Wild Rivers
What are Wild Rivers?
The intent of the Wild Rivers Act is to protect those rivers that still have their natural values intact. These values include hydrologic processes, geomorphic processes, riparian function, water quality and wildlife corridor functions. The legislation will curb new development, with existing development and use being preserved. The Act is wide-reaching placing controls on development in the categories of forestry, vegetation management, overland flows, agriculture, animal husbandry dams, weirs and off-stream storages.
As at June 2010, there are 10 Wild Rivers Declarations in Queensland, these include:
- Archer River
- Stewart River
- Lockhart River
- Fraser River
- Gregory River
- Hinchinbrook River
- Morning Inlet River
- Settlement River
- Staaten River
- Wenlock Basin
Proposed Wild Rivers declarations
The State Government has made election commitments to nominate further Wild Rivers and in 2010 intends to declare Coopers Creek during its Water Resource Plan Review phase. Other rivers the government intends to nominate include the Diamantina and Georgina Rivers in the Lake Eyre Basin, as well as the Ducie, Watson, Olive, Pascoe and Jacky Jacky Rivers in the Cape.
At the same time the Government has also announced that following the 2010 nominations, they also intend to nominate the Jardine, Holroyd, Coleman and Jeanie River basins for gazettal..
What is AgForce's position?
Visit the AgForce Policy section to see our position on Wild Rivers - if you are logged in as a member you can also see our submissions to the Queensland Government about specific Wild Rivers declarations.
Want to know more?
These links provide more information about the Wild Rivers process:
- Department of Environment and Resource Management - Wild Rivers
- Wild Rivers Act 2005
- How the Wild Rivers process works
- Wild Rivers guide for self-assessable stocks and dams
- Wild Rivers field guide for graziers
- Property development plan information sheet
- Development in a Wild Rivers area
- Nominated Waterways in a Wild Rivers area
- Wild Rivers Code
- Information for communities in a Wild Rivers area
- Wild Rivers overview
- Wild Rivers Stewart Basin
- Wild Rivers Staaten
- Wild Rivers Morning Inlet
- Wild Rivers Settlement
- Wild Rivers Lockhart Basin
- Wild Rivers Hinchinbrook
- Wild Rivers Gregory
- Wild Rivers Fraser
- Wild Rivers Archer Basin