The Daintree Basin has an area of 2,107km2 with a high proportion of protected areas (56% natural/minimal use lands and 32% forestry). The remaining area consists of 7% grazing, 2% sugarcane, 1% urban and 2% other.

    Steep mountains and hills dominate this basin, with a narrow coastal plain. The coastal lowland fringe is characterised by mangrove wetlands, sandy beaches and inshore fringing reefs.

    The majority of public and private land in the highlands is included in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, and there is a high level of tourism associated with the basin’s natural values.

    Key results for 2024-25

    Since the previous year the Daintree Basin grade remained ‘very good’ and the score increased from 84 to 87.

    • Water quality remained ‘very good’ with the score increasing from 83 to 91.  
    • The grade for sediment, comprised of the total suspended solids (TSS) indicator, improved from ‘good’ to ‘very good’.
    • Wetland extent grade was ‘moderate’ and three hectares of wetland habitat were recorded as lost since 2019.

    The diagram below shows the detailed results for each indicator by year. Click on the timeslider to see data from previous years.

    Further Information

    For a detailed breakdown of the results and trends, visit the results dashboard or read the methods and results technical reports.