Cape York Peninsula is an important and iconic place. Cape York’s eastern catchments flow directly to the top third of the world heritage Great Barrier Reef (GBR), including ten of the Reef’s 30 unique bioregions. The Cape York region has exceptional, intact wilderness areas, and a rich cultural landscape, with Traditional Custodians maintaining strong connections to Country.
Yet, there are also growing pressures on the region—people bring litter and waste that damage cultural and natural areas, roads and other disturbances cause erosion that washes sediment into waterways, land managers continue to tackle the spread of weeds and feral animals, and severe cyclones and extreme weather, driven by climate change, threaten the health of corals and coastal vegetation.
There is a need to address these pressures and take meaningful local action to preserve the values of the region.
Cape York Peninsula is one of five Reef regions to develop a CAP, with a main focus in the south-east (Endeavour, Jeannie, and Normanby catchments). The purpose of this CAP is to build on previous plans and combine the voices of Traditional Owners, community members, and youth, to identify priorities for practical on-ground activities that will benefit the local marine and coastal environment.
With the CAP development phase complete, it is now time to turn the Plan into action for the benefit of the region, local community, and the Reef.
