North Queensland Conservation Council

"Wilderness Matters" is a display of newspaper clippings, scrap books and important documents from the campaign to save Hinchinbrook, shared in a way that tells the important story about concerned citizens coming together to protect this unique and 'wild' part of our beautiful country. 

NQCC is particularly passionate about the ongoing protection of this National Park, given the State Government's apparent desire to sell leases of up to 60 years within the National Park for commercial tourism interests. 

Please come along and support this event - and our ongoing campaign! There will be food and drink available for purchase (cash only) and you will be treated to live music from:

| *Astronaut Launch Party* | *The Resisdance* | *Trash Meow* | *DJ Tropicalism* |

Ticket sales help to cover the operating costs of the event and raise funds for NQCC's campaign to save Hinchinbrook from private leases.

Background

In the late 1990s, a bitter, highly confrontational and literally muddy battle took place between conservationists and real estate property developers who had hoped to develop Hinchinbrook Island National Park and the Hinchinbrook Channel as a tourism destination.

The campaign to save Hinchinbrook from such development sparked the creation of local group Friends of Hinchinbrook, and caught the attention of many regional organisations like NQCC and CAFNEC, as well as larger organisations such as Wildlife Preservation Society Qld (WPSQ), Queensland Conservation Council (QCC), the Wilderness Society (TWS) and Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF). 

Ultimately, the campaign was not won as the development went ahead, but there were many successes along the way. 2019 marks 25 years since a Proclamation by the Governor General of Australia was issued, giving the Commonwealth Government powers to control development activities at Oyster Point, to reduce impacts on the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.