The Northern Rivers Region 
Area
Covering 50,000 square kilometres, the Northern Rivers CMA region extends 3 nautical miles east of the coastline incorporating Solitary Islands and Cape Byron Marine Parks. It is 60% freehold tenure and has 21 500 km2 managed as Crown Land, National Park and State Forest. The region includes the World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island group, located 600km east of Coffs Harbour.
Population
There are more than 500 000 residents in the norther rivers region located in 18 Local Government Areas. The major population centres are Tweed Heads, Byron Bay, Lismore, Ballina, Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, and Armidale. Because the region possesses outstanding rivers and coastline and a mild to sub-tropical climate, it is one of the most desirable locations in which to live in Australia. Because of this, it is also one of the State's fastest growing regions with many of its current natural resource management issues linked to population growth.
Indigenous communities
Aboriginal nations include the Bundjalung, Anaiwan, Birpai, Dunghutti, Gumbainggar, Gwaegal, Guyambal and Yaegl people (Andrews NSWDNR 2005). Many of the region's Aboriginal communities are actively involved in natural resource management issues and projects, with the Aboriginal Green Teams (bush regeneration) model a great example of indigenous engagement in environmental restoration.
Climate
Climate varies with geography and ranges from cool temperate in Tablelands to subtropical along the coast. Temperatures are equally varied from winter extremes of below 5 degrees celsius to summer highs of above 40 degrees celsius. Coastal areas typically milder, with some inland areas experiencing extremes of temperature throughout the year. The highest rainfall occurs during summer with peak falls of 1350 - 1650 mm per year along the coast. Inland areas receive less rain with falls below 800 mm per year in some areas. Variability in rainfall from one year to the next is high.
River Catchments
There are nine major river catchments in the region - the Tweed, Brunswick, Richmond, Clarence, Coffs Harbour Waterways, Bellinger, Nambucca, Macleay and Hastings. The region also includes significant coastal lakes, estuaries and river systems, such as the Camden Haven, Lake Cathie, Lake Ainsworth, the Tweed's Terranora Broadwater and Lake Hiawatha and Minnie Water.
Marine environment
The marine environment of the Northern Rivers CMA region extends from mean high water mark to three nautical miles to sea, and includes the Lord Howe Island Group. This area, of more than 300,000ha, supports a biologically diverse range of marine species and habitats including numerous reefs, intertidal rocky shores and sandy beaches that provide important habitat for threatened and protected species. It is important to the region's economy, providing the natural resources that support industries such as tourism, and recreational and commercial fishing.
Landuse
Agriculture, timber and urban settlement dominate the landscape. Agricultural commodity production is valued at $514M and is centred on the agriculture, fishing, timber and tourism industries - although the retail trade, health and community services sectors employ more people. The main commodities are beef, seafood, timber, dairy products, sugarcane, bananas, sheep products, soya bean, macadamia nuts, vegetables, pork products and blueberries.
Landscape and vegetation
There are several distinct landscape types in the region, including:
- New England Tablelands
- Coastal Floodplains
- Coastal Sandplains
- Volcanic Plateaus Escarpments and Ranges
- Midlands/Hills (Low Elevation)
- Riverine Corridors
- Marine environment
There are several characteristic vegetation types, including:
- Sub-tropical, warm temperate and cool temperate rainforest
- Wet Sclerophyll eg flooded gum and forest red gum
- Tablelands and escarpment Eucalypt forests
- Tablelands and dry coastal valley woodlands
- Dry Sclerophyll coastal, ranges and tableland forms
- Coastal dune vegetation comprising a complex of grasses, coastal wattle and banksia
- Coastal Littoral rainforest with associated Bangalow palms or Brush box forest,
- Coastal and tablelands heaths
- Wetlands/ paperbark swamp forest, and open water and reeds /rushes complexes
- Estuaries dominated by mangrove and seagrass Communities
Biodiversity value
The northern rivers region is a National Biodiversity Hotspot. The 3rd most bio-diverse region in Australia it has 380 species, 5 populations and 13 communities (EECs) listed as endangered or vulnerable under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act (TSC) 1995. There region has a number of significant sites including 2 World Heritage Areas, the Lord Howe Island group and the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves of Australia (CERRA), 4 Ramsar Wetlands and 25 nationally important Wetlands. There are 196 reserves and conservation areas. Two Interim Biographic Regionalisation of Australia (IBRA) Bioregions occur here including most of the North Coast Bioregion and the eastern interface of the New England Tablelands bioregion.
