissions reporting
    • International commitments
    • Climate Active
    • Climate change publications and data
    • Australia’s National Greenhouse Accounts (Emissions Data)
    Stronger action on climate change

    Stronger action on climate change

    See how the Australian Government is committed to taking more ambitious action on climate change.

    Find out more

  • Energy
    Energy Building a secure and sustainable energy system for all Australians.
    • Energy policy in Australia
    • Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council
    • Renewable energy
    • Energy publications
    • energy.gov.au
    • Energy Rating
    • Commercial Building Disclosure Program
    • Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS)
    • Your Home
    Decorative image

    Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme

    Guiding energy-efficient design and construction for a net-zero future

    Find out more about NatHERS

  • Environment
    Environment Improving stewardship and sustainable management of Australia’s environment.
    • Bushfire recovery
    • Climate change and the environment
    • Biodiversity
    • EPBC Act
    • Environmental information and data
    • International activities
    • Invasive species
    • Land
    • Marine
    • Partnerships
    • Protection
    • Report a breach of environment law
    • Threatened species & ecological communities
    • Waste and recycling
    • Wildlife trade
    Decorative image

    Read our Nature Positive Plan

    Our plan sets out the Australian Government’s commitment to environmental law reform

    Find out more

  • Water
    Water Improving the sustainable management of Australia’s water supply for industry, the environment and communities.
    • Coal, Coal seam gas (CSG) and water
    • Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
    • Water policy and resources
    • Wetlands
    Water matters

    Water Matters

    Keep up with the latest news on the department's work in managing Australia's water resources.

    Read the latest edition here

  • Parks and heritage
    Parks and heritage Managing Australia’s iconic national parks, historic places and living landscapes.
    • Australian Marine Parks
    • Australian National Botanic Gardens
    • Booderee National Park
    • Kakadu National Park
    • Christmas Island National Park
    • National parks
    • Norfolk Island National Park
    • Heritage
    • Pulu Keeling National Park
    • The Great Barrier Reef
    • Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park
    The reef

    Great Barrier Reef

    Australia is protecting and conserving this World Heritage Area.

    Find out more

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Climate change
    • Australia's biological resources
    • National Environmental Science Program (NESP)
    • Office of the Science Convenor
    • Australian Biological Resource Study (ABRS)
    • State of the Environment (SoE) reporting
    • Bird and bat banding
    • Supervising Scientist
    Our climate is changing

    Our climate is changing

    Find out more about how climate science helps Australians with the impacts of climate change.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us We lead Australia’s response to climate change and sustainable energy use, and protect our environment, heritage and water.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • People and jobs
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    Decorative image

    Juukan Gorge response

    Read the Australian Government's response to the destruction at Juukan Gorge and the recommendations

    Read the response

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Climate Change, Energy, Enviroment and Water

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Environment
  3. Biodiversity
  4. Bushfire recovery for wildlife and their habitat
  5. Rainforests of south-east Queensland

Sidebar first - EN - Biodiversity

  • Bushfire Recovery
    • Funding support
      • Regional fund
        • Australian alpine region
        • East Gippsland
        • Greater Blue Mountains and World Heritage Area
        • Kangaroo Island
        • NSW north coast and tablelands
        • South Coast NSW
        • South-east Queensland
        • Multiregional and Strategic Initiatives
    • Activities and outcomes
    • Consultation and engagement
      • Workshops and roundtables
    • Bushfire impacts
      • Expert Panel
      • Priority animals
      • Priority invertebrates
      • Priority Plants
      • Priority threatened ecological communities

Rainforests of south-east Queensland

The rainforests of south-east Queensland bushfire region is defined by the south-east Queensland Natural Resource Management boundary and covers nearly 2.4 million hectares. It includes a portion of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area.

The Traditional Owners of this region include: Jinibara, Kabi Kabi, Kombumerri, Ngaraghwal, Mununjali, Wangerriburra, Quandamooka and Yuggera Ugarapul.

Impacts of the 2019-20 bushfires

The 2019–20 bushfires burnt approximately 97,200 hectares in this region. Of this, 46 per cent was burnt at a high or very high severity. Approximately 36 per cent of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area in this region was burnt.

Map of the rainforests of South-east Queensland region following the 2019–20 bushfires

This map shows the extent and severity of the 2019–20 bushfires in the rainforests of south-east Queensland region.

Text version of image

This map shows the extent and severity of the 2019–20 bushfires in the rainforests of south-east Queensland region.

Environmental values

Important environmental values impacted by the bushfires that were identified by the Expert Panel for management intervention in the region include:

  • Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area
  • four Threatened Ecological Communities, including Lowland Rainforest of Subtropical Australia
  • 34 animal species such as the freshwater crayfish Euastacus jagara, Albert’s Lyrebird, Fleay’s Frog, Oxleyan Pygmy Perch, and the Honey Blueye freshwater fish
  • eight plant species such as the Mountain Wax Flower, Mountain Zieria and the Bertya ernestiana shrub.
Albert's lyrebird

Photo: Mike's Birds licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0.

Fleay's frog

Photo: Froggydarb licensed with CC BY-SA 3.0

Mountain Zieria

Photo: Geoff Derrin licensed with CC BY-SA 4.0

Rarely seen but frequently heard, Albert’s Lyrebird has a spectacular call that rings out through winter. Around 18 per cent of its habitat in the region was burnt.

Fleay’s Frogs often hide amongst the leaf litter on the rainforest floor near to fast-flowing streams. This endangered frog has 38 per cent of its habitat in this region, of which 12 per cent was burnt.

The Mountain Zieria is a native citrus shrub found only in Queensland. It has 64 per cent of its range in the region, 84 per cent of this was burnt, 51 per cent at high or very high severity.

Australian Government bushfire recovery funding in the region

More than $6.4 million has been invested in recovery of native wildlife and their habitat in the rainforests of south-east Queensland bushfire region. This investment is in two phases.

Phase 1 – Emergency Response

The Australian Government directly invested $1.95 million in the south-east Queensland region, as part of the initial $50 million investment in bushfire recovery for wildlife and habitats. This includes:

  • $450,000 to Natural Resource Management organisations for recovery actions throughout the region including weed and pest control, and boundary fencing:
    • $350,000 to Healthy Land and Water
    • $100,000 to Southern Queensland Landscapes
  • $1.5 million to the Queensland Government for post-fire evaluation and fire severity mapping, and field surveys of threatened plant and animal species.

Phase 2 – Resilience and Recovery

The Australian Government is investing $4 million in the rainforests of south-east Queensland bushfire region under the $110 million Regional Bushfire Recovery Fund to increase the resilience and recovery of fire-affected species, ecological communities and natural assets.This includes:

  • $1.65 million to Healthy Land and Water to work closely with landholders to implement pest and weed management activities and to work with communities on fire management actions
  • $2.35 million to the Queensland Government to undertake work across Main Range, Lamington and Mount Barney National Parks and the Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park. Actions include pest control, weed control and fire management and planning, including fire line enhancement and additional water storage points.

This investment was guided by recommendations from a co-design workshop held with stakeholders for this region on 28 August 2020. The workshop report is available on the Workshops and ministerial roundtables page.

A further $500,000 is being invested in this region through 6 projects supported under the $10 million Bushfire Recovery for Wildlife and Habitat Community Grants Program.

A detailed list of funded projects is available on the Activities and Outcomes page.

Australian Government funding for NRM projects is delivered through the Commonwealth’s broader Regional Land Partnerships (RLP) program. See current National Landcare Program investments.

Further information

  • Regional fund
Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI
Last updated: 08 August 2022

© Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.