From the Archives, 1988: Duke wades into Queensland rainforest dispute

First published in The Age on April 7, 1988

Duke’s rainforests stand criticised

A Queensland minister yesterday called Prince Philip ill-advised after he became embroiled in political bickering between the Queensland and federal governments over the nomination of rainforests for World Heritage listing.

Bob Hawke talks with the winners of the 1987 Environment Awards about the government’s plans to save the wet tropics of Queensland. Credit:David James Bartho

It was revealed yesterday that the Duke of Edinburgh had written to the Prime Minister, Mr Hawke, congratulating the Federal Government on moving to protect the “outstanding biological and aesthetic qualities” of the North Queensland “wet-tropics” region.

The wet tropical rainforests in Queensland contain a great concentration of primitive flowering plants, their ancestry dating back more than 120 million years.Credit:Bruce Cowell, Rainforest Conservation Society of Queensland.

Prince Philip sent the letter in January as president of World Wildlife Fund International, the world’s largest private conservation organisation. It was released yesterday by WWF Australia, one of the international organisation’s 23 national bodies.

But the Queensland Premier, Mr Ahern, said Prince Philip was not aware of the situation. And the Queensland Minister for Conservation and Environment, Mr Muntz, said Prince Philip must have been “ill-advised” and unaware the battle was a political, not a conservation, issue.

In his letter, Prince Philip says the “WWF supports this nomination and congratulates the Government on its initiative”.

“We would encourage the Australian. Government, together with the Government of Queensland, to provide an effective and cooperative form of management for this important area,” he said.

The Federal Government has nominated 9200 square kilometres of rainforest in a 500-kilometre tract between Townsville and Cooktown for World Heritage listing. The nomination has stopped logging in the rainforest, putting several hundred timber workers out of work.

Federal Cabinet on Monday is expected to consider a compensation package for timber workers, to cost significantly more than $50 million.

A spokesman for the federal Environment Minister, Senator Richardson, said Prince Philip’s letter was yet another example of the overwhelming international support for the nomination.

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