General News
27 March, 2026
Work together for the good
CLIMATE change is driving more frequent and intense extreme weather events across Queensland, with record-breaking rainfall and flooding exposing the growing vulnerability of two of Australia’s most important natural assets – the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics.
The impacts of recent flooding triggered by extreme rainfall were discussed by the board members of the Wet Tropics Management Authority (WTMA), who met in Townsville last week.
During their visit to the southern end of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, WTMA also met the Reef Authority, Townsville City Council and Townsville Enterprise to discuss environmental impacts affecting the region.
Queensland is home to one of the only places on earth where two natural World Heritage sites sit side by side – the Wet Tropics rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef – linked through catchments, waterways, biodiversity and cultural connections.
WTMA chairwoman Chrissy Grant said with the rainforest forming the catchment for the waterways of the Reef, it was vital “we protect the ecological health of both systems”.
“Recent extreme weather events, including this month’s tropical low, Tropical Cyclone Jasper in 2023 and the Far North and North tropical low in 2025, had caused widespread damage across the region,” she said.
“These events have severely impacted ecosystems, cultural heritage, infrastructure and local communities, with ongoing social and economic ripple effects.
“They are a stark reminder of the growing vulnerability of this globally significant region to the escalating effects of climate change,” Ms Grant said
She said investment in resilience, science-based management and Traditional Owner-led solutions would be critical to protecting the region into the future.
“Prompt coordinated responses are essential to mitigate further damage and support recovery,” she said.
“That includes funding green infrastructure to address erosion and flooding, protecting critical habitats and supporting local ecosystems and communities.”
Ms Grant said government initiatives such as traditional use of marine resource agreements and Indigenous ranger programs were proven mechanisms for engaging Traditional Owners in management and solution design.
She also said the Queensland Government’s Reef Assist program had delivered important outcomes for the rainforest, the Reef and agricultural land across the region and it is essential programs like this continue to be funded.
“Our Reef and rainforest are one of the planet’s most biodiverse and culturally rich places, both on land and in the sea. It helps define us as Queenslanders and Australians, and we must ensure it thrives for future generations.”
Ms Grant said the region also underpinned major economic activity, from tourism to farming and fishing.
“These are premium eco-tourism destinations and they also support industries and communities that depend on healthy land and sea Country,” she said.
WTMA recently tabled its report on the state of the Wet Tropics in the Queensland and Australian parliaments, outlining the growing impacts of extreme weather and the measures needed to reduce future harm.
Read More: Far North