2 | BURDEKIN DRY TROPICS COASTAL COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN PROJECT PROSPECTUS
Building reef resilience in the Burdekin Dry Tro
About this document
This prospectus contains a selection of projects developed by local communities that offer investors an excellent opportunity to support efforts to improve the health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef ( GBR ). Each proposed project would be led by a local community group , supported by a range of collaborators .
We invite you to reach out to any of the community group project leads listed in this document to learn how an investment could result in positive outcomes for the GBR .
About the Burdekin Dry Tropics region
The Burdekin River is one of Australia ’ s most important waterways , and a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef ( GBR ) World Heritage Area . Flowing into the Coral Sea at Upstart Bay , it has a catchment area of approximately 130,000km 2 .
The Burdekin Dry Tropics coastal and marine area is dominated by the GBR , and a number of critically important wetlands , including internationally-recognised Ramsar-listed Bowling Green Bay National Park .
The region ’ s coastal ecosystems are important links between freshwater and marine habitats for fish , turtles , dugongs , and other marine megafauna . Seagrassdominated shallow marine environments and inshore coral reefs are considered biodiversity hotspots and essential habitat for many marine species .
The region ’ s population of approximately 240,000 is expected to grow by an additional 140,000 by 2036 . It is concentrated in the major urban centres of Townsville , Ayr , Charters Towers , and Bowen .
Rollingstone
Townsville
Sugarcane cropping and horticulture are the dominant land uses within the Townsville coastal plain , and to a lesser extent , grazing . Commercial , net , line , and trawl fishers are active in the region , and a variety of
Ayr
Bowen