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About our region
The Queensland Murray-Darling Basin (QMDB) is located in southern Queensland, covering approximately 260,791 km2, making up 15% of Queensland and 25% of the Murray-Darling Basin.
The Queensland Murray-Darling Committee (QMDC) region, which makes up more than half of the QMDB, is home to more than 41,000 people. Agricultural and pastoral production accounts for the largest percentage of regional product. Other economic activities, many directly reliant on primary production, include government services, wholesale and retail trade, business services and manufacturing.
Despite considerable development, the region retains many of its natural, environmental values. The Queensland Murray-Darling Committee is dedicated to supporting communities to use the region’s natural resources sustainably. As a community-owned organisation, QMDC represents the needs of the community to government and commercial interests.
Land and soil
The productive capacity of the region is greatly influenced by the health of the soils. The fragility of this balance has long been recognised through the need for retention of native vegetation and other deep-rooted perennials to ensure that loss of soil structure is minimised.
QMDC technical staff work with land managers across their catchments to combat threats including salinity, declining land condition, decreasing productivity, off-site pollution, downstream impacts, erosion by encouraging the adoption of sustainable land management and best practice.
Riverine, floodplain and wetlands
There has been considerable development in the Basin through land clearing, the introduction of exotic plants and changed hydrological and ecological conditions. Management of riverine and floodplain areas is critically important to maintain the health of catchments and is just part of QMDC’s focus on water and wetland issues.
Vegetation and biodiversity
Major bioregions in the Basin are the New England Tablelands, Southern Brigalow Belt and Mulga Lands. According to Queensland Herbarium records, the Basin has 3,315 recorded native plant species, 97 mammals, 340 birds, 156 reptiles and 50 known frogs.
Within its region, QMDC works to prevent the loss of habitat by improving the health of ecosystems, working with a wide range of land managers and community members.
Weeds and pests
Weeds and pests have had numerous impacts upon the natural, agricultural and community and industry assets of the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin, including increased costs of production, and reduction of the level or quality of outputs in the horticultural, agricultural, animal production and forestry industries.
As well as the significant economic cost of pest animals, they have demonstrated negative effects on the environment and biodiversity through competition with native animals, destruction of native vegetation communities and land degradation.
Aboriginal interests and cultural assets
At least 15 Aboriginal nations have spiritual connections, cultural attachments and on-country responsibilities with land in the Basin. Indigenous people, and Traditional Owners in particular, are recognised as having a special relationship with and interests in the management of country.
For more information on Aboriginal interests and cultural assets within the QMDC region, click here.
Education program
The Queensland Murray-Darling Committee (QMDC) aims to provide quality environmental education to schools throughout the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin, supporting and encouraging schools to become more sustainable. Our Learning Through Landcare program offers a range of activities to support schools on their sustainability journey including teacher professional development workshops, student field trips, a resource library and a quarterly newsletter.
QMDC in partnership with Amaroo Environmental Education Centre is also the Queensland Environmentally Sustainable Schools Initiative (QESSI) Hub for the Darling Downs and South West Queensland. Through the hub we deliver the Earth Smart Science Program, which is an initiative of the Queensland Government that aims to assist schools to become more environmentally sustainable. Schools from across the region are involved in this initiative and work closely with QMDC to reduce their energy and water consumption, as well as looking at ways to manage waste and biodiversity in the school grounds.