29 BURDEKIN DRY TROPICS NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2016-2026
Figure 4- Local Government areas within the BDT Region
1- Tablelands Regional Council 2- Etheridge Shire 3- Flinders Shire 4- Charters Towers Regional Council 5- Isaac Regional Council 6- Barcaldine Regional Council 7- Hinchinbrook Shire 8- Palm Island Aboriginal Shire 9- Townsville City 10- Burdekin Shire 11- Whitsunday Regional Council 12- Mackay Regional Council
PEOPLE CONNECTIONS
Development Strategy Committee( DUC)
- Girringun Aboriginal Corporation- Greening Australia- Gudjuda Reference Group Aboriginal Corporation- Lower Burdekin Landcare
Association( LBLCA)- Magnetic Island Nature Care Association( MINCA)- Mundy Creek Catchment Care- North Queensland Conservation Council( NQCC)- North Queensland Wildlife Care Inc- Queens Beach Action Group( QBAG)- Ravenswood
Restoration and
Preservation Association- Reef Check Australia- Sea Turtle Foundation- Tangaroa Blue Foundation- Toomulla Coastcare- WetlandCare Australia
- Woodstock Landcare- Wunjunga Progress Association
Many of these are volunteer groups that have varying levels of membership, knowledge and expertise to undertake ongoing activities to improve environmental sustainability. Several notfor-profit organisations, including NQ Dry Tropics, play an important role in building NRM community connections and capacity through extension, education and on-ground work.
It is vital that local NRM community groups are empowered and supported to strengthen their community links, expand the size of their networks, and maintain the momentum created by their good work. This can be achieved by providing opportunities to build capacity and to share information and experiences.
Government
All levels of government are important partners in NRM in the region.
The region covers 12 local government areas, including Townsville, Burdekin, Charters Towers and Palm Island, significant parts of Whitsunday, Isaac and Barcaldine and small sections of the Tablelands, Etheridge, Flinders, Hinchinbrook and Mackay( see Figure 4).
Local government is actively involved in NRM, including through statutory town planning, strategic environmental management planning, public education, regulating development, and managing open spaces, which includes controlling weeds and other pests. Specific examples in the region include managing wetlands, beaches and foreshores in Townsville, Burdekin and Bowen, and Townsville City Council’ s community energy programmes( wind, solar and reflective roofing).
The Queensland Government is actively involved in natural resource planning, management and regulation, including funding NRM programmes, managing state lands( including protected areas), allocating natural resources( water, minerals, quarrying), providing extension and education programmes, and regulating the use of, and impacts on, natural resources( such as vegetation clearing and mining). One of its important roles is to provide up-to-date information and maps on natural resources, for example, regional ecosystems and soils, which form the basis for informed NRM planning and management decisions. Current Queensland Government functions are detailed in Appendix B, p87.
The Australian Government provides national strategic direction through national plans such as the Reef 2050 Plan, oversees a threatened species programme, and World Heritage and other international agreements. It is a large investor in research and NRM activities, including funding universities, the Green Army, the National Landcare Programme, the 20 Million Trees Programme and projects to tackle invasive species. The current Australian Government functions are shown in Appendix B, p 87.
The health of the GBR World Heritage Area is a major driver for funding NRM management in our region. The GBR Intergovernmental Agreement 2015 between the Australian and Queensland Governments reflects their shared responsibility for meeting the targets of the Reef 2050 Plan, which includes