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Windsor Tablelands

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See also: Wet Tropics of Queensland

Tablelands Region Queensland
The Windsor Tablelands are located within the greater Tableland region Queensland, 2013.
Area	48,930 ha
Region	Far North Queensland
State electorate(s)	Cook
Federal division(s)	Kennedy
Website	Tablelands Region
LGAs around Tablelands Region: Cairns Tablelands Region Cairns Etheridge Charters Towers Cassowary Coast, Hinchinbrook

Features and Location

The Windsor Tablelands are located in Far North Queensland, Australia. The Windsor Tablelands are largely a series of plateaus in the Wet Tropics of Queensland, apart of the state electorate of Cook and situated in the greater Tableland Region of North Queensland. The Tablelands hug the mountain ranges of the Great Dividing Range with the nearest town being Wujal Wujal (44km away). The Tableland area is a larger part of the Mount Windsor Forest Reserve (Mount Windsor National Park) which represents 44,000 hectares of land in the Wet Tropic region.The Tablelands have a combined total area of 489.3km² (48,930 hectares) and consist of diverse range of wetland, rainforest and mountain ecosystems. Being the sixth highest locality in Queensland, the Tableland region sits 1186km above sea-level. Due to its height, its various peaks are often not visible, covered by clouds or dense fog that are often emblematic of the humid, Wet Tropics region.

History and Heritage Listing

The Windsor Tablelands is a conserved wildlife and natural area that mostly consists of the Mount Windsor National Park, apart of Wet Tropics of Queensland. The Tablelands gained conservation status on December 22nd, 2005, due to the diverse range of plant and wildlife that culminated in the area being recognised as a predominate wilderness area. Previous to being declared a conserved, National Park the area had been used for tin mines and timber. Additionally, there had been several small cattle farms that operated in the area. CSIRO, once operated in the area, maintaining a forest research station until it was discontinued for use in the 1980s.

Wet Tropics of Queensland and Windsor Tablelands protesting

Prior to the Wet Tropics of Queensland becoming a World Heritage Site in 1988, the Windsor Tablelands and surrounding rainforest areas were being paved for roads, new tourism locations and utilised for its timber and other natural resources. While the region had been logged and utilised for its resources since settlement began extensively in North Queensland in 1860, major social and political protesting against developers in the region would only gain traction and government consideration through broadcasted media in the 1980's. While the Daintree blockade had critical impact for universal recognition of the Wet Tropics of Queensland as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Mt. Windsor blockade was one of the first protests conducted in 1981, that was in direct defiance to extensive logging in the Windsor Tableland and surrounding regions. While protestors were arrested at the Mt. Windsor blockade and the protesting subdued, their efforts had impact through subsequent media traction and following protesting that would occur for the Wet Tropics of North Queensland.

Although it would take the Windsor Tableland region until 2005 to be proclaimed as a nationally, conserved area, the protesting of the Mt. Windsor blockade, Daintree region and surrounding rainforest habitats had led the way for the conservation of the such North Queensland rainforest and natural ecosystems.

Fauna

There are a total of 284 species of animal specific to Mount Windsor National Park. The Tablelands have many flowing streams, and in such host a variety of aquatic animals. They include crayfish, platypuses, tadpoles; which grow into local Carbine Barred Frogs and other species of frog and many other aquatic species that are specific to the high-altitude area of the Tablelands. As a conservation area, the Windsor Tablelands hosts many vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered species categorised through the: EPBC - Status under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. These animals are being closely monitored by Queensland Government's Department of Environment and Science and initiatives such as increasing protected areas, installing nature refuges and other plans that are in place to help restore species numbers back to safe levels.

Endangered Species

Spotted-tailed Quoll

The spotted-tailed quoll (northern subspecies) also commonly named the tiger quoll or tiger cat, is a carnivorous mammal that inhibits the Windsor Tableland area. The Northern Bettong is another endangered species of mammal that is specific to the North Queensland area and the Tablelands, that is considered endangered under the EPBC status. This small, rabbit sized animal can be found scattered between predominately the Windsor Tablelands, Coane Range and the Lamb Range. Other endangered mammals include the Northern Quoll. There are also many amphibians that are endangered and specific to the Windsor Tableland ecosystem, these include the waterfall frog, common mist frog and Australian lace-lid.

Critically Endangered Species

Federal Legislation from the EPBC Act 1999, denotes that for a animal to be considered critically endangered it must be at an extremely high risk of becoming extinct within the near future. There is only one animal with this critical classification that is native to the Windsor Tablelands. This animal is the little waterfall frog. A fungus named Chytridiomycosis is a highly deadly disease that has led to the declining numbers of the little waterfall frog.These frogs are being closely monitored in areas such as the Windsor Tablelands and through initiative such as the Threat abatement plan for infection of amphibians with chytrid fungus 2016, the Queensland government are attempting to recover the declining numbers of the little waterfall frog and other endangered amphibian species.

Flora

There are a total of 1103 species of plant and fungi specific to the Mount Windsor National Park. As of recent records produced by the Queensland Government's Wetlands Program, there are 8 species of both plant and fungi that are declared vulnerable status under through the: EPBC - Status under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The Red-Throated Bloodwood (Corymbia Rhodops) is a 'vulnerable' classified plant, specific to the Wet Tropics of Queensland and more specifically, the Windsor Tablelands. In past decades, mining sites and activity have been the main threat to the survival of this species in North and Western Queensland. Additionally, the Cypress Orchid or Thin Feather Orchid (Dendrobium callitrophilum) is a form of flowering orchid specific to the wetland and rainforest ecosystems of the Tableland region that has been classified as vulnerable. While the flora of the Windsor Tablelands are protected and managed through being listed as both a National Park and part of the world heritage listing of the Wet Queensland Tropics, past logging and mining activity in and around the area had caused the plants listed and others, to become vulnerable and severely damaged.