Bellinger Region

The Bellinger catchment is situated on the Mid North Coast of NSW encompassing approximately 1,000 km2. The two main rivers in the catchment are the Kalang River to the south and the Bellinger River to the north. The Kalang River flows into the Bellinger just upstream from the river mouth. The catchment is approximately 70km long and 20km wide. Most of the catchment is mountainous with limited areas of flat land associated with river and creek valleys and the coastline.

Steep areas of the catchment remain under forest cover while the narrow flood plain and associated foothills have been cleared for grazing, cropping and other uses.

Urban development is mainly limited to the small towns of inland Bellingen and coastal Urunga. Raleigh, Repton, and Mylestom are smaller villages also located on the coast. Most of the forest is contained in either National Parks or State Forest areas.

Forestry operations are an important contributor to the local economy. Mixed farming land uses occupy both undulating and flat land on the flood of the catchment. Produce included dairy, beef, pork, and crops such as maize, sorghum and vegetables.

The Bellinger catchment is highly valued for its natural beauty and contains some regionally significant rainforest. The valley is also famous for the Ringwood Tree and the freshwater turtle which are only found locally.

The key catchment management issues are water quality, river bank stability and weed invasion.

 

Area (km2)	1119
Number of sub catchments	11
Tree Cover	84%
Major Land Uses	Dairy, Forests and Cropping