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OUR VISION
Healthy landscapes and thriving communities in the Burdekin Dry Tropics.
Our purpose
Support the Burdekin Dry Tropics community to sustainably manage land, water, soil, plants, and animals.
ABOUT US
NQ Dry Tropics is the natural resources management (NRM) organisation for the Burdekin Dry Tropics region of North Queensland.
We are an independent, not-for-profit company delivering on-ground remediation, extension, workshops and training, and strategic NRM planning to improve:
landscapes — healthy natural and Cultural resources;
livelihoods — profitable primary production to support vibrant regional economies; and
communities — strong, resilient and connected.
Formed in 2002, we are a trusted partner to landholders, Traditional Owners, science and industry bodies, community groups and government. Together, we deliver outstanding science-based projects that:
We work across the wide and diverse landscape, rich in natural assets that support key industries like farming, horticulture, tourism and mining. We are one of the 54 NRM groups across Australia and one of 12 operating in Queensland.
We protect our region’s precious natural assets by delivering practical on-ground remediation, combined with extension, training, and educational events such as workshops and field days.
Improving the quality of water flowing into the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area is a key focus for our work. We do this by:
We also protect endangered species and threatened ecological communities by:
We believe good planning and partnerships are key to great natural resource management outcomes. Our collaborative, practical approach focuses on:
By supporting sustainable land management and profitable primary production, we’re helping build resilient communities and a prosperous future for our region.
Where we work
The 146,000km² Burdekin Dry Tropics region connects the Great Dividing Range to the Great Barrier Reef. It encompasses the Burdekin River catchment, the second biggest in Queensland, and the smaller coastal catchments of the Black, Ross, Haughton and Don rivers. The Burdekin Dam, one of Australia’s largest, has a storage capacity of approximately 1,860 million cubic meters.
The region includes land and sea Country of the Warrungnu, Nywaigi, Wulgurukaba, Manbarra, Bindal, Gugu Badhun, Gudjala, Juru, Birriah, Gia, Widi, Jangga, Wangan and Jagalingou, Bidjara, Yirendali, and Iningai Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country. They have an enduring deep connection with the region’s natural resources and play an important role in protecting them for future generations.
The region’s ecosystems span three major bioregions, and feature natural resources including 500km of coastline and inshore marine habitat of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area; the southern extent of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area; the internationally-recognised Bowling Green Bay Ramsar wetland, and 34 nationally important wetlands.
The population of around 250,000 has grown by an estimated 30 per cent since 2005, with the majority living in Townsville, Charters Towers, Bowen, Ayr, Home Hill, and the offshore islands of Magnetic Island and the Greater Palm Island Group.
The region is rich in resources, from which its communities derive substantial environmental, economic, social and Cultural benefits. Agriculture dominates the landscape, with beef cattle grazing covering more than 90 per cent of the land area; a sugar cane industry producing over one quarter of Australia’s annual cane supply; horticulture in the Bowen Gumlu Agricultural District; and dryland cropping in large areas of the Belyando Suttor sub-catchment.
