The savannah plains of the Northern Tablelands Local Landscape contrast markedly with the dense rainforest of much the Wet Tropics. This drier landscape contains secluded wetlands, providing a haven for birdlife and other larger wildlife species, such as Eastern Grey Kangaroos, well-suited to life on the plains. Water from the Tinaroo Dam Irrigation Channel has seen the expansion and diversification of agricultural production in the landscape, with a wide range of horticultural crops grown. The Barron River, which flows through the main town of Mareeba, as well as its tributaries and other wetlands and waterways, create a focus point for community action.
Community Groups
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Barron Catchment Care (BCC)
The Barron River system is one of the most heavily used and impacted of all streams in the Wet Tropics. Barron Catchment Care’s aims of sustainable land use and catchment management strategies implemented through the catchment are only possible through the ongoing efforts of the group’s volunteers and support within the community; success relies on the voluntary actions of individuals and organisations who choose to make their land management practices more sustainable, with the support of the Barron Catchment Care. With individuals in the group representing a broad range of interest groups (including local councils, rural producers, commerce and industry, urban community, conservation, tourism, education and State agencies), the needs of local communities and the catchments they live in can be considered carefully and acted upon. Since the group’s formation in 1992, BCC has managed and implemented a range of successful projects, with the group’s main areas of focus including revegetation and habitat restoration, land and water management and community engagement and planning. |