Managing biodiversity in our cotton 'landscapes'

Liverpool Plains local government area

Area of cotton landscape:
299,000 ha

Area of cotton properties:
92,400 ha

Area of remnant vegetation in the cotton landscape:
73,500 ha (25%)

Area of remnant vegetation on cotton properties:
12,500 ha (14%)

Area of threatened ecological communities in the cotton landscape:
46,800 ha (64%)

Area of threatened ecological communities on cotton properties:
9,250 ha (74%)

Area of priority zones for native vegetation restoration and enhancement:
3,880 ha

Area of priority zones for vegetation:
25,180 ha


Main vegetation types on cotton properties:

White Box woodlands, Narrow-leaved Ironbark woodlands, Bloodwood woodlands, Blakely’s Red Gum woodlands, Yellow Box woodlands, Fuzzy Box woodlands, River Oak riparian forests, Stringybark open forests, Native grasslands.

Main threatened ecological communities on cotton properties:

Natural grasslands on basalt and fine-textured alluvial plains of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland (CE).
White Box-Yellow Box-Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland and derived native grassland (CE).


Named wetlands in the cotton landscape:

 Lake Goran, Nicholas Ridge Lagoon, Nicholsons Lagoon, Warrah Creek.

Area of wetlands in the cotton landscape:
2,260 ha (1%)

Area of wetlands in the cotton properties:
1,230 ha (1%)

Length of major rivers in the cotton landscape:
150 km

Length of major rivers on cotton properties:
43 km

Length of minor water courses in the cotton landscape:
1,474 km

Length of minor streams on cotton properties:
377 km

Main rivers in the cotton landscape:

Mooki River, Bundella Creek, Lever Gully, Moreduval Hut Gully, Phillips Creek, Quirindi Creek.


Area of national park in the cotton landscape:
1,679 ha

Area of state forests in the cotton landscape:
1,326 ha

Area of travelling stock routes in the cotton landscape:
2,425 ha

Examples of public land reserves in the cotton landscape:

Trinkey State Conservation Area, Pine Ridge State Forest, Spring Ridge State Forest.


Examples of iconic species in the cotton landscape:

Animals: Common Brushtail Possum, Spotted-tailed Quoll, Koala, Short-beaked Echidna, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Grey-crowned Babbler, Southern Boobook, Tawny Frogmouth, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Willie Wagtail, Lace Monitor, Sand Goanna.

Plants: River Red Gum.

Examples of threatened species in the cotton landscape:

Animals: Koala (V), Squirrel Glider (N), Spotted-tailed Quoll (E), Eastern Bentwing-bat (N), Eastern Cave Bat (N), Australian Brush-turkey population (N), Grey-crowned Babbler (N), Hooded Robin (N), Powerful Owl (N,Q), Regent Honeyeater (CE), Square-tailed Kite (N), Turquoise Parrot (N), Pink-tailed Legless Lizard (V), Booroolong Frog (E), Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon (N).

Plants: Bluegrass (V), Finger Panic Grass (N).

View Liverpool Plains management actions