BURDEKIN DRY TROPICS NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2016-2026
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Figure 1- Location of the Burdekin Dry Tropics region
groups operating across Queensland. We considered international and national agreements, and Australian and Queensland Government legislation, programmes, strategies and plans.
A NRM Community Governance Group guided the planning process. We made every effort to represent the views of those who value and actively care for the region’ s natural resources. The plan captures hundreds of community suggestions and requests. Contributions came from individuals and representatives from a range of groups, organisations, industries, social sectors and geographic areas. Suggestions were also provided by technical experts, NRM industry leaders, and researchers from within the region and across Australia. The plan also draws on:
• the Indigenous Caring for Country Plan( 2005);
• the original Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM Plan( 2005);
• the Regional Pest Management Strategy( 2014-2019); and
• the Burdekin Water Quality Improvement Plan( 2016).
3. OUR REGION
Located in North-Eastern Queensland, our region covers eight per cent of the State. It spans a great variety of landscapes, with a land area of approximately 134,000km 2 and 12,000km 2 of sea country( see Figure 1). The Burdekin River catchment is the
Why we adopted a systems approach“ From an Aboriginal perspective it is extremely important that we manage our natural resources because we are connected to that tree,.... to that water hole. The blackfella‘ legislation’... links that all together. It is a very finely tuned connection between us and our environment, completely based on sustainability. We have a very sincere connection with those animals and those plants and it is engrained in our stories... It is extremely important that we manage that system so it is there for all of us”. second biggest in Queensland,
Phil Rist – Nywaigi Elder
covering an area approximately the 2013 size of Tasmania. It defines much of our region, along with the adjoining smaller coastal catchments of the Don River, Haughton River, Ross River and Crystal Creek at the most northern extent.
3.1 Our natural resources
Our region has outstanding natural resources. Our coastal and marine area is dominated by the iconic Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and the region contains the southern extent of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, and Bowling Green Bay National Park – an internationally-recognised Ramsar-listed site containing one of Australia’ s largest wetlands( Shilton, 2005). Our region’ s ecosystems span three bioregions, and are highly-productive, richly diverse, and contain many organisms found nowhere else. Two of Australia’ s National Biodiversity Hotspots are found here. Pasture lands are distributed throughout the Burdekin rangelands and inland coastal areas. Soils suitable for dryland and irrigated cropping are also located in areas throughout the region. These areas provide our community with substantial environmental, economic and social benefits.
3.2 Our people
The region’ s population of about 240,000 has grown by approximately 30 per cent since 2005, with most new growth occurring in Townsville. The Queensland
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY