Natural Resource Management (NRM) Regions 2010

## **Abstract** 

This dataset and its metadata statement were supplied to the Bioregional Assessment Programme by a third party and are presented here as originally supplied.

The Natural Resource Management (NRM) Regions dataset was prepared for the purpose of reporting on the Australian Government's previous natural resource management program, Caring for our Country (2008-2013). The dataset was designed to cover all Australian territory where Caring for our Country projects might have taken place including major islands; external territories; state and coastal waters; in addition to the 56 NRM regions. This version of the data is an update and formalisation of the 'interim 2010' dataset (which was an interim update of the NRM Regions 2009 dataset- publicly released in Feb 09). Whilst the boundaries of NRM Regions are defined by legislation in some states and territories this dataset should not be used to represent legal boundaries in any way. It is an administrative dataset developed for the purpose of reporting and public information. It should be noted that from time to time the states and/or territories may revise their regional boundaries in accordance with local needs and therefore alterations to either the attribution or boundaries of the data may occur in the future. 'Caring for our Country commenced on 1 July 2008 and closed on 30 June 2013. It integrated delivery of the Australian Government's previous natural resource management programs:  the Natural Heritage Trust, the National Landcare Program, the Environmental Stewardship Program and the Working on Country Indigenous land and sea ranger program. This is an administrative dataset developed for the purpose of reporting and public information. The dataset is not a legal boundary dataset and does not represent legal boundaries in any way.

## **Purpose** 

Whilst the boundaries of NRM Regions are defined by legislation in some states and territories this dataset should not be used to represent legal boundaries in any way. It is an administrative dataset developed for the purpose of reporting and public information. It should be noted that from time to time the states and/or territories may revise their regional boundaries in accordance with local needs and therefore alterations to either the attribution or boundaries of the data may occur in the future. 



This is an administrative dataset developed for the purpose of reporting and public information. The dataset is not a legal boundary dataset and does not represent legal boundaries in any way.

## **Dataset History** 

Downloadable through ERIN/SEWPAC's Discover Information Geographically portal.

The base layer for this dataset is the Natural Resource Management (NRM) Region Boundaries (formerly known as Natural Heritage Trust II (NHT2) Region Boundaries (2006)). This base layer was reviewed and built on to develop the NRM Regions 2009 dataset. The main changes to the data at that time included: updates to the internal boundaries within WA and Qld; the seaward extent of coastal regions being extended to the 3 Nm coastal waters limit for all States and the Northern Territory; the inclusion of more offshore islands (and coastal waters); and, the addition of external territories and their 12 Nm territories sea.



The base layer previously included an offshore component for regions in SA, TAS and QLD. Offshore components for the other States and the Northern Territories were created using Geoscience Australia's AMB 2006 coastal waters data. Mainland region boundaries were checked with all state and territory agencies resulting in changes to the internal mainland boundaries for QLD and WA. The amended boundaries were sourced from the relevant agency from these States.



Geoscience Australia's Geodata Coast 100K 2004 dataset was used for mainland state/territory borders. The AMB 2006 data was used to define the offshore boundaries between the States and the Northern Territory. Offshore boundaries between NRM Regions within a State were produced by extending region boundaries at 90 degrees to the state 100k coastline unless otherwise requested by state or territory agencies. VIC and NSW each have unique offshore NRM divisions in the regions of Port Phillip and Western Port (VIC) and Hawkesbury-Nepean (NSW) which are described below.



The coastline has been removed from the data in line with the decision to extend all coastal NRM Regions to the outer limit of the adjacent coastal waters. It should be noted that the removal of the coastline means that islands lying within the outer limit of the Coastal Waters adjacent to the mainland are no longer depicted as separate features in the data. For example the many islands in Shark Bay WA are not displayed as separate entities in this dataset as they fall within the expanded (marine) extent of the Rangelands NRM Region in the new dataset.



Not all coastal waters for the States and/or the Northern Territory have been included in the data. The primary consideration was whether land based activities might affect the adjacent waters. For the purpose of this dataset coastal waters adjacent to the mainland and islands contained in the Geodata Coast 100K dataset are included in the data. Significant islands include Macquarie Island (Tas) and Lord Howe Island (NSW).



Australia's External Territories (Heard and McDonald Islands, Cocos Keeling Islands, Christmas Island, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, and Norfolk Islands) are included in this version of the data. The reporting region for these islands is the area within the outer limit of the 12 Nm Territorial Sea adjacent to each of these External Territories as sourced from the AMB 2006 data.



Specific issues for each State are described below:



NSW - Jervis Bay was added to the Southern Rivers NRM region after consultation with the Australian Government Land and Coasts NSW Team. Lord Howe Island was added to the NSW dataset as a part of the Northern Rivers NRM Region. The NSW Catchment Management Authority (CMA) Hawkesbury-Nepean, provided the marine NRM divisions between theirs and Central-Rivers, identifying that their northern regional boundary bisects Lion Island.



VIC - The Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) provided a state NRM dataset for this update. Their boundaries matched the pre-existing NRM Region Boundaries dataset, except for one small area between East and West Gippsland. Victoria agreed to use the pre-existing NRM boundaries in this area.

## **Dataset Citation** 

Geoscience Australia (2013) Natural Resource Management (NRM) Regions 2010. Bioregional Assessment Source Dataset. Viewed 13 March 2019, http://data.bioregionalassessments.gov.au/dataset/1d54e38f-4051-4f0c-a350-c7dbd8eba65b.

Tags: Cooper subregion, Galilee subregion, Gloucester subregion, Hunter subregion, Namoi subregion, Sydney Basin bioregion, boundaries
Organization: Bioregional Assessment Program