One of the world's most important ecosystems may take years to recover after a man illegally cleared wetlands to build a road to his property.
The Townsville man has been fined almost $145,000 for destroying more than 19,000 square metres of Bowling Green Bay National Park in north Queensland.
The Department of Environment, Science and Innovation said the man had been told he could not interfere with the national park and its protected wetlands.
Yet he proceeded to clear an area the equivalent of "almost three football stadiums-worth" of the national park's Cape Cleveland section near Townsville.
The department said the man destroyed thousands of mangrove trees between October 2019 and June 2020 to build the 2km road from his property to Alligator Creek.
He also used a combination of earth, rocks, concrete, bricks and used pipes to build a boat ramp and several causeways across creeks.
It not only caused further harm to the national park but also blocked tidal water flow to the Cleveland Bay Declared Fish Habitat Area.
"The damage that has been wilfully done to these wetlands will take years to fully recover and could create flow-on affects to wider ecosystems including the Great Barrier Reef - it's heartbreaking," said Craig Dunk of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
Bowling Green Bay National Park's wetlands are among five Queensland sites listed as an "ecological area of international importance".
It provides a habitat for threatened species such as green, loggerhead and flatback turtles as well as migratory shorebirds.
Known also for its diverse fish and crustacean populations, many species depend on the wetlands during critical stages of their life cycles.
"The brazen actions of this person ... caused wilful serious environmental harm to one of the world’s most important wetland ecosystems," Mr Dunk said in a statement.
The parks and wildlife service launched an investigation in April 2020 after reports of an illegal track, uncovering evidence of heavy machinery used to clear large sections of mangroves.
The man pleaded guilty to 11 offences brought by the state's environment department and its Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
The man was ordered to pay a $20,000 fine, almost $5000 in costs and $120,000 towards restoration of the damaged area in Townsville Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
"We hope this court outcome sends a strong message that we won’t hesitate to hold people accountable for damaging our precious environment," Mr Dunk said.
