cattle farmers but sugar became the major interest when the Mackenzie Brothers built the first sugar cane mill in 1872. By 1970 over 2,000,000T of cane was being crushed in the district Ecology Halifax Bay is an important Australian ecological area. The bay itself is part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area whilst the Paluma Range is included in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Halifax Bay is generally a turbid environment that supports a wide variety of commercial and recreational fish species, prawns and scallops. The bay also supports Dugong habitats and is a significant Green Turtle nesting area. Operators and regulatory bodies regularly assess environmental impacts from sugar growers, the Yabulu Refinery, military use and residential use. See also Former City of Thuringowa Pandora Reef References Bays of Queensland North Queensland