BURDEKIN DRY TROPICS NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2016-2026
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Energy
• Energy and fuel is sourced from outside of region. Private solar energy is increasing in popularity throughout region.
Challenges
• Land-use conflicts with good quality agricultural land.
Opportunities
• Development of regional electricity generation( particularly renewable energy), operating gas and liquid biofuel production.
• Proposals for solar farms potentially powering tens of thousands Queensland homes( Clare Solar Farm, 2015).
• Proposals for biofuel production and co-generation power sourced from sugarcane and sorghum in Lower Burdekin( Austcane Energy Ltd, 2015) and Pentland( Renewable Development Australia, 2015).
• State Government mandate to promote use of biofuels towards a clean energy economy( Department of Energy and Water Supply, 2015).
Tourism
• Heavily dependent on experiencing our natural environment.
• Employs around 4,000 people, 1,047,000 visitors with an annual expenditure of about $ 764m( Destination Q, 2015)( Townsville Enterprise, 2014).
• Key tourism assets include the GBR and remote islands, Magnetic Island; mainland beaches; wetlands and rivers( including Bowling Green Bay); Townsville and other urban centres; Paluma rainforests; and national parks.
Challenges
• Foreign currency exchange rates.
• High local labour costs.
• Global economic volatility.
• Remote to international markets.
• Significant threats to the vitality of the GBR and coastal ecosystems from development, pollution and climate change.
Opportunities
• Expansion of adventure tourism, ecotourism and cultural tourism, including on Palm Island.
• Further develop industry experiential tourism( farm stays, working on Orpheus Island or on NRM projects).
Defence
• Centred around Townsville including the largest military base in Australia – Lavarack and Ross Island Barracks, RAAF Base, Townsville Field Training Area and Port.
Opportunity
• Large landholder with significant well resourced conservation and land management programmes.
Mining, extraction and mineral processing
• Employs around 4,295 people, 12,789 additional flow on employees, and has a gross regional product of about $ 2.2b( data for Townsville, Charters Towers, Burdekin and Whitsunday LGA’ s only)( Queensland Resources Council, 2015).
• Active exploration and mining of gold has occurred for 150 years.
• Major coal reserves in Bowen and Galilee geologic basins.
• Galilee is one of the largest untapped coal reserves on the planet( Galilee Basin, 2015).
• Coal shipped to overseas markets via Abbot Point bulk coal port.
• Sand and gravel extraction and rock quarrying along the coast is regionally essential for building and construction.
• Townsville has three major mineral processing operations: Queensland Nickel refinery( currently under care and maintenance), Sun Metals Zinc refinery and Glencore Copper refinery.
• Townsville Port is strategically placed on the Pacific Rim to access the global mineral processing market.
Challenges
• Declining coal price and markets.
• High carbon emissions.
• Potential environmental impacts to surrounding environment and GBR.
• Risk to surface and groundwater.
• High financial leakage from the region due to‘ fly in fly out’ workforce( Office of Economic and Statistical Research, 2012).
Opportunities
• Nine coal mega mines planned for region would generate large workforces in construction and operations.
• Projects may include rail and port construction.
Education and Research( E & R)
• Strong expertise hub exists in region.
• E & R underpins much of knowledge and technological innovation, which supports more sustainable use of natural resources.
• Major NRM E & R organisations include James Cook University, Australian Institute of Marine Science, and CSIRO as well as industry bodies Agforce, Meat and Livestock Australia, Sugar Research Australia and Government Agencies.
Challenges
• Inconsistent funding arrangements.
• Getting the information to land managers in a coordinated manner.
Opportunities
• Developing new technologies and practices that: o improve productivity, o minimise impacts on receiving environments, o protect biosecurity and o improve land and water management.
• Increased networking and collaborative use of funding resources.
• Improved business and regulatory education / understanding.
RESOURCE-RELIANT ENTERPRISE