Namoi - Natural Resource Management region
Regional summary
The Namoi catchment region covers 42,000 square kilometres and supports a population of 94,000 people across 14 local government areas. The main towns include Barraba, Gunnedah, Manilla, Narrabri, Nundle, Quirindi, Tamworth , Walgett and Werris Creek.
The region contains three distinct landform types - tablelands, slopes and plains, each with distinctive patterns of drainage, soils, native vegetation, settlement and land use. The plains have been extensively developed for both grazing and dryland and irrigated agriculture (cereals, cotton, pulses and oilseeds).
The dominant watercourse is the Namoi River. Its tributaries arise from the Liverpool Ranges in the south, the Great Dividing Range in the east and the Nandewar Range to the north. The river and associated wetlands and floodplains have been extensively modified to support irrigated agriculture and expanding population. Groundwater is a significant resource in the Namoi catchment and has been extensively developed for irrigation and stock and domestic purposes, with the highest rate of groundwater use in New South Wales.
The region contains some nationally listed ecological communities, including Brigalow, Grassy white box woodlands and Semi-evergreen vine thicket. Goran Lake on the Liverpool Plains is a significant ephemeral wetland and supports a wide assemblage of rare, endangered and vulnerable species. When flooded, the area sustains large numbers of waterbirds.
Priority issues
Key natural resource management issues in the region include:
- agricultural chemical contamination, and high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, suspended solids and turbidity in rivers, streams and storages
- soil erosion, which is a widespread and significant problem contributing to declining productivity and reduced agricultural returns
- increasing dryland salinity, caused partly by over-clearing of native vegetation, irrigated cropping and inappropriate drainage and watering systems
- loss of native vegetation and decline in biodiversity resulting from clearing and subsequent habitat fragmentation-leading to added challenges of managing weeds, feral animals, dieback and fire
Regional plan
The former Namoi Catchment Management Board - predecessor to the current Namoi Management Authority - prepared an integrated natural resource management (NRM) plan, the blueprint, for what is now the Namoi 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.
This blueprint 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 Namoi Catchment Management Authority provides information and incentives to resource managers to encourage strong community involvement in the region's NRM and foster projects and practical activities that benefit the environment and the community.
Current activities
| NRM priority | Activities addressing the priority |
|---|---|
| Biodiversity |
|
| Soil management |
|
| Dryland and riverine salinity |
|
| Riverine ecosystems |
|
Contacts
Further information can be obtained by contacting the Regional Facilitators for New South Wales.
Region summaries
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You can also use your town name to find your NRM Region.
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