Macleay Region

The Macleay catchment includes extensive areas of the Northern tablelands, sparsely populated escarpment area and a coastal area ranging from foothills to coastal plains. From the gently rolling hills of the tablelands, the central catchment is mountainous with deep gorges. The lower catchment consists of wide floodplains extending to the coast and includes Kempsey and South West Rocks.

Major centres include Armidale, Walcha, Guyra and Kempsey and the population of the subcatchments is estimated at 60,000.

Much of the tablelands has been cleared of trees and is now covered in native and introduced pastures. Rainforest and wet sclerophyll forests occur in the steep slopes and gorges of the escarpment. The lower ridges support wet and dry sclerophyll forests. These give way to cleared pasture land and wetlands on the floodplain. Coastal vegetation consists of grasses, shrubs and trees on the dunal system.

Natural resource issues range from New England Dieback, dryland salinity and soil degradation to acid sulphate soils, streambank erosion and fish habitat destruction.

 

Area (km2)	11,435
Number of sub catchments	33
Tree Cover	55%