OUR REGION

Covering approximately 56,000km² of land and 11,000km² of sea, the Burnett Mary Region is internationally renowned for its ecological diversity, extensive primary production and rich cultural heritage.

The regional also supports Queensland’s largest regional population (approximately 300,000 people)- outside of the South East Corner.

The region includes:

• World Heritage listed K’gari [Fraser Island] – K’gari is the largest sand island in the world, It features complex dune systems that are still enduring and have an array of rare and unique features, including dune lakes and tall rainforests. The Island was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1992 in recognition of its outstanding natural universal values. It is characterised by long uninterrupted white beaches flanked by strikingly coloured sand cliffs, majestic tall rainforests and numerous freshwater lakes of crystal-clear water.
• Ramsar listed Great Sandy Strait – This internationally renowned site is a double ended sand passage estuary receiving tidal flows from Hervey Bay in the North and Wide Bay in the South. Situated partially within and between the Fraser Island World Heritage area and the mainland coast, it covers 93, 160 ha. Fresh water is delivered from a 1.25million ha catchment via the Mary and Susan Rivers, creeks, coastal streams and Cooloola Sand Mass to the comparatively small Great Sandy Strait Ramsar site.

The Burnett Mary region provides habitat for more than half of Australia’s bird species and more than 7,500 of its flora and fauna species are rare, threatened or endangered. Abutting the Southern boundary of the Great Barrier Reef, the region’s marine environment has more marine fish diversity than the reef itself.