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

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Local government areas

Cairns local government area

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Name: Cairns
Area type: Local government area
Total area: 169,322 ha
(excluding marine area)
% total Qld: 0.1%
Towns: Aloomba, Babinda, Bellenden Ker, Bramston Beach, Cairns, Charringa, Clifton Beach, Deeral, Edmonton, Gordonvale, Holloways Beach, Mirriwinni, Trinity Beach, White Rock, Yorkeys Knob

Area homepage: www.cairns.qld.gov.au

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
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
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
External links/description
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

Cairns local government area wetland area by system 2019
System Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 15,530 100.0% 9.2%
Total excluding riverine and artificial/highly modified riverine 13,381 86.2% 7.9%
Artificial and highly modified 2,112 13.6% 1.2%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 5,673 36.5% 3.4%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 165 1.1% 0.1%
Lacustrine (natural) 0 0.0% 0.0%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 4 0.0% 0.0%
Palustrine (natural) 5,416 34.9% 3.2%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 10 0.1% 0.0%
Riverine 2,149 13.8% 1.3%

View wetland system extents for all local government areas

Cairns local government area wetland area by habitat 2019
Habitat Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 11,232 100.0% 6.6%
Mangroves - Casuarina 0 0.0% 0.0%
Mangroves - other 5,538 49.3% 3.3%
Salt marsh and salt flats 267 2.4% 0.2%
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 0 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 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 507 4.5% 0.3%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 16 0.1% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 3,348 29.8% 2.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 383 3.4% 0.2%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 19 0.2% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 20 0.2% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 1,132 10.1% 0.7%
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 local government areas

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

Cairns local government area 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 15,530 15,524 15,520 15,507 15,476 15,524 25,467 * 52.7%
Artificial and highly modified 2,112 2,106 2,094 2,108 2,081 2,075 0 n/a
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 5,673 5,673 5,673 5,672 5,662 5,680 6,872 82.6%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 165 165 165 166 166 169 0 n/a
Lacustrine (natural) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 4 4 4 4 4 2 0 n/a
Palustrine (natural) 5,416 5,416 5,421 5,411 5,411 5,442 12,361 43.8%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 10 10 10 10 10 10 0 n/a
Riverine 2,149 2,150 2,152 2,136 2,141 2,146 6,233 34.5%

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

metadata View 2019 wetland system extents for all local government areas

metadata View 2017 wetland system extents for all local government areas

metadata View 2013 wetland system extents for all local government areas

metadata View 2009 wetland system extents for all local government areas

metadata View 2005 wetland system extents for all local government areas

metadata View 2001 wetland system extents for all local government areas

metadata View pre-clear wetland system extents for all local government areas

metadata View 2019/pre-clear wetland system extent percentages for all local government areas

Cairns local government area 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 11,232 11,232 11,236 11,226 11,216 11,269
Mangroves - Casuarina 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mangroves - other 5,538 5,538 5,539 5,538 5,528 5,548
Salt marsh and salt flats 267 267 267 267 267 269
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 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
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 507 507 508 508 508 510
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 16 16 16 16 16 16
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 3,348 3,348 3,351 3,340 3,342 3,368
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 383 383 383 382 381 381
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 19 19 19 19 19 19
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 20 20 20 20 20 20
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 1,132 1,133 1,134 1,135 1,135 1,137
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 local government areas

metadata View 2017 wetland habitat area for all local government areas

metadata View 2013 wetland habitat area for all local government areas

metadata View 2009 wetland habitat area for all local government areas

metadata View 2005 wetland habitat area for all local government areas

metadata View 2001 wetland habitat area for all local government areas

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

Cairns local government area land use
ALUMC code and description
Area (ha)
% total area
Total 169,174 99.9%
1.1 Nature conservation 80,959 47.8%
3.3 Cropping 26,003 15.4%
1.3 Other minimal use 21,926 12.9%
5.4 Residential and farm infrastructure 9,425 5.6%
1.2 Managed resource protection 8,329 4.9%
6.5 Marsh/wetland 7,647 4.5%
2.1 Grazing native vegetation 5,204 3.1%
5.5 Services 2,799 1.7%
6.3 River 2,174 1.3%
4.4 Irrigated perennial horticulture 1,301 0.8%
3.2 Grazing modified pastures 785 0.5%
5.7 Transport and communication 644 0.4%
3.6 Land in transition 408 0.2%
5.3 Manufacturing and industrial 359 0.2%
6.2 Reservoir/dam 355 0.2%
5.8 Mining 217 0.1%
5.2 Intensive animal production 183 0.1%
3.1 Plantation forests 124 0.1%
5.9 Waste treatment and disposal 78 0.0%
5.1 Intensive horticulture 71 0.0%
6.1 Lake 58 0.0%
4.5 Irrigated seasonal horticulture 58 0.0%
5.6 Utilities 42 0.0%
3.4 Perennial horticulture 9 0.0%
3.5 Seasonal horticulture 6 0.0%
2.2 Production native forests 5 0.0%
4.3 Irrigated cropping 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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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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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

none

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Marine meso-scale bioregions metadata

  • map Central Reef (CR)
  • map Ribbons (RBN)
  • map Wet Tropic Coast (WTC)

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Marine provincial bioregions metadata

  • map Northeast Shelf Province
  • map Northeast 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

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

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Report cards metadata

none

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Conservation parks info metadata

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State forests info metadata

  • map Kuranda State Forest

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Forest reserves info metadata

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Resources reserves info metadata

none

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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

none

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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

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Wetland soil indicator case studies info metadata

none

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Wetland management case studies info metadata

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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

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Shorebird zones info metadata

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Biopassage structures info metadata

Name Construction year Structure types Stream name
map Moody Creek 2010 Culvert Moody Creek

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Wildlife

Kingdom
Class
 Native Introduced Wetland
indicator
species		 Rare or
threatened
species		 All
TOTAL 4,113 480 419 218 4,593
Animals 835 33 227 71 868
Mammals 97 10 8 19 107
Birds 418 9 93 32 427
Reptiles 118 2 20 5 120
Amphibians 50 1 15 9 51
Ray-finned fishes 59 6 64 5 65
Cartilaginous fishes 15 0 15 0 15
Insects 75 5 12 1 80
Malacostracans 1 0 0 0 1
Arachnids 2 0 0 0 2
Bacteria 2 0 0 0 2
Chromists 6 0 0 0 6
Fungi 452 1 0 0 453
Plants 2,817 446 192 147 3,263
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-lga

This page should be cited as:

Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland (2013) Cairns local government area — facts and maps, WetlandInfo website, accessed 16 April 2025. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/facts-maps/lga-cairns/

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