The Douglas Shire Council tried to bulldoze a road through the rainforest from Cape Tribulation to Bloomfield in 1983. A huge public outcry developed into a major environmental battle and the Daintree Blockade brought the Daintree to world attention. This battle was instrumental in leading to World Heritage listing of the area.

The following extract from 'Daintree - Jewel of Tropical North Queensland' self-published by Lloyd Nielsen, 1997** describes the events at that time, and is printed here with kind permission.Copies of the booklet are available from Birdingaustralia.com.au

THE REASONS FOR THE ROAD

In the early 1980s, pressure was growing for the missing road link between Cape Tribulation and Bloomfield to be completed. The campaign was spearheaded by the Douglas Shire Council, a move the State Government supported wholeheartedly. It was known that the council of the day had an agenda to 'open up' the northern portion of the shire to development. However the 17 000 hectare Cape Tribulation National Park had been gazetted in 1981, encompassing a significant part of the last remaining large tract of tropical lowland forest in Australia. The only problem was that the road was to be forged through the new national park!

Several official reasons were given for the justification of the road - it would benefit tourism; authorities would be better equipped to police a steadily growing drug problem; it would deter bird trappers and orchid thieves; and it would allow residents of Cooktown an easier and quicker access to Cairns. Some supporters of the road put forward their resons to justify its impending construction - it would 'deter illegal immigrants, wildlife smugglers, drug runners and other undesirables, and serves as 'an invaluable defence measure from invaders from the north!' The same supporters of the road argued that there should be no concern for the destruction of the lowland forest if the road were to be build for 'there was plenty of rainforest on the mountains above the lowlands through which the road was to be built.' It was also argued that most of the road would run through 'scrubby mixed forest which is only rubbish anyway.

Those campaigning against its construction obtained scientific opinion. This showed that, in keeping with the rest of the lowland rainforest in the area, it was scientifically some of the most important and significant on Earth. They too voiced their opinions for the reasons for construction of the road, including a suspicion that a developer had plans to subdivide another large tract of rainforest and needed access. In retrospect and with the events that followed, they were probably close to the mark.

THE CONFRONTATION

In December 1983, Douglas Shire Council bulldozers arrived to construct the road. Many people gathered to try to physically prevent work from proceeding. Protesters set up headquarters at the work site at Cape Tribulation and the long confrontation began.

A large contingent of police arrived. Over the following days protesters climbed trees, chained themselves to trees or buried themselves in the path of the bulldozers. Many were arrested. After some delay, bulldozers began work from both the Cape Tribulation and the Bloomfield ends of the road.

The confrontation attracted the media which every day reported the happenings to the nation. The building of the road quickly became the major environmental issue in Australia, but the government was unrelenting. In three short weeks, the road was pushed through. The Douglas Shire Council claimed victory.

THE RAIN COMES

The year was almost at an end and the men who had driven the machines left for the traditional Christmas break. Then the traditional Wet arrived! Constant deluges of heavy rain damaged the new road in many places as predicted by those opposing its construction. Landslides completely blocked it. Significant amounts of soil were flushed into the waters of the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef.

The road was abandoned until the following Dry, when in August the council returned to repair and re-open it. An atmosphere of controversy and protest still prevailed. Finally the road was officially opened on 7 Otober, 1984. Local parliamentarians, politicians and local supporters attended. The Minister for Main Roads performed the ceremony, after which the official motorcade left to traverse the road. Beofre they had travelled far, 30 millimetres of rain fell and their vehicles became bogged in the mud. (October is one of the driest months of the year) The final nemesis was had by the national newspaper 'The Australian' which blazoned the headlines across the nation the next morning - 'BIGWIGS BOGGED AFTER GRAND OPENING OF DAINTREE ROAD!'

WORLD HERITAGE LISTING

The final outcome of the Daintree controversy resulted in a determined effort by the conservation movement to protect all tropical rainforests in north Queensland for all time by having them listed under World Heritage protection.

The Queensland Government vehemently opposed the anticipated listing and sent a delegation led by the MInister for National Parks to a meeting of the world body for World Heritage in Brazil to oppose the nomination. But the government's efforts failed. With the support of the Commonwealth Government, the Wet Tropics of Queensland claimed its rightful place on the world Heritage List on 9 December, 1988.

THE HIGH COURT CHALLENGES

But the saga did not end there. The State Government continued its opposition to the listing, refusing to co-operate with the Commonwealth Government in a joint management scheme and retaliating by launching two court challenges. The first, in the HIgh Court of Australia, based on consititioutional isues, was lost. In November 1989 the Commonwealth Government went ahead and set up a management authority without the participation of the State Government and appointed its own representatives.

The second challenge in the Federal Court involved technical matters including sustained logging in World Heritage forests. But the case was never heard. At the ensuing election in early December 1989, the government was soundly defeated afte 23 years in power. The new State Government lost no time in announcing its support for the listing and gave assurances that it would work closely with the Commonwealth Government to manage the new World Heritage area.

THE ROAD TODAY

The road has benefited tourism, enabling many people to experience this beautiful region.

However, because it was constructed in haste, it was poorly built. In many places, especially over Donovan and Cowie ranges, it is very steep, eroding during the Wet when it can become impassable for weeks. In the Dry it is a slow road which can only be negotiated by four wheel drive vehicles.

Blockade Creek where most of the protest took place is located a couple of kilometers north of the Cape Trib Beach House. It is an unnamed creek distinguished by the Daintree National Park - Cape Tribulation Section sign.

 

*'DAINTREE - Jewel of Tropical North Queensland' by Lloyd Nielsen (Author, illustrator, publisher) 1997. “Lloyd Nielsen’s book is an excellent introduction to the region’s plants, animals, history and geography.” - Wild No. 68. It is possible to purchase this book at the following places in the Daintree Coast:

• Daintree Discovery Centre
  Mason's Shop
  Bathouse
  Dragonfly
  Gallery Cafe
  Floravilla Art Gallery
  
  

FURTHER INFORMATION

Mary Burg - Thesis, James Cook University: NORTH QUEENSLAND HISTORY
Discuss the involvement of Non-Government Conservation Organisation in the lead up to the listing of the Wet Tropics Rainforests on the World Heritage Register in 1988

Deliberation in The Wilderness - .A citizens' jury deliberates on the issue of what to do about the management of the Bloomfield Track in the future.

Photographs from the Daintree Blockade can be viewed at the National Library at Australia. Type 'daintree blockade' into the search box.

FOUR WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES ON THE BLOOMFIELD TRACK

Masons Tours
See the best of the Bloomfield Track on a ½ day safari or venture further to Home Rule or Cooktown on a full day tour. All tours stop at the 40 metre Bloomfield Falls and we use comfortable 100 Series Toyota Landcruisers with air-conditioning and extensive safety and recovery equipment. All drivers have completed govt. approved 4WD training.

Mason's Tours Forest Stories and Wildlife Sightings - Find out the latest road conditions on the Bloomfield Track. Mason's Tours are Cape Tribulation's original Land Tour Operators and offer Full Day 'Home Rule' or Cooktown 4WD Safaris.

If you have your own four wheel drive vehicle, refer to Four-wheel driving on the Bloomfield Track which provides hints on what to expect and where to purchase a detailed map of the road.