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Lachlan - Natural Resource Management region

Regional summary

The Lachlan catchment region covers an area of 84,700 square kilometres, extending from the western perimeter of the Great Dividing Range in the east to the vast Riverine Plains in the west. The catchment has an estimated population of greater than 100,000, producing 14 percent of the state's agricultural production from approximately 10 percent of the state's land area. The region also encompasses the areas of 26 local government organisations.

The Lachlan catchment is unique in the Murray-Darling Basin in that the Lachlan River terminates in wetlands and effluent creeks in the lower part of the catchment. Occasionally the Lachlan flows into the Murrumbidgee River during significant flood events. Lake Cowal, the Booligal wetlands and the Great Cumbung Swamp are just some of the natural features that have been identified as being of national importance. Other reserves and high-quality Crown land also contribute significantly to the resources of the catchment.

Priority issues

Key NRM problems are:

• dryland salinity
• declining surface water quality
• declining health and extent of native vegetation
• loss of native biodiversity
• degradation of riparian and wetland ecosystems
• deterioration of soil resources
• threats to cultural heritage

Regional plan

The former Lachlan Catchment Management Boards - predecessor to the current Lachlan Catchment Management Authority - prepared an integrated natural resource management (NRM) plan, the blueprint, for what is now the Lachlan region, incorporating social, economic and environmental elements of NRM.

This blueprint is based on a whole-of-catchment approach and sets 10-year catchment condition targets for the priority NRM issues of the region. It outlines the tasks to be accomplished to achieve these targets. It forms the basis for the development of an Investment Strategy that is used to attract funding from the Australian and state governments, and from other sources, for the specific actions identified in the Investment Strategy.

Through National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP) and the Natural Heritage Trust (the Trust) funding, the Lachlan Catchment Management Authority encourages and facilitates strong community involvement in the region's NRM, backed up by support for on-ground works and other activities that benefit the environment and the community.

Current activities

NRM Priorities	Activities addressing the priority
Salinity	promoting farming systems that inimize rising water tables Establishing perennial pastures and trees
Water resources	stabilising drainage areas to reduce nutrient and sediment load entering Lachlan River tributaries reducing the frequency of high alert blue green algal blooms improving irrigation practices promoting the use of integrated property plans by land managers
Soil health	soil health Improving soil health and structure by increasing organic carbon levels and use of ameliorants in priority landscapes managing sodic soils to inimize soil structure decline and restore productive vegetation cover
Vegetation and biodiversity	managing and protecting vegetation areas with high conservation value and improving the extent and condition of high priority communities managing riparian zones to enhance aquatic diversity and habitat

Contacts

Further information can be obtained by contacting the Regional Facilitators for New South Wales.