EMPOWERING A SUSTAINABLE WET TROPICS

terrain nrmTerrain NRM is a leading environmental stewardship  organisation dedicated to creating a thriving sustainable Wet Tropics region in Far North Queensland. As one of Australia’s trusted regional natural resource management organisations, we empower local communities to actively shape a sustainable future.

DEEP LOCAL ROOTS

We are a community-driven, independent not-for-profit organisation with a team of 40 experts stationed across 4 regional offices in Cairns, Innisfail, Atherton and Tully.

Our specialists bring a wealth of knowledge in sustainable agriculture, soil, water, biodiversity, planning, co-design, community engagement and Indigenous partnerships. With deep roots in our communities, we’re trusted partners to the people and organisations who shape the Wet Tropics.

OVER 20 YEARS OF IMPACT 

Since 2003 we have been working with hundreds of organisations and thousands of farmers and land managers to develop and implement a range of projects that range in scale from $30,000 to $30,000,000.

Our hands-on approach approach means we make an impact where it counts. Our projects make a tangible difference to the environment but also local livelihoods.

Together with local communities, Traditional Owners, industry partners, and government agencies, we co-design solutions that are tailored to our region’s needs and have lasting impact.

Join us in shaping a sustainable future.

Managing the environment is actually about managing people – and that’s what makes NRM organisations different. Understanding that people need to be at the centre of long-term solutions to our environmental challenges.

OUR SUCCESSES

TRACK RECORD

We have identified pressing environmental issues, co-designed solutions, secured funding and successfully delivered many large environmental programs and projects across the region.

INNOVATION

Terrain NRM is an award-winning innovator and thought-leader. In 2019 we were named in the AFR/Boss Magazine‘s Most Innovative Companies in Australia/NZ List. We have pushed boundaries with several cutting-edge projects.

INVESTMENT

We have secured more than $130 million for the region over the past 10 years to benefit the Wet Tropics environment and the Great Barrier Reef.

LEADERSHIP

We have the experience and intellectual capacity to combine scientific research and local knowledge in order to lead the development of effective solutions.

COLLABORATION

We have developed productive partnerships with hundreds of farmers and land managers, and over 50 organisations. Our commitment to collaboration has led to the establishment of strong productive alliances, many of which are ground-breaking for Australia.

EXCELLENCE

We are a consistent high achiever on the National NRM Region’s Organistional Performance Excellence Program and we have won several awards for planning, project design and innovation.

OUR NRM REGION

Terrain NRM was created in 2003 as part of Australia’s regional infrastructure for managing the country’s natural resources. We are one of 54 NRM bodies around the country that act as a conduit between governments, local groups and landholders.

The region that we have the privilege of caring for is the Wet Tropics in Far North Queensland. It spans 2.2 million hectares between the Daintree in the north, the Herbert River catchment in the south and the Atherton Tablelands in the west.

It is a complex environment and the only place in the world where two World Heritage Areas exist side-by-side – the world’s oldest living tropical rainforests and the Great Barrier Reef.

Despite accounting for less than 0.2 per cent of Australia’s landmass, the Wet Tropics is the most biologically diverse region in the country with:

  • 32% of Australia’s mammals
  • 40% of Australia’s bird species
  • 60% of Australia’s butterflies
  • More than 3300 species of plants, of which over 700 are not found anywhere else in the world
  • Over 600 coral species

Over 150 plants and animals in the Wet Tropics are listed as endangered and many of the region’s species and ecosystems are particularly sensitive to climate change.

However, the natural resources in the Wet Tropics – tropical rainforests, diverse mangroves, seagrass meadows and wetlands – also mean that the region has potential as a carbon sink.

CULTURAL LANDSCAPES

The Rainforest Aboriginal People are the Traditional Owners of the Wet Tropics. Rainforest Aboriginal People are culturally diverse, with over 20 different language groups, and each group has different priorities for caring for country.

For  more information about the cultural connections of the Wet Tropics, go to the Wet Tropics Plan for People & Country. 

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