South-East Queensland Vineforests Project

In 1991, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) funded a study of 232 vineforest sites in the South-East Queensland Bioregion, in association with the Queensland Herbarium. The study culminated in the publication of The Vineforest Plant Atlas for South-East Queensland, and identified 63 vineforest stands of high conservation value and 122 regionally threatened flora species.

The WWF South-East Queensland Vineforests Project was developed to use the results of the 1991 study to promote the conservation and management of the Vineforest Atlas high conservation value sites, and I carried out the project in 1996-1997.

Proposals were developed to further the conservation management of high-priority vineforest sites, which assisted the conservation of nine of Queensland’s endangered plants. Other key outcomes included the Teddington Weir Vineforest Project, an extensive public education and awareness campaign to promote the conservation of vineforests, and substantial progress towards funding for financial assistance for landholders who conserve vineforests. The project evolved into the South-East Queensland Rainforest Recovery Project (for further information see South-East Queensland Rainforest Recovery News and the 1998 WWF South-East Queensland Rainforest Recovery Conference).

The final report from the WWF South-East Queensland Vineforests Project profiles the achievements of the project, explores impediments to vineforest conservation, and recommends solutions to address these impediments. The report includes examples of leading community vineforest conservation initiatives in the region and information on the innovative conservation agreement policies that were emerging at the time.

Conservation of Vineforests in South-East Queensland (PDF 12.0 MB)