Our Region

NQ Dry Tropics' management area, the Burdekin Dry Tropics region, is located in north eastern Queensland. Covering an area of approximately 138,000
square kilometres (almost eight per cent of the state), the region is primarily defined by the catchment area of the Burdekin River. The region extends into
marine waters and includes Magnetic Island and the Palm Islands.

The economy of the region is heavily reliant upon natural resource-based industries, particularly agriculture. Agriculture is by far the most important
employer in the rural areas of the region. Other major industries include mining and tourism.

Bioregions

The dry tropics region consists of six distinct bio regions. These are the:

  • Brigalow Belt
  • Central Queensland Coast
  • Desert Uplands
  • Einasleigh Uplands
  • Gulf Plains
  • Wet Tropics

A bioregion is a large area of land characterised by its vegetation, animal communities, soil structure and climate.

People

The Burdekin Dry Tropics region covers an area of 138,000 square kilometres with about 210,000 residents. The majority of those people live
in Townsville (over 160,000) and other rural centres such as Charters Towers, Ayr, Home Hill, Bowen, the lower Burdekin towns, Collinsville, as
well as the Alpha and Clermont districts. Away from the major centres the region is very sparsely populated.

Approximately five per cent of the population in the region is Indigenous. It includes the largest Torres Strait Islanders population outside of the
Torres Strait, located primarily in the Townsville area.

Local Government

The Burdekin Dry Tropics region covers all or part of twelve local government jurisdictions:

  • Barcaldine Regional Council
  • Burdekin Shire Council
  • Charters Towers Regional Council
  • Etheridge Shire Council
  • Flinders Shire Council
  • Hinchinbrook Shire Council
  • Isaac Regional Council
  • Mackay Regional Council
  • Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council
  • Tablelands Regional Council
  • Townsville City Council
  • Whitsunday Regional Council

Rivers

NQ Dry Tropics' natural resource management region is delineated by the boundaries of six major river basins.

These are the Belyando, Bowen Broken Bogie, Cape Campaspe, Lower Burdekin, Suttor and Upper Burdekin basins.

A river basin describes the drainage region for a single river system. 

catchment map

For more detailed information about the state of river basins in our region

see the Burdekin Water Quality Improvement Plan Atlas.

 

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