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Item
Name of Item:	Gondwana Rainforests of Australia
Other Name/s:	Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves, Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (new name from 2007), North East Rainforest World Heritage Area
Type of Item:	Landscape
Group/Collection:	Landscape - Natural
Category:	Wilderness
Location:	Lat:152.37017186 Long:-29.31102946
Primary Address:	Various, NSW
Local Govt. Area:	Upper Hunter
Property Description: Lot/Volume Code Lot/Volume Number Section Number Plan/Folio Code Plan/Folio Number
Boundary:	Refer to http://www.deh.gov.au/heritage/worldheritage/sites/cerra/pubs/cerra-map02.pdf
All Addresses
Street Address Suburb/Town LGA Parish County Type   Various  Upper Hunter      Primary    Various  Gloucester      Alternate    Various  Dungog      Alternate    Various  Bellingen      Alternate    Various  Glen Innes Severn      Alternate    Various  Nambucca      Alternate    Various  Kempsey      Alternate    Various  Tenterfield      Alternate    Various  Clarence Valley      Alternate
Owner/s Organisation Name Owner Category Date Ownership Updated Department of Environment and Climate Change  State Government  10 Feb 99
Statement of Significance	This site, comprising several protected areas, is situated predominantly along the Great Escarpment on Australia's east coast. The outstanding geological features displayed around shield volcanic craters and the high number of rare and threatened rainforest species are of international significance for science and conservation. (UNESCO) An outstanding example representing major stages of the earth's evolutionary history; an outstanding example representing significant ongoing geological processes and biological evolution; and containing important and significant habitats for the in-situ conservation of biodiversity. Date Significance Updated: 20 Jun 06 Note: There are incomplete details for a number of items listed in NSW. The Heritage Branch intends to develop or upgrade statements of significance and other information for these items as resources become available.
Description
Physical Description:	In 1986, a number of rainforest reserves located on the Great Escarpment of eastern New South Wales, known as the Australian East Coast Sub-tropical and Temperate Rainforest Parks were inscribed on the World Heritage list for their outstanding natural universal values: - as an outstanding example representing major stages of the earth's evolutionary history; - as an outstanding example representing significant ongoing geological processes and biological evolution; and - containing important and significant habitats for the in situ conservation of biological diversity. Large extensions, including reserves in south-east Queensland, were listed in 1994 under the new title of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves (Australia). Rainforest occurs in NSW and south east Queensland as discontinuous patches like a chain of islands in a sea of fire-prone eucalypt forest and agricultural lands. These patches range in size from tiny gully stands to lush forests covering large valleys and ranges. The Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves include the most extensive areas of subtropical rainforest in the world, large areas of warm temperate rainforest and nearly all of the Antarctic beech cool temperate rainforest. Rainforest once covered most of the ancient southern supercontinent Gondwana and remains the most ancient type of vegetation in Australia. The Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves provide an interesting living link with the evolution of Australia and hence a record of the past. Few places on earth contain so many plants and animals whose ancestors can be traced through the fossil record and today remain relatively unchanged. There is a concentration of primitive plant families that are direct links with the birth and spread of flowering plants over 100 million years ago, as well as some of the oldest elements of the world's ferns and conifers. A range of geological and environmental influences in the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves determine where forest communities grow. As these change in the future, so will the forest mosaic-it is an ongoing process that has been occurring for millions of years. High waterfalls crashing into steep gorges are spectacular examples of an important ongoing natural process-erosion. Erosion by coastal rivers created the Great Escarpment and the steep-sided caldera of the Tweed Valley surrounding Mount Warning. Once, this towering mountain was the buried plug of an ancient vast volcano. Today, rainforest grows on the fertile, well watered soils that remain. The evolution of new species is encouraged by the natural separation and isolation of rainforest stands. Many plants and animals found in the property are locally restricted to a few sites or occur in widely separated populations. Although rainforests cover only about 0.3 % of Australia, they contain about half of all Australian plant families and about a third of Australia's mammal and bird species. The Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves have an extremely high conservation value and provide habitat for more than 200 rare or threatened plant and animal species. The distributional limits of several species and many centres of species diversity occur in the property. The Border Group is a particularly rich area with the highest concentration of frog, snake, bird and marsupial species in Australia. The current listing of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves includes approximately 50 separate reserves located between Newcastle and Brisbane. It is a serial listing, with only areas of reserved Crown land being listed. These reserves are managed principally by four different agencies: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Qld Parks and Wildlife Service, State Forests of NSW and Department of Natural Resources (Qld). A strategic overview for management of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves has been prepared to assist the agencies manage the area in a coordinated, consistent and cooperative manner and ensure the integrity of its values is protected. Exploring the World Heritage Rainforests in the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves is easy, with many of the reserves readily accessible from major towns by sealed or graded gravel roads. A range of visitor facilities are provided at most reserves. Parts of some reserves in NSW have been declared as wilderness and access roads, facilities, lookouts and marked walking tracks are provided only on their boundaries. Statistics Total area of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves: 366 507 ha (59 223 ha in Qld, 307 284 ha in NSW). Types of rainforest found in the property: cool temperate rainforest; warm temperate rainforest; subtropical rainforest; and dry rainforest. (Commonwealth of Australia , Department of Environment and Heritage website) National Parks and Nature Reserves affected within NSW include: Mount Royal National Park Barrington Tops National Park Mount Seaview Nature Reserve Werrikimbe National Park Willi Willi National Park Oxley Wild Rivers National Park The Castles Nature Reserve Cunnawarra National Park New England National Park Dorrigo National Park Mount Hyland National Park Gibraltar Range National Park Washpool National Park Iluka Nature Reserve Mallanganee National Park Richmond Range National Park Toonumbar National Park Captains Creek Nature Reserve Nightcap National Park Tooloom National Park Border Ranges National Park Mount Warning National Park Mount Nothofagus National Park Amaroo Nature Reserve Mount Clunie National Park Limpinwood Nature Reserve Koreelah National Park Gambubal State Forest Mount Chinghee National Park Mount Barney National Park Lamington National Park
Current Use:	Rainforest Area
Former Use:	Rainforest Area
Historic Themes
Australian Theme (abbrev) New South Wales Theme Local Theme 1. Environment - Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments Environment - naturally evolved - Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures. (none) - 3. Economy - Developing local, regional and national economies Environment - cultural landscape - Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings (none) - 3. Economy - Developing local, regional and national economies Forestry - Activities associated with identifying and managing land covered in trees for commercial purposes. (none) -
Assessment Criteria	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.
Procedures /Exemptions
Section of Act Description Title Comments Action Date 57(2)  Exemption to allow work  Standard Exemptions  SCHEDULE OF STANDARD EXEMPTIONS HERITAGE ACT 1977 Notice of Order Under Section 57 (2) of the Heritage Act 1977 I, the Minister for Planning, pursuant to subsection 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales, do by this Order: 1. revoke the Schedule of Exemptions to subsection 57(1) of the Heritage Act made under subsection 57(2) and published in the Government Gazette on 22 February 2008; and 2. grant standard exemptions from subsection 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977, described in the Schedule attached. FRANK SARTOR Minister for Planning Sydney, 11 July 2008 To view the schedule click on the Standard Exemptions for Works Requiring Heritage Council Approval link below.  Sep 5 2008
	Standard Exemptions for Works Requiring Heritage Council Approval
Listings
Heritage Listing Listing Title Listing Number Gazette Date Gazette Number Gazette Page Heritage Act - State Heritage Register    01002  02 Apr 99   27  1546  Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register            National Heritage List  Central Eastern Rainforests Reserves    21 May 07   S99    World Heritage List
References, Internet links & Images
Type Author Year Title Internet Links Tourism  Attraction Homepage  2007  North East Rainforest World Heritage Area  Click here Electronic  UNESCO    Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves (Australia)  Click here Written  Department of Environment and Heritage    Map showing listed area  Click here
Note: Internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.
Data Source
The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage Branch
Database Number:	5014148
File Number:	H99/00224/5
Every effort has been made to ensure that information contained in the State Heritage Inventory is correct. If you find any errors or omissions please send your comments to the Database Manager. All information and pictures on this page are the copyright of the Heritage Branch or respective copyright owners.