In far northern Queensland lies the Daintree, one of the world's oldest rainforests and home to Australia's most diverse range of plants and animals - plus 800 people, determined to live out their dreams among the tropical lowlands.
These would-be forest dwellers snapped up land approved for housing in the early 1980s by the government of Joh Bjelke-Petersen, the right-wing maverick who ruled Queensland for 19 years. The move went ahead despite massive opposition, and the land was excluded from 9,000 square km of rainforest that were World Heritage-listed in 1988.
For the past two decades, the 1,000 or so blocks have been a battleground between conservationists keen to preserve the Daintree's unique ecosystems and landowners set on building homes in a region internationally renowned for its natural beauty. Now, after years of wrangling, Douglas Shire Council has banned all further development in the area, which borders the World Heritage-listed wetlands.
"The reason that we've had to take some divisive and uncomfortable action is because it's been allowed to develop to the point of no return," said the mayor, Mike Berwick.
The council is prepared to buy back land at market prices. But the move was greeted with dismay by landowners, many of whom either have yet to build on their blocks, or are planning to renovate decaying properties. Some argue that if shire councillors really want to preserve the Daintree, they should limit tourism, which accounts for 85 per cent of the local economy.
The rainforest occupies a stretch of land between the Great Barrier Reef and the coastal mountain range, fringing the white sand beaches and almost merging with the coral reefs that lie just offshore. It is said to contain an almost complete record of the major stages in the evolution of plant life on Earth. It also provides the sole habitat for many rare plants and animals, including the endangered southern cassowary, a large flightless bird.
Two years ago, Douglas Shire introduced a similar ban, which was overturned by pro-development councillors while Mr Berwick was absent. It was then reinstated by the state government. Anti-developers were bolstered by a letter to the Prime Minister, John Howard, and the Queensland premier, Peter Beattie, in 2004 from 23 environmental scientists from around the world. They warned that development of the residential blocks would "decimate both the region's bio-diversity and the thriving tourism industry".The Independent
