South East - Natural Resource Management region
Regional summary

The South East region, including the State Marine Waters, covers about 21,000 square kilometres of South Australia and supports a population of 63,000 people (approximately 4 percent of the state's population) across seven local government areas. Mount Gambier is the main regional centre and its only city. Principal townships are Millicent, Naracoorte, Robe, Kingston, Penola, Bordertown, Keith, Port MacDonnell and Beachport.
The marine scenery and beaches feature rocky shores, seagrass meadows, dunes, lagoons, sheltered bays and sub-tidal and offshore reefs. Flora and fauna species are highly diverse, with native vegetation covering about 13 percent of the region.
The region has very few surface water streams or rivers, so ground water (aquifers) is the primary source for industry, irrigation, and stock and domestic use. The State Marine Waters are some of the most productive along the southern Australian coastline. The South East supports a variety of wetland systems, including the Ramsar-listed Bool Lagoon and the Coorong.
With suitable soils and underground water, the region has a strong agricultural history but also supports a diverse industrial base of forestry, fishing, manufacturing and retail trade.
The region is a biodiversity transition zone, where temperate south eastern Australia grades into the arid central portion of the continent. Consequently, many species of plants and animals, adapted for various specific conditions, are found at either the eastern or western limits of their range. The World Heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves are also in the South East.
Priority issues
Key natural resource management issues in the region include:
- dryland salinity
- ecosystem degradation and fragmentation
- Blue Lake water quality
- sustainable groundwater use
- coastal and marine environment
Regional plan
Eight Integrated Natural Resource Management (NRM) Committees were established in South Australia to develop plans that identify and address the key NRM challenges in their respective regions. These committees draw on a broad cross section of representatives to ensure the highest priority issues are covered.
The South East Natural Resource Consultative Committee was responsible for developing the South East NRM Plan, in consultation with the local community. This plan was based on a whole-of-region approach and addresses significant NRMissues incorporating social, environmental and economic aspects. This Plan was accredited by Australian Government Ministers in early 2004.
The Committee also developed a regional investment strategy. This strategy is essentially the business plan to attract investment from the Australian and State Governments, and details the specific actions, costs and timeframes required to address the priorities identified within the regional plan.
The community was involved in the preparation of the regional plan through consultation with a broad range of landholders, stakeholders and local community groups.
- South East plan - accredited January 2004
Current activities
| NRM priority | Activities addressing the priority |
|---|---|
| Biodiversity |
|
| Coastal and marine environment |
|
| Salinity |
|
| Water quality |
|
Contacts
Further information can be obtained by contacting the Regional Facilitators for South Australia.
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.
Key
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