Here are three stories from the second half of the 1980s as the Bjelke-Petersen era was drawing to a close.

In the first, Rosemary Hill reports on the historical meeting held in 1986 at which Queensland conservation organisations agreed to push for World Heritage protection for the Wet Tropics.

Therefore, the next three stories from our NQCC 50 anniversary project focus on the campaign against Keith Williams' efforts to build a resort at Port Hinchinbrook.

Over the past four months, NQCC sat with members of the community to talk about personal experiences with weather extremes in North Queensland. We learned a lot about the diversity of impacts, people's future worries, but also about our great potential to increase local resilience.

This week, Queenslanders decide who will lead our state for the next four years. Thanks to QCC's election survey and scorecard, we know where the parties stand on environmental issues. This election, we risk losing a lot of things we've fought so hard for in recent years, including ambition for climate action and environmental protection. 

The fewer environmental champions there are in government, the more that are needed in the community - and that's where we come in. 

Have you ever wondered how we came up with the name 'Paperbark' for our beloved newsletter? As you might know NQCC turns 50 this year. We have such a rich history of community activism, bold campaigns, and of course great outcomes for nature. Being focused on positive changes for the environment, it sometimes happens that we forget about the people behind the actions. It is however important to honour them and to take their learnings into the next chapter of NQCC.

This is the story of Margaret, who gave our newsletter its unique name. 

Last Friday night Townsville's changemakers came together for a hopeful and uplifting evening. NQCC had the great opportunity to host a screening of 'Rising Up', produced by ocean advocate, Take 3 for the Sea ambassador and Plastic Free Cronulla founder, Kal Glanznig. This new documentary investigates the impacts of the climate crisis and plastic pollution on different communties, and showcased the voices of young leaders who are creating much needed change here in Australia and on the Pacific Islands. 

Here is our next installment of stories from our NQCC 50 anniversary project.

Last Thursday night, NQCC was one of 16 civil society organisations who participated in the Townsville Community Election Assembly at Kirwan Uniting Church. 163 attendees included people of faith, community centre leaders, environmentalists, unionists, human rights advocates, housing providers and multicultural community leaders, acting together for the common good.

The Queensland Conservation Council has welcomed Labor’s commitment to introduce an independent environmental protection agency (EPA), calling for a bipartisan approach to ensure environmental criminals are held to account.

The announcement comes following a lengthy campaign by a number of environment and community groups and regional conservation councils across the state and also nationally, as well as peak environment group QCC.