Northern Territory - Natural Resource Management region
Regional summary
The Northern Territory is a single natural resource management region that includes all of the Darwin-Katherine and part of the Ord National Action Plan on Salinity and Water Quality priority regions. It has a population of only 206,000 living in an area of 1,347,000 square kilometres (one-sixth of Australia's land mass). The majority of the population lives in the main towns of Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. The Natural Resource Management Board (NT) is the regional body for the Northern Territory.
Grazing leases (47 percent) and Aboriginal freehold land (44 percent) are the dominant land tenures. The dominant industries of the region are mining, agriculture, tourism and defence. Mining is the leading sector, accounting for $3.2 billion per annum. Tourism accounts for $1 billion and cattle enterprises more than $360 million annually.
While the population of the Northern Territory is small compared to its large landmass, a large number of groups throughout the region are dedicated to natural resource management. Of these, six are Territory-wide organisations supported by more than 80 community and regional groups.
Priority issues
Priority issues for natural resource management in the Northern Territory include:
- fire management
- feral animal management
- weed management
- managing and maintaining existing ecosystems
- developing best practice natural resource management
Regional plan
The integrated NRM regional plan for the Northern Territory was developed with input from industry, Aboriginal Land Councils, local government, non-government organisations, research bodies and the Northern Territory Government. Both the Northern Territory and Australian Government Ministers have accredited the plan.
- Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan - accredited May 2005
Current activities
Current activities addressing the priorities include:
- developing knowledge based fire management for northern savannah communities
- projects to exclude cane toads from the Tiwi islands, crazy ant management in Arnhem land and feral animal management in the Victoria River District
- strategic management of weeds on Top End Aboriginal Lands, control of declared weeds in the Victoria River District, Top End Exotic Grass Weed Mapping, Mimosa Management programme
- fire and land management in central and west Arnhem Land
- environmental management in the Upper Daly Region
- species recovery work in Aboriginal communities
- capacity building for these projects
Contacts
Further information can be obtained by contacting the Regional Facilitators for the Northern Territory.
NAP priority regions
There are two regions for the delivery of the NAP. The Darwin-Katharine region and that part of the Ord region that falls within the Northern Territory. The Darwin-Katherine region is made up of two sub-regions - the Mary River sub-region and the Daly River sub-region. The Natural Resouce Management Board (NT) will be responsible for the development and implementation of sub-plans focusing on water quality for the NAP regions.
Region summaries
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
You can also use your town name to find your NRM Region.
See also
Key
Links to another web site
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