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Springbrook Rescue is founded on recovering the viability of the wet heart of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. The World Heritage Convention sets out clear obligations for signatory countries to ensure permanent protection of areas identified as having outstanding universal value. It also lists the active measures required to achieve this. Three key and interrelated measures governments are required to put in place are policies that:
• give the cultural and natural heritage a function in the life of the community;
• restore world heritage values
• integrate “protection” into comprehensive planning programmes.
In this project “community” is taken to mean a group of people with shared interests and concerns relating in some way to World Heritage issues, whether located locally, nationally or internationally. Whereas ‘community’ can to refer to people living in close proximity under the same laws and regulations, with a strong sense of attachment to a place, global travel and the advent of the internet means people can gather from anywhere in the world actually, or virtually in an online community, with common interests regardless of home location. However, the local community has a vital role in ensuring the protection, conservation, presentation and transmission to future generations of the World Heritage values in their midst.
We interpret World Heritage having “a function in the life of the community” as
- enriching a sense of attachment to the area through better understanding
- enriching social networks through working together for change
- involvement in and support for better governance for effective protection of World Heritage values
- involvement in presenting and interpreting World Heritage values and their fragility to the broader community
- involvement in restoration of World Heritage values and integrity
- inspiring artistic creativity
- enhancing social capital (tolerance, trust, wellbeing, reciprocity, networks, shared rules, norms and sanctions) inspired by cooperation on which the World Heritage Convention is based
- economic benefits from ecotourism based on World Heritage interpretation
These outcomes are enshrined in the vision for the Springbrook community:
“A vibrant community of residents and visitors sustaining and sustained by World Heritage values, and a mostly natural landscape that inspires and revives the human spirit” (South East Queensland Regional Plan (2009-2031).
The long-term success of the project is dependent on broad community support. Obtaining this support is a shared responsibility of governments and the community itself, of which the Australian Rainforest Conservation Society is an integral part.
The avenues ARCS will use to inform and engage with the community (local, national, global) integrate protection, conservation, presentation, restoration and transmission obligations and include:
- this website and associated social media avenues,
- open days for information sharing,
- inviting participation in restoration and scientific programs,
- dissemination of information and articles to the scientific and broader community via various media including scientific journals, local newsletters, brochures and other print and electronic alternatives
- recreational activities that stimulate curiosity, wonder and understanding:
- walks that showcase the rich biodiversity and wildlife heritage contributing to the outstanding universal value of the World Heritage Area,
- identification of plants, fungi and other taxa
- talks that showcase different aspects of the Springbrook Rescue programs
- better signage about the project and World Heritage
- participation in community organisations in a way related to our purpose.
The effectiveness of any of these initiatives is ultimately measured by the degree of community support for protecting World Heritage values which can be measured directly by independent professional surveys such as those carried out for the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, or indirectly by the level of social cohesion reflected in various forms of local and regional media.
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Springbrook residents helping with removal of the invasive weed,
Aristea ecklonii |
A group from Birds Queensland come regularly to tackle the Aristea menace as well as complete seasonal bird surveys |
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A truckload of Fireweed removed |
Community of Christ volunteers after a day of removing a
range of exotic species from the site |
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Local community members Lesley (left) and Ceris (right) involved in measuring seasonal plant growth in one of our science projects |
One of the four teams from Birds Queensland involved in our
bird surveys conducted seasonally since 2010. Team leader is
Maree Tarrant (left). Photo Aila Keto |
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A specialist field day: scientists inspecting completion of the first phase of the Wireless Sensor Network on Pallida. Photo Keith Scott |
Plant identification and archival — citizen science underpins the biodiversity research program. Photo Keith Scott |
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The end of a hard day with the Commuity of Christ.
Photo: Aila Keto |
A team from Brisbane Bushwalkers
Photo: Aila Keto |
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Signage at all restoration sites. National Park (Recovery) is a special formal category of National Parks signifying the property was acquired in a non-pristine state for the sole purpose of recovery of critical habitat and landscape connectivity in areas of state, national and/or global significance. Photo: Aila Keto |
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