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

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Freshwater biogeographic provinces

Western Cape and Gulf freshwater biogeographic province

Access wetland mapping in PDF and KML format by selecting the desired 100K map tile below or download the data via the Queensland Government Information Service.

The below map is for visual representation purposes only. For more detailed mapping, please download the boundary KML.

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Name: Western Cape and Gulf
Area type: Freshwater biogeographic province
Total area: 47,372,155 ha
% total Qld: 27.4%
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
Biogeographic subregions
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
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

Western Cape and Gulf freshwater biogeographic province wetland area by system 2019
System Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 2,183,490 100.0% 4.6%
Total excluding riverine and artificial/highly modified riverine 1,259,330 57.7% 2.7%
Artificial and highly modified 19,126 0.9% 0.0%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 655,617 30.0% 1.4%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 0 0.0% 0.0%
Lacustrine (natural) 4,584 0.2% 0.0%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 8,429 0.4% 0.0%
Palustrine (natural) 568,967 26.1% 1.2%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 2,610 0.1% 0.0%
Riverine 924,157 42.3% 2.0%

View wetland system extents for all freshwater biogeographic provinces

Western Cape and Gulf freshwater biogeographic province wetland area by habitat 2019
Habitat Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 1,221,806 100.0% 2.6%
Mangroves - Casuarina 0 0.0% 0.0%
Mangroves - other 181,144 14.8% 0.4%
Salt marsh and salt flats 472,893 38.7% 1.0%
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 714 0.1% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain lake 38 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain clay plan lake 179 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 1,234 0.1% 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 12 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 1,007 0.1% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 38,478 3.1% 0.1%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 1,362 0.1% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 14,392 1.2% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 102,511 8.4% 0.2%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 4,175 0.3% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 9,869 0.8% 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 204,893 16.8% 0.4%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 261 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 83,888 6.9% 0.2%
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 20,794 1.7% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 83,209 6.8% 0.2%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 175 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 10 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 14 0.0% 0.0%
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 391 0.0% 0.0%
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 160 0.0% 0.0%

View wetland habitat area for all freshwater biogeographic provinces

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

Western Cape and Gulf freshwater biogeographic province 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 2,183,490 2,183,187 2,186,728 2,186,028 2,184,682 2,183,476 2,166,499 * 99.9%
Artificial and highly modified 19,126 18,718 17,894 17,200 15,804 14,415 0 n/a
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 655,617 655,621 655,624 655,624 655,623 655,623 656,358 99.9%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a
Lacustrine (natural) 4,584 4,584 4,584 4,584 4,584 4,584 4,965 92.3%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 8,429 8,427 8,429 8,415 8,468 8,465 0 n/a
Palustrine (natural) 568,967 568,974 569,246 569,327 569,369 569,503 573,138 99.3%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 2,610 2,609 2,588 2,577 2,565 2,552 0 n/a
Riverine 924,157 924,255 928,364 928,300 928,269 928,333 932,038 99.2%

* Total 2019/pre-clear percentage excludes artificial and highly modified

metadata View 2019 wetland system extents for all freshwater biogeographic provinces

metadata View 2017 wetland system extents for all freshwater biogeographic provinces

metadata View 2013 wetland system extents for all freshwater biogeographic provinces

metadata View 2009 wetland system extents for all freshwater biogeographic provinces

metadata View 2005 wetland system extents for all freshwater biogeographic provinces

metadata View 2001 wetland system extents for all freshwater biogeographic provinces

metadata View pre-clear wetland system extents for all freshwater biogeographic provinces

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

Western Cape and Gulf freshwater biogeographic province 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 1,221,806 1,220,581 1,220,835 1,220,906 1,220,935 1,221,067
Mangroves - Casuarina 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mangroves - other 181,144 181,144 181,144 181,141 181,140 181,140
Salt marsh and salt flats 472,893 472,898 472,900 472,904 472,904 472,904
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 714 714 714 714 714 714
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain lake 38 38 38 38 38 38
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain clay plan lake 179 179 179 179 179 179
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 1,234 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 12 12 12 12 12 12
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 1,007 1,007 1,007 1,007 1,007 1,007
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 38,478 38,478 38,478 38,481 38,484 38,484
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 1,362 1,362 1,362 1,362 1,362 1,362
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 14,392 14,393 14,393 14,393 14,393 14,431
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 102,511 102,517 102,520 102,524 102,530 102,598
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 4,175 4,175 4,175 4,175 4,175 4,175
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 9,869 9,869 9,869 9,869 9,869 9,883
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 204,893 204,893 204,893 204,948 204,960 204,961
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 261 261 261 261 261 261
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 83,888 83,888 83,891 83,892 83,896 83,900
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 20,794 20,795 20,977 20,987 20,988 20,996
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 83,209 83,208 83,272 83,270 83,270 83,270
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 175 175 175 175 175 175
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 10 10 10 10 10 10
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 14 14 14 14 14 14
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 391 391 391 391 391 391
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 160 160 160 160 161 161

metadata View 2019 wetland habitat area for all freshwater biogeographic provinces

metadata View 2017 wetland habitat area for all freshwater biogeographic provinces

metadata View 2013 wetland habitat area for all freshwater biogeographic provinces

metadata View 2009 wetland habitat area for all freshwater biogeographic provinces

metadata View 2005 wetland habitat area for all freshwater biogeographic provinces

metadata View 2001 wetland habitat area for all freshwater biogeographic provinces

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

Western Cape and Gulf freshwater biogeographic province land use
ALUMC code and description
Area (ha)
% total area
Total 47,350,503 100.0%
2.1 Grazing native vegetation 37,165,681 78.5%
1.2 Managed resource protection 4,356,517 9.2%
1.1 Nature conservation 3,195,288 6.7%
6.5 Marsh/wetland 1,990,844 4.2%
1.3 Other minimal use 181,098 0.4%
6.1 Lake 181,033 0.4%
6.3 River 147,266 0.3%
5.8 Mining 30,774 0.1%
4.3 Irrigated cropping 20,487 0.0%
6.2 Reservoir/dam 17,062 0.0%
5.4 Residential and farm infrastructure 12,385 0.0%
3.3 Cropping 9,830 0.0%
6.6 Estuary/coastal waters 9,156 0.0%
2.2 Production native forests 7,763 0.0%
5.7 Transport and communication 6,681 0.0%
4.4 Irrigated perennial horticulture 6,377 0.0%
3.6 Land in transition 4,709 0.0%
5.5 Services 4,297 0.0%
5.3 Manufacturing and industrial 813 0.0%
5.2 Intensive animal production 749 0.0%
4.2 Grazing irrigated modified pastures 595 0.0%
4.5 Irrigated seasonal horticulture 462 0.0%
5.9 Waste treatment and disposal 283 0.0%
3.1 Plantation forests 214 0.0%
5.6 Utilities 84 0.0%
5.1 Intensive horticulture 17 0.0%
3.2 Grazing modified pastures 16 0.0%
6.4 Channel/aqueduct 12 0.0%
4.1 Irrigated plantation forests 7 0.0%
3.4 Perennial horticulture 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 Desert
  • map Equatorial
  • map Grassland
  • map Subtropical
  • map Tropical

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Bioregions info metadata

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Biogeographic subregions 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

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Marine meso-scale bioregions metadata

  • map East Cape York (ECY)
  • map Karumba-Nassau (KAN)
  • map Wellesley (WLY)
  • map West Cape York (WCY)

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Marine provincial bioregions metadata

  • map Northeast Shelf Transition
  • map Northern Shelf Province

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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

none

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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

none

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Report cards metadata

none

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Conservation parks info metadata

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State forests info metadata

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Forest reserves info metadata

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Resources reserves info metadata

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Timber reserves info metadata

  • map Royton Timber Reserve

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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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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

none

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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

none

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Wetland soil indicator case studies info metadata

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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

none

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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

none

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Shorebird zones info metadata

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Biopassage structures info metadata

Name Construction year Structure types Stream name
map Arraw Dam 2019 Rock Ramp Norman Creek
map Augustus Downs 2012 Culvert Leichhardt River
map Bynoe River 2010 Cone Bynoe River
map Charlston Dam 2019 Bypass Finnegan Creek
map Cloncurry Weir 2015 Rock Ramp Cloncurry River
map Doomadgee Road 2009 Rock Ramp Gregory River
map Escott 2009 Cone Nicholson River
map Gin Arm 2009 Rock Ramp Gin Arm Creek
map Glenore Weir 2016 Cone Norman River
map Little Bynoe 2014 Cone Little Bynoe River
map Magowra Creek 2011 Culvert Magowra Creek
map Pear Tree Creek 2011 Culvert Pear Tree Creek
map Wernadinga Road 2009 Cone Flinders River

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Wildlife

Kingdom
Class
 Native Introduced Wetland
indicator
species		 Rare or
threatened
species		 All
TOTAL 8,002 574 729 402 8,576
Animals 1,402 34 310 118 1,436
Mammals 171 18 7 28 189
Birds 534 10 97 44 544
Reptiles 358 1 35 26 359
Amphibians 88 1 28 16 89
Ray-finned fishes 91 3 93 0 94
Cartilaginous fishes 5 0 5 2 5
Insects 148 1 45 1 149
Malacostracans 6 0 0 1 6
Arachnids 1 0 0 0 1
Bacteria 12 0 0 0 12
Chromists 1 0 0 0 1
Fungi 693 1 0 0 694
Plants 5,893 539 419 284 6,432
Protozoans 1 0 0 0 1

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-fbp

This page should be cited as:

Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland (2013) Western Cape and Gulf freshwater biogeographic province — facts and maps, WetlandInfo website, accessed 14 April 2025. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/facts-maps/fbp-western-cape-and-gulf/

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