Terrain NRM

Terrain NRM Soil | Water | Biodiversity Terrain NRM is a community based, not for profit organisation supporting natural resource management in the Wet Tropics region.

We promote the sustainable use of the region's natural assets including the ocean, rivers and waterways, soil, vegetation and animals. We provide planning direction, information, advice, expertise and practical support to community groups, organisations, individuals with an interest in NRM and the environment.

Good news for the Wet Tropics in the latest Reef Water Quality Report Card 2023-2025, released yesterday. (This covers t...
13/08/2026

Good news for the Wet Tropics in the latest Reef Water Quality Report Card 2023-2025, released yesterday. (This covers the whole Great Barrier Reef catchment, rather than the recently released region-specific Wet Tropics Waterways Report Card.)

It highlights that strong progress is being made to improve water quality including:

✅ 54% progress towards the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) target (the Wet Tropics recorded the highest reduction across the whole reef)
✅ 62% progress towards the fine sediment target
✅ 57% progress towards the particulate nitrogen target
✅ 77% progress towards the particulate phosphorus target

These results reflect the collective efforts of farmers, industry and communities to adopt sustainable practices.

The Report Card also highlights the need for more restoration of wetlands and riparian revegetation. Read the full Reef Water Quality Report Card 2023-2025, which includes a breakdown by catchment here: https://www.reefplan.qld.gov.au/tracking-progress/reef-report-card/2023-25

Coming up this weekend: 🌟 A free family event in Cairns at Tank 5, Cairns Botanic Gardens, on Saturday (15 August) from...
13/08/2026

Coming up this weekend:
🌟 A free family event in Cairns at Tank 5, Cairns Botanic Gardens, on Saturday (15 August) from 10am-2pm to launch National Science Week. Meet Olympians and enjoy hands-on conservation activities, see eco-tourism, innovative local businesses, First Nations bush foods initiatives and more: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/stem-in-the-tropics-queensland-launch-for-national-science-week/cairns/

🌟 A community tree-planting event at Deeral on Sunday (16 August) from 3pm-5pm. See Mulgrave Landcare and Catchment Group's page for details.

And add your event in comments if we've missed it...

National Science Week The University of Queensland

HOW HEALTHY IS THE HERBERT RIVER CATCHMENT- from the southern Tablelands to the Ingham region and the ocean?Our southern...
12/08/2026

HOW HEALTHY IS THE HERBERT RIVER CATCHMENT- from the southern Tablelands to the Ingham region and the ocean?

Our southernmost catchment kept a grading of ‘good’ in this year's Wet Tropics Waterways Report Card, despite major flood impacts.

During the reporting period - July 2024 to June 2025 - the Herbert had intense rainfall and flooding from a tropical low. This led to big flood plumes, carrying more sediment and nutrients into inshore coastal waters, which reduced salinity and affected the condition of corals.

Key results in this year's report include:
💧 Water quality remained ‘good’.
💧 Pesticide risk remained low and was graded ‘good’.
💧 Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) levels remained ‘moderate’ for the second consecutive year, following an improvement from ‘poor’ in 2023–24.
💧 Wetland extent remained ‘very poor’ with a further two hectares of wetland habitat lost since 2019.
💧 In the Hinchinbrook Channel, levels of chlorophyll-a — an indicator of algae in the water — continue to be ‘poor’. This is an emerging issue across several Wet Tropics catchments, and the cause is still being investigated.

While the Herbert catchment continues to show resilience, it is critical for the long-term health of its rivers and estuaries and the Great Barrier Reef that we all keep working to better protect and restore wetlands, improve water quality and reduce nutrient runoff.

To find out more about how waterway health has been changing in the Herbert catchment over the past 11 years, visit the Wet Tropic Waterways website at: https://wettropicswaterways.org.au/herbert-basin/

Terrain NRM is a member of Wet Tropic Waterways - a partnership of 20+ organisations across industry, research, government, the business sector and community conservation - that are focused on improving the health of our waterways and the quality of water flowing to the Great Barrier Reef.

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Queensland Environment Hinchinbrook Shire Council CANEGROWERS Herbert River Herbert Cane Productivity Services Ltd Ingham Herberton Business and Tourism Association Inc. Herberton Notice Board Ingham Community Matters Tablelands Regional Council Girringun Aboriginal Corporation

Who knew a spectacled flying-fox would fly 220km in 24 hours - from Trinity Beach near Cairns to the Rossville area near...
12/08/2026

Who knew a spectacled flying-fox would fly 220km in 24 hours - from Trinity Beach near Cairns to the Rossville area near Cooktown - and then turn around two days later and begin her journey home!

Thanks for chatting with us and raising awareness with another great flying-fox story Yahoo News Australia and Michael Dahlstrom:

https://au.news.yahoo.com/rare-animal-makes-remarkable-220km-journey-across-queensland-014535320.html

By tracking spectacled flying-foxes we are learning more about where they travel, feed and roost - to help us with conservation efforts for this threatened species.

As we've said before, we're learning that some flying-foxes are homebodies while others will travel great distances.

Our spectacled flying-fox project is funded by the Australian Government under Saving Native Species. We are working in partnership with the Spectacled Flying fox Recovery Team, Traditional Owners, councils, scientists and researchers, landholders and Tolga Bat Hospital

Main flying-fox image: Andrew Dennis

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Threatened Species Commissioner Wildlife Queensland Bats and Trees Society of Cairns Save Our Flying-foxes, Cairns QLD Bat News Connection

Another step forward for Cassowary Credits: The second Cassowary Credit project has been planted – all 4000 trees despit...
11/08/2026

Another step forward for Cassowary Credits: The second Cassowary Credit project has been planted – all 4000 trees despite lots of rain and boggy conditions! (Hard to imagine now the sun is shining.)

We are loving working with Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation on this project, which is restoring wildlife habitat and re-establishing culturally significant plant species at Wawu Dimbi. It’s Aboriginal freehold land - just north of the Daintree River and alongside Daintree National Park – that’s home to endangered lowland tropical rainforest and other vegetation of high conservation concern.

“This is Jabalbina’s first real foray into environmental markets. Partnerships and projects like this align closely with Eastern Kuku Yalanji social, cultural, environmental, and economic aspirations.”
- Josh Paterson, CEO, Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation

The Cassowary Credit Scheme is an environmental market scheme designed to measure and deliver biodiversity outcomes in the Wet Tropics region by restoring, protecting and improving rainforest habitat. To learn more and to register your interest, visit www.cassowarycredits.com.au

Daintree Coast Douglas Shire Council Port Douglas - Mossman Notice Board Douglas News

We are restoring a waterway in the Halifax area near Ingham to improve water quality, drainage outcomes and connectivity...
09/08/2026

We are restoring a waterway in the Halifax area near Ingham to improve water quality, drainage outcomes and connectivity for fish. Come along on Friday 21 August to hear what’ll be happening along about 400m of Halifax’s Rifle Range Drain that’s on state land at the edge of wetlands with important fish habitat.

The Herbert River Improvement Trust will be leading this de-silting and revegetation initiative as part of our Herbert Integrated Project, and in partnership with Hinchinbrook Shire Council, TropWATER, Tropical Agricultural Services, the Department of Primary Industries and Nywaigi and Warrgamay Traditional Owners.

The Herbert Integrated Project is a whole-of-catchment approach to delivering improved water quality, flood management, sediment control and farm productivity across the Herbert catchment. It’s funded through the Queensland Government’s Queensland Reef Water Quality Program.

Queensland Environment Ingham Community Matters Herbert Cane Productivity Services Ltd Ingham CANEGROWERS Herbert River

08/08/2026

Cheers to this... Beer and wine bottles we are taking to a 'Containers for Change' recycling depot are being used on Queensland cane farms, and other farms across Australia, to improve soil, crops and pastures.

Friday Photo: The view from the North Johnstone River Lookout. A Terrain staffer took a hike down into the rainforest fr...
06/08/2026

Friday Photo: The view from the North Johnstone River Lookout. A Terrain staffer took a hike down into the rainforest from Crawford's Lookout on the edge of the Palmerston Highway between Innisfail and Millaa Millaa. It's about 3km return, and a great way to break up a roadtrip.

Fun facts: Think volcanoes when you look at this view. The North Johnstone River carved out its route through layers of basalt - solidified larva that flowed from volcanic eruptions on the Atherton Tablelands a long long time ago.

Four great events coming up in the next week from Cairns to Atherton, Dimbulah and Mt Garnet... in the agricultural, con...
05/08/2026

Four great events coming up in the next week from Cairns to Atherton, Dimbulah and Mt Garnet... in the agricultural, conservation, landholder and market-lover spheres!

The Mt Garnet event is supported by our Herbert Integrated Project, funded through the Queensland Government’s Queensland Reef Water Quality Program and delivered in partnership with many stakeholders.

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Queensland Environment Land Queensland Cairns Botanic Gardens Friends of Botanic Gardens Cairns NQ Dry Tropics NRM Gulf Savannah NRM Soils for Life Farmacist Pty Ltd FNQ Growers Wet Tropics Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator Wet Tropics Soilcare Inc

💧Spotlight on the Mossman River Catchment: One of the key messages that came out of this year's Wet Tropics Waterways He...
04/08/2026

💧Spotlight on the Mossman River Catchment: One of the key messages that came out of this year's Wet Tropics Waterways Health Report Card was the significant improvements recorded in the Mossman catchment.

After Mossman's sugar mill closed, sugarcane production dropped by more than 50% in the 2024 harvest season, resulting in substantial reductions in fertiliser and pesticide use. Highlighting the close connection between land use and waterway health, pesticide risk levels in the Mossman catchment improved from ‘moderate’ to ‘very low’ in report card ratings. And dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) levels improved from ‘moderate’ to ‘good’.

Filterable reactive phosphorus (FRP) levels also improved from ‘moderate’ to ‘good’.

Find out more about the Mossman catchment's results at https://wettropicswaterways.org.au/wet-tropics-report-card/

Terrain NRM hosts Wet Tropics Waterways - a network of more than 50 stakeholders across industry, research, all levels of government, the business sector and community conservation groups. Members work together to improve the health of waterways and the quality of water flowing to the Great Barrier Reef.

Port Douglas - Mossman Notice Board Douglas Shire Council Cairns-Port Douglas Reef Hub Queensland Environment Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Address

2 Stitt Street, Innisfail (PO Box 1756, Innisfail)
Innisfail, QLD
4860

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+61740438000

Website

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