3 BURDEKIN DRY TROPICS NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2016-2026
Treasury expects approximately 140,000 additional residents by 2036( Queensland Government Statistician’ s Office, 2015b). The population is concentrated in the major urban centres of Townsville( the largest tropical city in Northern Australia), Ayr, Bowen and Charters Towers. Many inland centres are very small, and service large, sparsely scattered pastoral properties or mines( see Figure 10, p 43). These often isolated communities are facing the twin challenges of declining numbers and increasing average ages. The Traditional Owners of 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.
3.3 Our enterprises
Beef production, cane growing, horticulture, and commercial fishing have been established in our region for well over a century. The region is also heavilyreliant on mining, energy industries and tourism. Agriculture dominates the landscape, with beef cattle grazing covering over 96 per cent of the region’ s land area. While less than nine per cent of the population is involved in grazing, it is by far the most important employer in rural and remote areas. The Burdekin Shire contains Northern Australia’ s largest irrigation area, with approximately 1,100 km 2 under irrigation, using both groundwater and surface water( Department of Agricultural and Fisheries, 2013). Dryland cropping is widespread in the Belyando-Suttor sub-catchment. The local tourism industry is also highlyfocused on showcasing our region’ s natural assets.
The region is a hub for natural resource value-adding industries, associated essential services, and expertise, and is home to key research institutions focused on the environment and NRM. The two major ports of Abbot Point and Townsville connect our resources with world markets, and Townsville is strategically connected to major road and rail networks to the north, south and west of the region.
Governments have identified the Northern Australia zone as having strong potential for future agriculture and infrastructure development and expansion( Australian Government, 2015b). Our region is uniquely-positioned to accommodate agricultural expansion, diversification and value-adding opportunities. While agriculture and mining could be expanded in the region, any decision must consider implications for natural resources, including water availability, land capacity, biodiversity and protecting coastal wetland, marine and reef environments.
Mt Pleasant Station’ s Jamie Gordon wins Premier’ s Rural Sustainability Award
Mt Pleasant Station has undertaken the Grazing Best Management Practice and has demonstrated how changes in management practices can improve landscape condition, stop the decline in pasture, increase drought resilience, while running a profitable, commercial enterprise.
It’ s a great result for their property and also for graziers. It demonstrates that graziers are doing the right thing, and committed to being good stewards of their land.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The health of the natural resource base must be managed for maximum performance. The health of the landscape determines the health of the animals. The goal of Mt Pleasant Station is quality food from healthy animals, grown in a healthy environment to feed our community.
6 November 2015( Agforce Projects, 2015)
Photo: Charles Burke( Agforce CEO), Jamie Gordon( Mt Pleasant Station), Steven Miles( Qld Minister for Environment & Heritage, Minister for National Parks and the Great Barrier Reef).