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Bowling Green Bay National Park in northern Queensland: Authorities say it will take years for the ecosystem to recover
Photo: dpa
An Australian has been fined heavily for cutting a path through a national park without permission.
The reason: The man wanted to build a two-kilometer-long road to his property through Bowling Green Bay National Park in the state of Queensland.
A court in the city of Townsville sentenced him to a fine of almost 145,000 Australian dollars (87,000 euros), like the Australian one
News agency AAP reported on Thursday, citing the judiciary.
The money will be used, among other things, to reforest the affected area.
In total there are 19,000 square meters of land, which is roughly three football fields.
It was said that the man now convicted had previously been banned by the responsible environmental authority from clearing parts of the national park and its swamp areas.
However, he did not follow the order and destroyed thousands of mangroves between October 2019 and June 2020.
Authorities say it will take years for the important ecosystem to recover.
The man also used a combination of dirt, stones, concrete, bricks and used pipes to build a boat ramp and several causeways across streams.
In doing so, he caused further damage.
"This individual's brazen actions intentionally caused serious environmental damage to one of the world's most important wetland ecosystems," said Craig Dunk of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
The wetlands of Bowling Green Bay National Park are listed as an “Ecological Area of International Importance.”
They provide habitat for endangered species such as green sea turtles, loggerhead turtles and various migratory shorebirds.
swe/dpa