The Natural Resource Management (NRM) Regions dataset is maintained for the purpose of reporting on the Australian Government's NRM investments. The dataset is designed to cover all Australian territory where Australian Government funded NRM projects might take place and includes major islands, external territories, and state and coastal waters in addition to the NRM regional boundaries. This 2012 version updates and formalises the 2010 dataset (which was an interim update of the NRM Regions 2009 dataset, released Feb 2009). The original base layer version of this dataset was released in 2006 as the Natural Heritage Trust II (NHT2) Region Boundaries dataset.
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.
Since 2006, NRM regions have been important in the delivery of Australian Government funding initiatives including Caring for our Country, the Natural Heritage Trust, the National Landcare Program, the Environmental Stewardship Program and the Working on Country Indigenous land and sea ranger program.
In total, this dataset represents 62 regions as set out below. They comprise 55 mainland regions administered by 54 NRM regional bodies (one region in QLD is jointly administered by two adjacent regional bodies) and seven islands (five administered by the Australian Government as external territories, and two administered by nearby mainland NRM regional bodies).
Queensland
Border Rivers Maranoa-Balonne
Burdekin
Burnett Mary
Cape York
Condamine
Desert Channels
Fitzroy
Mackay Whitsunday
Northern Gulf
South East Queensland
South West Queensland
Southern Gulf
Torres Strait
Wet Tropics
Cooperative Management Area (administered jointly by Cape York and Northern Gulf)
NSW
Border Rivers-Gwydir
Central West
Hawkesbury-Nepean
Hunter-Central Rivers
Lachlan
Murray
Murrumbidgee
Namoi
Northern Rivers
Southern Rivers
Western
Lord Howe Island (administered by Northern Rivers CMA)
ACT
Victoria
TAS
North
North West
South
Macquarie Islands (administered by NRM South)
South Australia
WA
Northern Territory
7. Northern Territory
External Territories (administered by the Australian Government)