• Change text size
• Skip to content

Caring for our Country

What is natural resource management?

• About us
• Contact us

Home

• What is Caring for our Country?
  • National Reserve System
  • Biodiversity and natural icons
  • Coastal environments and critical aquatic habitats
  • Sustainable farm practices
  • Northern and remote Australia
  • Community skills, knowledge and engagement
• Business Plan 2010-11
  • Priorities for investment
  • Supporting maps and other information
  • How to apply
  • FAQs
  • Previous Business Plan
• Community Action Grants
• Funded projects
  • Business Plan 2009-10 successful projects
  • Caring for our Country 2008 funding
  • Pre 2008 funded projects
• Monitoring and evaluation
  • Report cards
  • MERI Toolkit
  • Performance Story Reports
• What is natural resource management?
  • What's an NRM region?
  • Engaging communities
  • Volunteer
  • For landholders
  • Indigenous communities
  • Facilitators
  • NRM discussion forum
  • Policies and agreements
• Publications and resources
  • Data, maps and research
  • Guide to NRM funding
  • Links
  • Logos
  • Media releases

South East - Natural Resource Management region

Regional summary

The South East region, including the State Marine Waters, covers about 28 000 sq km of South Australia and supports a population of 65 000 people (about 4 per cent 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 region is well known for its limestone geology, extinct volcanoes and marine scenery which includes rocky shores, seagrass meadows, relic sand dunes, lagoons, sheltered bays and sub-tidal and offshore reefs. Flora and fauna species are highly diverse, with native vegetation covering about 13 per cent 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 and Hacks lagoons and a large portion of the Ramsar listed Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert.

With suitable soils and underground water, the region has a strong agricultural history. Key activities include plantation forestry, wine/viticulture, agriculture, dairy, potatoes, fishing/aquaculture and their associated industries. The region contributes more than 30 per cent of the South Australian Gross Domestic Agricultural Product.

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 South East region contains two World Heritage-listed areas: the Naracoorte Caves and the Australian Fossil Mammal Site; and lies within an Australian Biodiversity Hotspot, identified by the Australian Government. There are 77 nationally-listed threatened plant and animal species and 51 migratory species.

Biodiversity summary

Biodiversity summaries and species lists for the South East region have been produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts using the Australian Heritage Assessment Tool.

For information visit: Biodiversity summaries and species lists for natural resource management regions 

Contact

South East Natural Resources Management Board manages this region.

For more information visit: www.senrm.sa.gov.au