Managing biodiversity in our cotton 'landscapes'

Western Downs local government area

Area of cotton landscape:
1,028,200 ha

Area of cotton properties:
273,200 ha

Area of remnant vegetation in the cotton landscape:
128,500 ha (12%)

Area of remnant vegetation on cotton properties:
15,600 ha (6%)

Area of threatened ecological communities in the cotton landscape:
26,200 ha (20%)

Area of threatened ecological communities on cotton properties:
4,430 ha (28%)

Area of priority zones for native vegetation restoration and enhancement:
6,260 ha

Area of priority zones for vegetation:
20,610 ha


Main vegetation types on cotton properties:

Forest Red Gum woodlands, Brigalow woodlands, Poplar Box woodlands, Dirty Gum/Dwyer’s Red Gum low woodlands, Smooth-barked Apple woodlands, Gum-topped Ironbark woodlands.

Main threatened ecological communities on cotton properties:

Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla dominant and co-dominant) (E).
Natural grasslands of the Queensland Central Highlands and northern Fitzroy Basin (E).


Named wetlands in the cotton landscape:

Chinchilla Weir, Dogwood Creek, Duffys Lagoon, Lake Broadwater.

Area of wetlands in the cotton landscape:
63,600 ha (6%)

Area of wetlands in the cotton properties:
15,200 ha (6%)

Length of major rivers in the cotton landscape:
925 km

Length of major rivers on cotton properties:
346 km

Length of minor water courses in the cotton landscape:
2,508 km

Length of minor streams on cotton properties:
496 km

Main rivers in the cotton landscape:

Condamine River, Moonie River, Weir River, Charleys Creek, Cobblegun Creek, Cooranga Creek, Downfall Creek, Dulacca Creek, Jimbour Creek, Myall Creek, Nelgai Creek, Tchanning Creek, Undulla Creek, Wambo Creek, Wilkie Creek.


Area of national park in the cotton landscape:
4,873 ha

Area of state forests in the cotton landscape:
15,253 ha

Area of travelling stock routes in the cotton landscape:
12,529 ha

Examples of public land reserves in the cotton landscape:

Lake Broadwater Conservation Park, Southwood National Park, Booroondoo State Forest, Braemar State Forest, Currajong State Forest, Dalby State Forest, Kumbarilla State Forest, Nudley State Forest, Vickery State Forest, Yuleba State Forest.


Examples of iconic species in the cotton landscape:

Animals: Koala, Northern Quoll, Australian Pelican, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Laughing Kookaburra, Magpie Goose, Peregrine Falcon, Southern Boobook, Willie Wagtail, Eastern Blue-tongue Lizard, Silver Perch, Yellow-belly.

Plants: Brigalow, Carbeen, Leopardwood, Ooline, River Red Gum.

Examples of threatened species in the cotton landscape:

Animals: Koala (V), Greater Glider (V), Grey-headed Flying-fox (V), Northern Quoll (E), Australian Painted Snipe (E), Common Greenshank (M), Double-banded Plover (M), Glossy Ibis (M), Grey-crowned Babbler (N), Oriental Cuckoo (M), Oriental Plover (M), Plains Wanderer (CE), Powerful Owl (N,Q), Red Goshawk (V), Rufous Fantail (M), Common Death Adder (Q), Dunmall's Snake (V), Grey Snake (Q), Adorned Delma (V), Condamine Earless Dragon (E), Five-clawed Worm-skink (V), Yakka Skink (V), Silver Perch (CE)/

Plants: Austral Cornflower (V), Curly-bark Wattle (V), Hando's Wattle (V), Kogan Waxflower (V), Queensland Western White Gum (V), Small-leaved Denhamia (V), Cymbonotus maidenii (Q), Fimbristylis vagans (Q).

View Western Downs management actions