Protecting the Cape’s high-value wetlands and native vegetation

Invasive pests and weeds are putting increasing pressure on Cape York Peninsula’s wetlands, waterways and native vegetation, threatening ecological health and cultural values. 

Funded by the Queensland Government’s NRM Expansion Program (NRMEP), our Cape York Wetlands and Native Vegetation Resilience project brings together land managers, Traditional Owners, Indigenous ranger groups and partners to deliver coordinated, landscape-scale control of priority threats. By June 2028, this work will improve the condition of 10,000 hectares of wetlands and 10,000 hectares of native vegetation.

Restoring Kings Plains

Kings Plains is a 68,000-hectare property around 50 kilometres southwest of Cooktown. It lies at the intersection of three bioregions: the Wet Tropics, Einasleigh Uplands and Cape York.

The property is managed by the South Endeavour Trust, which acquired it in 2013 to protect its highly diverse ecosystems after a period of heavy overgrazing that led to weed invasion and erosion. Reducing the frequency of fire and allowing nature to recover have resulted in significant improvements to the property's environmental values.

The property features a diversity of wetland, woodland and rainforest ecosystems. The most striking visual feature of this wetland complex is Kings Plains Lake, a large permanent wetland with a complex mosaic of open water and extensive reed beds.

Cape York NRM is working with the Trust to improve the health of Kings Plains Lake through managing invasive weed olive hymenachne (Hymenachne amplexicaulis) and undertaking feral pig control.

The work at Kings Plains is one example of how the NRMEP is supporting coordinated, landscape-scale action across Cape York Peninsula. By tackling invasive weeds and feral animals, the project is protecting native vegetation, improving habitat for native species and restoring the ecological health of nationally significant wetlands.

Drones targeting invasive weeds

Olive hymenachne is one of Australia's worst invasive weeds and is listed as a Weed of National Significance. It forms dense stands and floating mats that choke waterways, displace native aquatic plants and reduce habitat for wildlife. 

Cape York NRM is partnering with the South Endeavour team to control olive hymenachne at Kings Plains Lake and across the interconnected high-value wetland system, including targeting outbreaks both upstream and downstream. 

Funding through the NRMEP will support drone herbicide spraying in the early and late wet season, which is expected to deliver meaningful reductions in hymenachne across this high-priority wetland system. 

This work is building on successful drone spraying undertaken in 2025. Drone treatments are proving to be an innovative and cost-effective method to control the weed, allowing operators to target infestations accurately in difficult-to-access areas.

Tackling feral pigs

South Endeavour Trust is starting to see encouraging signs of environmental recovery following an intensive feral pig control program. 

Ground and aerial shooting operations were carried out in April, May and June. The ground shooting focused on dams and wetland areas within the Kings Plains wetland system. Aerial shooting was primarily focused on the wetland system but also along the Annan, Normanby and Endeavour Rivers. 

Scott Thomason, Regional Manager at South Endeavour Trust said feral pig control had occurred over an area totalling 110,000 hectares. 

“It has been exceptionally pleasing to see the numbers of pigs detected and culled on each run reduce quite dramatically and to see some good evidence of environmental recovery. It is critical to continue with regular aerial culling to maintain numbers at these lower levels,” said Scott. 

Contract shooter Andrew Hartwig also saw evidence of reduced numbers of pigs.

 ''The plains had acres of wild rice and magpie geese nests that we have not observed before. If there were pigs about, I'm sure they would be targeting the geese eggs'' he said.

The Cape York Wetlands and Native Vegetation Resilience project is funded by the Queensland Government’s Natural Resource Management Expansion Program.

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