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Queensland Government
WetlandInfo   —   Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation

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Biogeographic subregions

Great Sandy biogeographic subregion

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Name: Great Sandy
Area type: Biogeographic subregion
Total area: 362,412 ha
% total Qld: 0.2%
Towns: Boreen, Eurong, Happy Valley, Rainbow Beach, Teewah, Tewantin, Tin Can Bay, Tinnanbar
Page table of contents
Catchment stories
Wetland observations
Wetland extents
Wetland extent changes
Australian Land Use and Management Classification (ALUMC)
Drainage divisions
Drainage basins
Drainage sub-basins
Regional natural resource management (NRM) bodies
Local government areas
100K map tiles
Climate zones
Bioregions
IBRA bioregions
IBRA subregions
Bioregional assessment areas
Marine meso-scale bioregions
Marine provincial bioregions
Regional plans
World Heritage areas
Ramsar internationally important wetlands
DIWA nationally important wetlands
National parks
Marine parks (Queensland)
Study areas
Report cards
Conservation parks
State forests
Forest reserves
Resources reserves
Timber reserves
Fish habitat areas
Coastal management district
Nature refuges
Freshwater biogeographic provinces
Aquatic Conservation Assessments (AquaBAMM) and others
Wetland (aquatic ecosystem) type—conceptual models
Wetland (aquatic ecosystem) type—management profiles
Groundwater dependent ecosystem type—conceptual models
Healthy Land and Water conceptual models
Water resource planning areas
Aquatic ecosystem monitoring programs
Point source monitoring
Wetland soil indicator case studies
Wetland management case studies
Wetland projects
Area specific conceptual model case studies
Paddock to Reef (P2R) report cards
Water Quality Improvement Plan catchments
EPP (Water) scheduled environmental values and water quality objectives
Shorebird zones
Biopassage structures
Related legislation/policies
Wildlife

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Catchment stories info

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Wetland observations

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Wetland extents info metadata

Based on wetland mapping version 6.0

Display areas in

Great Sandy biogeographic subregion wetland area by system 2019
System Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 54,236 100.0% 15.0%
Total excluding riverine and artificial/highly modified riverine 52,968 97.7% 14.6%
Artificial and highly modified 90 0.2% 0.0%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 10,641 19.6% 2.9%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 0 0.0% 0.0%
Lacustrine (natural) 3,069 5.7% 0.8%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 15 0.0% 0.0%
Palustrine (natural) 39,141 72.2% 10.8%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 12 0.0% 0.0%
Riverine 1,269 2.3% 0.4%

View wetland system extents for all biogeographic subregions

Great Sandy biogeographic subregion wetland area by habitat 2019
Habitat Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 52,861 100.0% 14.6%
Mangroves - Casuarina 314 0.6% 0.1%
Mangroves - other 7,820 14.8% 2.2%
Salt marsh and salt flats 2,505 4.7% 0.7%
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain clay plan lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (window) lake 2,310 4.4% 0.6%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 760 1.4% 0.2%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid Great Artesian Basin fed spring swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 9,943 18.8% 2.7%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 6,741 12.8% 1.9%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 9,114 17.2% 2.5%
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 7,538 14.3% 2.1%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 46 0.1% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 5,771 10.9% 1.6%
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 0 0.0% 0.0%
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 0 0.0% 0.0%

View wetland habitat area for all biogeographic subregions

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

All statistics are approximate and generated based on data transformed to a customised Albers equal-area projection, thus allowing wetland extent change for different regions of Queensland to be comparable.

Areas may change over time as mapping approaches improve.

Totals may not match the sum of individually displayed figures due to the rounding of displayed figures.

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Wetland extent changes

Great Sandy biogeographic subregion wetland extent change by system
System 2019 area
(ha)		 2017 area
(ha)		 2013 area
(ha)		 2009 area
(ha)		 2005 area
(ha)		 2001 area
(ha)		 pre-clear area
(ha)		 2019/pre-clear
percentage
Total 54,236 54,249 54,251 54,258 54,276 54,333 * n/a * n/a
Artificial and highly modified 90 90 90 86 84 80 0 n/a
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 10,641 10,641 10,641 10,641 10,643 10,644 10,651 99.9%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a
Lacustrine (natural) 3,069 3,069 3,069 3,069 3,069 3,069 3,070 100.0%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 15 15 15 15 9 9 0 n/a
Palustrine (natural) 39,141 39,151 39,152 39,162 39,183 39,228 43,156 90.7%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 12 12 12 12 12 12 0 n/a
Riverine 1,269 1,272 1,272 1,273 1,276 1,291 * n/a n/a

* Pre-clear riverine wetland statistics are not available in this area. A comprehensive evaluation is currently underway of the effect of identified limitations on the statistical analysis process used to monitor wetland extent change. During this time, selected riverine wetland statistics will be temporarily unavailable as they may be disproportionately impacted. It is expected that this evaluation will be completed in late 2024.

metadata View 2019 wetland system extents for all biogeographic subregions

metadata View 2017 wetland system extents for all biogeographic subregions

metadata View 2013 wetland system extents for all biogeographic subregions

metadata View 2009 wetland system extents for all biogeographic subregions

metadata View 2005 wetland system extents for all biogeographic subregions

metadata View 2001 wetland system extents for all biogeographic subregions

metadata View pre-clear wetland system extents for all biogeographic subregions

metadata View 2019/pre-clear wetland system extent percentages for all biogeographic subregions

Great Sandy biogeographic subregion wetland extent change by habitat
Habitat 2019 area
(ha)		 2017 area
(ha)		 2013 area
(ha)		 2009 area
(ha)		 2005 area
(ha)		 2001 area
(ha)
Total 52,861 52,870 52,872 52,882 52,905 52,951
Mangroves - Casuarina 314 314 314 314 314 315
Mangroves - other 7,820 7,820 7,820 7,820 7,822 7,822
Salt marsh and salt flats 2,505 2,505 2,505 2,505 2,505 2,505
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain clay plan lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (window) lake 2,310 2,310 2,310 2,310 2,310 2,310
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 760 760 760 760 760 760
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid Great Artesian Basin fed spring swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 9,943 9,944 9,944 9,944 9,951 9,966
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 6,741 6,741 6,741 6,742 6,742 6,742
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 9,114 9,114 9,114 9,114 9,114 9,114
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 7,538 7,539 7,540 7,541 7,544 7,556
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 46 46 46 46 46 46
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 5,771 5,779 5,780 5,788 5,798 5,815
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 0 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 0 0 0 0 0 0

metadata View 2019 wetland habitat area for all biogeographic subregions

metadata View 2017 wetland habitat area for all biogeographic subregions

metadata View 2013 wetland habitat area for all biogeographic subregions

metadata View 2009 wetland habitat area for all biogeographic subregions

metadata View 2005 wetland habitat area for all biogeographic subregions

metadata View 2001 wetland habitat area for all biogeographic subregions

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

All statistics are approximate and generated based on data transformed to a customised Albers equal-area projection, thus allowing wetland extent change for different regions of Queensland to be comparable.

Areas may change over time as mapping approaches improve.

Totals may not match the sum of individually displayed figures due to the rounding of displayed figures.

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Australian Land Use and Management Classification (ALUMC) metadata

Great Sandy biogeographic subregion land use
ALUMC code and description
Area (ha)
% total area
Total 356,765 98.4%
1.1 Nature conservation 223,989 61.8%
3.1 Plantation forests 51,131 14.1%
1.3 Other minimal use 28,279 7.8%
2.2 Production native forests 15,919 4.4%
6.5 Marsh/wetland 10,363 2.9%
2.1 Grazing native vegetation 8,001 2.2%
5.4 Residential and farm infrastructure 4,998 1.4%
6.6 Estuary/coastal waters 4,785 1.3%
6.1 Lake 3,484 1.0%
1.2 Managed resource protection 1,556 0.4%
6.3 River 1,350 0.4%
5.5 Services 607 0.2%
4.2 Grazing irrigated modified pastures 565 0.2%
4.4 Irrigated perennial horticulture 432 0.1%
5.7 Transport and communication 296 0.1%
4.3 Irrigated cropping 265 0.1%
3.2 Grazing modified pastures 225 0.1%
6.2 Reservoir/dam 111 0.0%
5.3 Manufacturing and industrial 82 0.0%
5.8 Mining 67 0.0%
5.2 Intensive animal production 64 0.0%
4.5 Irrigated seasonal horticulture 52 0.0%
5.9 Waste treatment and disposal 51 0.0%
3.3 Cropping 29 0.0%
3.6 Land in transition 27 0.0%
5.1 Intensive horticulture 16 0.0%
3.4 Perennial horticulture 10 0.0%
6.4 Channel/aqueduct 8 0.0%
5.6 Utilities 3 0.0%

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Drainage divisions info metadata

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Drainage basins info metadata

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Drainage sub-basins info metadata

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Regional natural resource management (NRM) bodies info metadata

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Local government areas info metadata

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100K map tiles info metadata

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Climate zones info metadata

  • map Subtropical
  • map Tropical

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Bioregions info metadata

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IBRA bioregions info metadata

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IBRA subregions info metadata

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Bioregional assessment areas info metadata

none

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Marine meso-scale bioregions metadata

  • map Tweed-Moreton (TM)

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Marine provincial bioregions metadata

  • map Central Eastern Shelf Transition

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Regional plans info metadata

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World Heritage areas info metadata

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Ramsar internationally important wetlands info metadata

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DIWA nationally important wetlands info metadata

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National parks info metadata

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Marine parks (Queensland) info metadata

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Study areas metadata

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Report cards metadata

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Conservation parks info metadata

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State forests info metadata

  • map Bauple State Forest
  • map Fraser Island State Forest
  • map Neerdie State Forest 1
  • map Neerdie State Forest 2
  • map Ringtail State Forest
  • map Toolara State Forest
  • map Tuan State Forest

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Forest reserves info metadata

none

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Resources reserves info metadata

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Timber reserves info metadata

none

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Fish habitat areas info metadata

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Coastal management district info metadata

  • map Available (all have been combined since February 2012)

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Nature refuges info metadata

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Freshwater biogeographic provinces info metadata

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Aquatic Conservation Assessments (AquaBAMM) and others info metadata

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Wetland (aquatic ecosystem) type—conceptual models info metadata

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Wetland (aquatic ecosystem) type—management profiles info metadata

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Groundwater dependent ecosystem type—conceptual models info metadata

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Healthy Land and Water conceptual models info metadata

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    Water resource planning areas info metadata

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    Aquatic ecosystem monitoring programs info metadata

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    Point source monitoring info metadata

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    Wetland soil indicator case studies info metadata

    none

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    Wetland management case studies info metadata

    none

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    Wetland projects info metadata

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    Area specific conceptual model case studies info metadata

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    Paddock to Reef (P2R) report cards info metadata

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    Water Quality Improvement Plan catchments info metadata

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    EPP (Water) scheduled environmental values and water quality objectives info metadata

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    Shorebird zones info metadata

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    Biopassage structures info metadata

    none

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    Wildlife

    Kingdom
    Class
    		 Native Introduced Wetland
    indicator
    species    		 Rare or
    threatened
    species    		 All
    TOTAL 3,535 379 435 157 3,914
    Animals 871 34 220 92 905
    Mammals 99 13 8 12 112
    Birds 437 11 92 48 448
    Reptiles 113 1 21 13 114
    Amphibians 37 1 16 7 38
    Lobe-finned fishes 1 0 1 1 1
    Ray-finned fishes 52 5 56 4 57
    Cartilaginous fishes 9 0 9 3 9
    Lampreys 1 0 1 0 1
    Insects 114 3 16 2 117
    Malacostracans 8 0 0 2 8
    Bacteria 33 0 0 0 33
    Chromists 36 0 0 0 36
    Fungi 491 0 0 0 491
    Plants 2,104 345 215 65 2,449

    Note: Wildlife statistics are based on information that has been submitted to the DETSI WildNet database and converted to a 10km² grid. The grid information has been intersected with the mapping polygons to determine the species lists. Click here to view the species grid metadata.

    Information from WildNet can also be accessed via Wildlife Online and WetlandMaps.

    Rare or threatened includes species listed as extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or conservation dependent under either the Nature Conservation Act or Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act

    Disclaimer: While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this product, the Queensland Government and Australian Government make no representations or warranties about its accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose and disclaim all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages (including indirect or consequential damage) and costs which might be incurred as a consequence of reliance on the product, or as a result of the product being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason.

    AreaType-biogeographic-subregion

    This page should be cited as:

    Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland (2013) Great Sandy biogeographic subregion — facts and maps, WetlandInfo website, accessed 14 March 2025. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/facts-maps/biogeographic-subregion-great-sandy/