Queensland has the largest area of native forest of any state or territory in Australia, home to a rich and important diversity of plants and animals. These areas need protection to ensure the survival of our unique species. These forests provide a critical habitat for threatened and endangered species and act as significant carbon stores, making their protection crucial for Queensland and Australia's environmental credibility.
Located approximately half way between Esk and Crows Nest on the Esk Hampton Roadforest, Deongwar is a large remnant forest with good connectivity to adjoining nature reserves and nearby national parks, as well as being a traditional mens initiation meeting place for the Dungibara, Jinibara, Kabi Kabi and Uuggera Ugarapul peoples.
A 2021 report commissioned by the Queensland Conservation Council highlighted the high conservation values of Deongwar State Forest and recommends it for priority transfer to national park. It is a large intact forest with good connectivity to adjoining nature reserves and nearbv national parks. The significance being that it provides ecological resilience within the broader landscape offering refuge to wildlife when conditions in other areas may be less desirable, for example during and after bushfire. (See Map 3.)
This forest is home to:
- 4871 hectares of intact high concentration remnant native forest.
- 146 protected threatened and endangered species including the long nosed potoroos, powerful owl, black breasted button-quail, white -throated needle tail, glossy-black cockatoo, koala and greater glider.
- Over half, 2660 hectares, is mapped as koala habitat which represents 55% for it’s total area as may be seen in Map 2. (Anon, 2021)
- The majority is mapped as greater glider habitat.
More information is available here.
We are asking the Queensland State Government, and specifically the Minister for the Environment the Hon Leeane Linard MP and the Queensland Premier the Hon Steven Miles MP to immediately transition Deongwar State Forest to a conservation estate.
This will align with the Queensland State Government's 2019 commitment to transition 20,000 hectares of State Forest prior to 31 December 2024
And also, the more recent announcement by then Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to transition 20,000 hectares to the conservation estate prior to 31st of December 2024.
The Australian Threatened Species Index demonstrates that over the last 25 years Queensland's threatened terrestrial native birds and terrestrial mammals have declined by 70% and 60% respectively with many species trending towards local extinction, including our Greater Glider.
Permanently protecting Deongwar State Forest will be a step towards enabling us to replenish our stock of old growth forest so they can recover their full potential to provide the abundance and diversity of ecological resources necessary to support genetically diverse viable metapopulations that are not just marginally surviving but are able to recovery and thrive in their natural habitat over time.
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