The Northern Tasmania NRM Region covers 25,200 km2 (approximately
2.5 million hectares) of the State and extends to the three nautical mile (5.5 km) limit from the coast. The Region’s boundaries align with those of Northern Tasmania Development, the regional development organisation owned by the eight Northern Tasmanian Councils, namely: Break O’Day; Dorset; George Town; Launceston; West Tamar; Meander Valley; Northern Midlands; and Flinders (covering the Eastern Bass Strait islands). The Region’s population of approximately 134,000 (28% of the State) is concentrated around the Tamar Basin and Launceston, with a number of smaller towns servicing a dispersed rural and coastal community.

The economy of Northern Tasmania is primarily based around its natural resources of land, water (including estuarine, coastal and marine), biodiversity and associated service industries such as tourism, retail and government. Manufacturing, agriculture, viticulture and forest industries, form a major part of the Region’s core economy. Other industry sectors include fishing, aquaculture, education and training, food and beverage, and information technology. The role of primary industries is especially relevant, as this sector manages much of the Region’s natural resources and underpins the Region’s economy.

Northern Tasmania covers a variety of terrestrial, freshwater, estuarine, coastal and marine habitats and each contains important flora and fauna species and ecosystems. The Region’s biodiversity reflects the diversity of landscapes, soils and climate. Terrestrial habitat types include dry forests, woodlands, she-oak forest, wet forests, rainforest, grasslands and coastal and alpine heathland. Native vegetation covers approximately 65% of the terrestrial area of the Region. Freshwater habitats include the aquatic flora and fauna of inland rivers, streams and wetlands.

The Region contains ecologically significant wetland conservation areas, including five
Ramsar wetlands (Logan Lagoon, Flyover Lagoon, Jock’s Lagoon, Little Waterhouse Lake and the Chimneys) and 44 Directory of Important Wetlands Australia (DIWA) wetlands. Over 180 threatened species are known to occur in the Region.

These water resources have significant ecological value, providing habitat for a diverse array of aquatic flora and fauna species. Similarly, the Region’s groundwater resources are an important source of water, which is primarily used for stock watering and irrigation, as well as for the town water supply in areas such as St Marys. Within the Region, inland water resources are an important component of economic and social growth through the provision of water for irrigated agriculture, power generation and town water supplies. Water resources also provide a range of tourism uses and scenic and visual amenity values.

The Region contains a diverse range of geology, soils and landforms, from the islands of the Furneaux and Kent groups to the karst cave systems around Mole Creek and the rich red soils in Deloraine. The soils of the Region provide the basis for much of the land-based primary production and urban settlement. At higher elevations, or on soils with lower fertility, production forestry is frequently the dominant land use. Significant areas of land are held under a number of different reserve types with approximately 3,400 km2 (13.5%) of the Region in secure reserves or under conservation covenants and a further 640 km2 (2.5%) in informal reserves of State Forest .

The coastline of Northern Tasmania extends for over 2,000 km and includes offshore islands, low energy beaches, rocky shorelines, sheltered bays and extensive dune systems. Estuarine, coastal and marine habitats support a unique range of important flora and fauna communities including shorebirds and waders, fairy penguins and humpback whales.

Since European settlement, the ecosystems and habitats in the Region have been extensively modified, principally by economic activities such as agriculture, urban and industrial development, forestry, mining, hydro developments, fishing and aquaculture, as well as recreational pursuits. It is now time to improve the way we use and look after our natural resources, to ensure a brighter future for all.