North Queensland Dry Tropics

• The Burdekin Dry Tropics connects rangelands to the Reef.
• The region’s 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 wetland
• The Burdekin River catchment is the second biggest in Queensland.
• Agriculture dominates the landscape, with beef cattle grazing covering more than 96 per cent of the region’s land area. 

The Burdekin Dry Tropics is an incredibly biodiverse region, being the confluence of seven bioregions, with natural assets of national and international significance, including two World Heritage Areas, two Marine Parks, 25 National Parks, one Ramsar-listed wetland and 34 Nationally-Important Wetlands. Additionally, there are 1,621 km² of Nature Refuges, and other Voluntary Conservation Agreements covering sites of high biodiversity within our region.

The Burdekin Dry Tropics region has a pronounced wet and dry season, with most rain falling between November and April. Average annual rainfall ranges from around 500mm to 1500mm however this varies across our region as well as year to year (Dight, 2009). This variability is linked to the El Nino Southern Oscillation and the formation of tropical low pressure systems sometimes referred to as the Monsoon Trough. Additionally, cyclones generated by low pressure systems and warm oceans can contribute significant volumes of rainfall on land.

The Burdekin Dry Tropics region is home to 16 identified Traditional Owner groups and many clan and family groups. The Townsville area also has a large Torres Strait Islander community, and the lower Burdekin is home to significant numbers of people of South Sea Island origin. Indigenous people currently represent around six per cent of our regional population. For more than 20 years, NQ Dry Tropics has facilitated a regional Traditional Owner Management Group, which provides regional Indigenous leadership and NRM advice. In late 2023 NQ Dry Tropics launched its first Reconciliation Action Plan.

Link to RAP 

Link to Traditional Owners regional map

The region covers 12 local government areas, including Townsville, Burdekin, Charters Towers and Palm Island, significant parts of Whitsunday, Isaac and Barcaldine and small sections of the Tablelands, Etheridge, Flinders, Hinchinbrook ahttp://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/nd Mackay