Lot 68 Forest Creek Road

COMPLETED PROJECT SNAPSHOT

Thank you to all of the wonderful donors - Lot 68 Forest Creek Road has now been secured for conservation. We are now focusing our fundraising on the next property, Lot 2 Old Forest Creek Road.

Rehabilitation is occurring on this property to remove exotic plants and restore an area of rainforest cleared in the past. Once that has been completed, the property will be added to the Pathway to Protection process and be assessed for inclusion in the Daintree National Park (CYPAL). 

Project Snapshot

Action: Purchase, protect and restore Lot 68 Forest Creek Road

Location: Forest Creek, Queensland, Australia

Size: 2.5 hectares (25,000 sqm)

Vegetation type: Regional Ecosystem 7.11.1a (Mesophyll vine forest) and Regional Ecosystem 7.3.10c: Mesophyll vine forest. Seasonally inundated lowland alluvial plains. Palustrine. Listed as “Of Concern” under the Vegetation Management Act 1999

Threatened Species: Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii).

Endangered Ecological Community: Lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics ecological community is listed as endangered under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 

Lot 68 Forest Creek Road

Securing Lot 68 for conservation

When Lot 68 Forest Creek Road (RP733653) was listed for sale in late April 2025, it drew significant interest from prospective buyers looking to develop the block for housing. We responded quickly and submitted an offer to purchase the property. The competition was fierce, but we were successful and signed a contract of sale. We then raised the funds to purchase and protect this unique piece of the Daintree Rainforest.

We acquired this property to prevent its development and to ensure it is managed for conservation. Funds raised for this project are being used for the land purchase, its protection, and the restoration of areas previously cleared or disturbed.

Lot 68 Forest Creek Road

Ecological importance of Lot 68

Lot 68 Forest Creek Road is in Forest Creek in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. This freehold property—measuring 25,000 square metres (2.5 hectares)—was created through a rural residential subdivision in 1982. It provides critical habitat for the endangered Southern Cassowary and should be permanently protected. Despite its ecological value, the zoning of this property allows for rural residential development to occur, subject to local Council approval.

Past housing developments in the Daintree have led to significant clearing, fragmentation, and degradation of this ancient ecosystem. Residential settlement introduces exotic plant species that become environmental weeds and domestic dogs that pose a threat to native wildlife.

Fragmentation occurs when a continuous forest is broken into smaller sections that become disconnected from the whole. Forest ecosystems function best as an unbroken whole, and connectivity is one of the most critical requirements for maintaining ecological health. Disturbance paves the way for invasive weeds and pests to colonise the exposed and degraded areas.

Common human-induced causes of fragmentation include road construction, housing, infrastructure, and other forms of development. When fragmentation occurs, wildlife are hindered in their natural movements and may lose the ability to navigate through the landscape. This affects seed distribution and other processes that sustain biodiversity.

By addressing fragmentation and restoring wildlife linkages, we can strengthen the health and resilience of rainforest systems. Connected forests are better equipped to respond to climate flux and natural disasters. Biodiversity security, and forest connectivity are intrinsically linked.

Lot 68 supports wetland ecosystems that are important for the Estuarine (Saltwater) Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), the world’s largest living reptile. Protecting this property helps safeguard habitat for both rainforest and aquatic species threatened by increasing development pressure.

Old-growth tropical rainforest on Forest Creek Road

The role of Lot 68 in a larger ecosystem

Lot 68 Forest Creek Road plays a vital role in maintaining a continuous, vegetated wildlife corridor across the landscape. It forms part of a significant and extensive tract of forest that stretches from the mangrove wetland delta of the Daintree River to the Alexandra Range and Thornton Peak mountains to the immediate north.

Positioned on the lower side of Forest Creek Road, Lot 68 is located close to the Daintree River delta. The land is extremely wet, with seasonally ponded water, and is largely mapped as Aquatic Conservation Significant (riverine wetlands). The northern bank of the Daintree River supports high biodiversity and quality fish habitat, including an isolated population of McCullough’s Rainbow fish (Melanotaenia maccullochi), which is morphologically distinctive. The surrounding area is also home to endangered frog species and provides critical habitat for many other rare and threatened species.

By safeguarding rainforest and wetland ecosystems on-site, the purchase of Lot 68 ensures broader landscape connectivity. Increased urbanisation in Forest Creek threatens to disrupt natural ecological processes by fragmenting habitats and creating the "edge effect." Maintaining a healthy core-to-edge ratio is essential to sustaining ecologically sound, functioning forests.

Lot 68 is habitat for the estuarine (Saltwater) crocodile

Restoration plans for Lot 68

Funds raised through this project will be used to purchase the land, ensure its protection, and restore areas of the rainforest that have previously been cleared or disturbed.

We are purchasing the property to prevent future development and ensure it is managed for conservation. Once secured, revegetation efforts will begin at the cleared site near the boundary with Forest Creek Road, where clearing for a house site occurred. A derelict caravan left by a former owner will be removed, environmental weeds will be cleared, and native trees will be planted to support natural regeneration. 

This caravan on Lot 68 has been removed

Vegetation and landscape connectivity

The vegetation on Lot 68 Forest Creek Road includes two distinct Regional Ecosystems: (1) Regional Ecosystem 7.11.1a: Mesophyll vine forest.
(2) Regional Ecosystem 7.3.10c: Mesophyll vine forest on seasonally inundated lowland alluvial plains (Palustrine), listed as 'of concern' under the Vegetation Management Act 1999.

In addition to protecting these rainforest and wetland ecosystems, the purchase of Lot 68 will ensure ecological connectivity across the landscape. Increased urbanisation in Forest Creek will further disrupt natural processes by fragmenting habitat and intensifying the edge effect. Ensuring a favourable core-to-edge ratio in rainforest patches is essential for supporting healthy, functioning ecosystems.

Lot 68 is habitat for the rare Bennett's Tree-kangaroo

The Daintree Lowland Rainforest itself has now been identified as part of an endangered ecological community. In November 2021, the Australian Government listed the lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics ecological community in the endangered category under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The listing was effective as of Friday, November 26, 2021 and includes the Wet Tropics of North Queensland, from near Ingham (just south of the Cardwell Range) in the south to the north around Cape Tribulation. While now listed as endangered, the Daintree Lowland Rainforest is still not fully protected. The freehold properties in the Daintree lowland remain at risk from rural residential development.

The majority of Lot 68 is mapped as Aquatic Conservation Significant (riverine wetlands)

Lot 68 is habitat for the endangered Southern Cassowary

Learn more about Forest Creek wetlands

Discover how the Forest Creek wetlands support rare ecosystems, endangered species, and vital wildlife corridors here.