Introduction
The Burdekin Dry Tropics Coastal Area
The Burdekin Dry Tropics coastal and marine area is dominated by the iconic Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and a number of nationally-recognised critically important wetlands - notably , Bowling Green Bay National Park , an internationally-recognised Ramsarlisted site containing one of Australia ’ s largest wetlands .
Coastal ecosystems are important links to freshwater and marine habitats for fish , turtles , dugongs , and other marine megafauna . Seagrass-dominated shallow marine environments and inshore coral reefs are considered biodiversity hotspots and essential habitat for many marine species .
The region ’ s population of about 240,000 is expected to grow another 140,000 additional residents by 2036 . The population is concentrated within the Townsville coastal plain in the major urban centres of Townsville , Ayr , and Bowen .
In the Townsville coastal plain , sugarcane cropping and horticulture dominate the land uses , with grazing to a lesser extent . There are commercial , net , line , and trawling fisheries active in the region . A variety of businesses , government groups , and community groups are involved in the use of coastal areas for industry and recreational purposes .
Rollingstone
Nywagi , Manbarra , Wulgurukaba , Bindal , and Juru Traditional Owners of sea country have the longest and deepest connection with the region ’ s natural resources , and play an important role in protecting our natural resources for future generations .
The Community Action Plan
In 2020 , through the Reef Trust partnership , the Great Barrier Reef Foundation resourced five Community Action Plans along the Queensland coast .
In the Burdekin Dry Tropics Area , NQ Dry Tropics , the local Natural Resources Management organisation , in partnership with Reef Ecologic were the successful applicants of a grant through the partnership between the Australian Government ’ s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to develop a Burdekin Dry Tropics Coastal Community Action Plan .
This Community Action Plan was developed using the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation process , tools , and language in order to support a common understanding of terms and identify overlap or opportunities for collective impact ( TNC , 2007 ).
It was aligned with the Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM Plan and other regional strategic plans .
The purpose of this Community Action Plan is to develop critical projects to strengthen and accelerate community reef protection , supported by best available science and planning documents to undertake local actions to address regional priorities .
Scope of the Community Action Plan
The Community Action Plan projects are geographically limited to the inshore area of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area within the Burdekin Dry Tropics Management Area and riparian , riverine , coastal , and estuarine areas within 10km of the coast .
Vision
Townsville
Ayr
Community environmental stewardship contributes to a healthier and more resilient Great Barrier Reef through a collective impact approach that aligns with existing high-level regional plans and initiatives .
Bowen
Figure 1 : Community Action Plan project scope . Blue shading indicates marine area and orange , the coastal area .