About Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board*
The Murraylands and Riverland region (see map) extends from where the River Murray crosses the border into South Australia, through the northern Mallee to the foot of the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges; from the Rangelands in the north to the southern Mallee and Murray Mouth in the south. The region covers approximately 53,780 square kilometres. The following local councils areas are included within the Murraylands and Riverland region:
- Southern Mallee District Council
- Renmark Paringa Council
- Coorong District Council
- District Council of Loxton Waikerie
- The Rural City of Murray Bridge
- Berri Barmera Council
- District Council of Karoonda East Murray
- Mid Murray Council
There are also areas of unincorporated land around the Riverland and within the pastoral area.
The region forms the south-western portion of the Murray-Darling catchment into which the River Murray flows. The River Murray supports highly productive horticultural industries as well as supplying the majority of the water needs for the city of Adelaide and many other towns in the state. The natural resources of the Murraylands and Riverland region also support tourism, recreation and manufacturing. The region is one of the most productive agricultural areas in South Australia.
Much of the land in the region is used for primary production, including pastoral lands, dryland cropping, grazing, horticulture, irrigation and dairy farming. Within the region, there are ecosystems that are of state, national and international significance, including the Ramsar-listed Chowilla Floodplain, the Coorong and Lower Lakes.
The region has a rich and diverse history of volunteering in landscape and environmental management, with a wide range of active groups undertaking action to look after their local landscapes. Groups include Landcare and Local Action Planning Groups, land management groups, wetland groups, sustainable production groups and catchment groups.
The region includes the lands and waters of a number of Traditional Owner groups including Ngarrindjeri, the First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee Region, Peramangk, Ngadjuri, and Wilyakali.
Formerly Natural Resources SA Murray Darling Basin. Note that from the 1 July 2020, landscape regions replaced NRM regions in South Australia.