In association with Hopevale Council, Hopevale Congress Rangers, and the Traditional owners, this project will continue Pond Apple control work that has been ongoing in the Hopevale, South Cape Bedford, Alligator creek, and Cooktown areas for the last twenty-four years. The project will build upon work already undertaken and ensure we further encourage the return of biodiversity in our unique environment. It is also proposed to survey areas to the north, south and west of these areas to further reduce the Pond Apple seed spread.

The project will occur in and around Cape York Peninsula's East Coast, specifically, strategically targeting the areas of Hopevale, South Cape Bedford, Alligator creek, and Cooktown areas and surrounds.

These target areas north of Cooktown contain a large amount of Pond Apple and the outcome will be to get rid of established pond apple and regrowth. This will add strategic value to the work that is being conducted in the Cooktown and Mt Amos areas.

Pond apple threatens coastal wetland landscapes throughout Cape York because of its ability to colonise and transform intact natural ecosystems, forming mono-cultural thickets effectively displacing native ecosystems. This threatens the native habitats of turtles, dugongs, native birds and flying fox, etc.

These areas are also located at the southeastern corner of the Cape, from where prevailing ocean currents transport pond apple seeds north along the east coast of the Cape to form new infestations. Larger pond apple infestations existing further south on the Wet Tropics coast indicate the potential for pond apple to spread and cover large areas if small infestations are not controlled.