The former rugby league star Jarrod McCracken has been fined $225,000 for illegally clearing protected bushland on a north Queensland property his wife owns.
The former Kiwis captain turned developer pleaded guilty to a string of charges relating to unauthorised clearing and earthworks on the 387 hectare property at Clarkes Cove, north of Airlie Beach.
The clearing also affected an adjacent esplanade reserve and encroached into Dryander National Park.
The Queensland environment department and the Whitsunday Regional Council took action against McCracken.
The state's acting Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said he had ridden roughshod over environmental laws that protect rare local plant species and the health of the Great Barrier Reef.
