BURDEKIN DRY TROPICS NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2016-2026
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The Queensland Statistician’ s Office has predicted a regional population growth of approximately 50 per cent over the next 20 years. See table below. As urban areas and services expand, they will encroach into rural lands and natural environments.
Locality
Townsville City Council Local Government Area
Charters Towers Regional Local Government Area
Burdekin Shire Local Government Area
Bowen Statistical Area Level 2( Whitsunday Regional)
Collinsville Statistical Area Level 2( Whitsunday Regional)
Palm Island Local Government Area
Jericho 2011 Statistical Local Area( Barcaldine Shire)
30 June 2014
Population
2036 Predicted Population( from 2011 estimates)
192,038 314,362
12,517 12,459
17,916 19,467
9,577 13,596
4,050 5,892
2,617 3,460
965-
Sections of the rural community have expressed a desire to expand intensive agricultural development throughout the region, particularly surrounding Ayr / Home Hill, Pentland, Belyando / Suttor( via water harvesting), Urannah and Collinsville. The Burdekin Dam provides unique opportunities to accommodate agricultural expansion and diversification, however, it also has a number of highprofile constraints around the allocation of water resources and downstream impacts, including the GBR catchment( Refer to Water – Future Water Demands).
Land-use planning decisions need to consider and balance multiple interests, including the land’ s attributes, landscape and catchment context, government policies and community views.
Development and expansion of urban areas and intensive agriculture should occur within the environmental parameters for the land and surrounding environment, and maintain soil health and water quality. In our region, we have a significant responsibility to reduce catchment impacts, in particular to improve water quality run-off from agricultural and urban development, to protect the GBR( Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, 2014).
Improved land development, innovation and best management practice techniques can provide opportunities for expansion to occur that contributes to long term sustainability for our community, industry and natural resources. For example, on-farm water management, efficient and targeted pesticide application technology, and providing habitat corridors and sufficient distance between development and natural areas to maintain biodiversity and natural processes( eg coastal erosion). Further research and development, along with investment in new technologies, is vital to maintain a sustainable agricultural industry which can still deliver the required economic, social and environment benefits, including protecting the resilience of the GBR.
Appropriate waste management and planning, including sewage treatment and future land fill needs, are also vital to reduce the health impacts on the public and the receiving environments( Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, 2014). See Part B – Water for more regional information regarding waste treatment and Part B – Biodiversity for littering and illegal dumping.
Impacts resulting from land use can also come from further afield. Urban areas and major transport corridors increase the frequency of movement of people, animals and materials and increases the risk of introducing pests and diseases. This also occurs when urban and peri-urban( rural residential) areas encroach into rural lands.
In urban environments, pests and diseases are mostly considered health issues, however, they are major threats that can migrate to adjacent rural and agricultural land where they can create ongoing pest management problems and have significant impacts on people’ s businesses and the natural environment
Natural Resource Response Cycle
LAND