Townsville Local Marine Advisory Committee (Townsville LMAC)

The manufacturing and public administration sectors provide the strongest contributions to the economy. Major industries include raw sugar production, beef processing, grazing, and mineral refining. Refineries include Sun Metals zinc refinery, a copper refinery and the QNI Yabulu nickel refinery.

Townsville is home to Lavarack Barracks Army Base, which is the second largest facility in Australia. James Cook University has its largest campus in Townsville where around 11,000 students study. Townsville has a wide range of state and private schools. Defence, education, and other government personnel, make up almost 20% of the Townsville/Thuringowa workforce.

Townsville has a growing reputation for research and academic excellence and is the centre for marine research including the Museum of Tropical Queensland, the Australian Institute of Marine Science and James Cook University.

The region includes the Shires of Townsville, Thuringowa, Cardwell, Hinchinbrook, Burdekin and Dalrymple.

Townsville LMAC Region

The Townsville LMAC is concerned with the coastal and inland area extending from Balgal Beach in the north (Thuringowa Shire) to Cape Upstart in the south (Bowen Shire) and includes the cities of Townsville and Thuringowa and smaller towns of Ayr, and Home Hill, northern beach suburbs and Magnetic Island. 

Who is represented on the Townsville LMAC?

Members of the Townsville LMAC represent a diversity of interest groups including: Landcare, commercial and recreational fishing interests and boating clubs, Burdekin canegrowers, conservation groups, community progress associations, Port Authority and local councils. Government officers from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) are also represented on the committee.

What are some of the current issues the LMAC is concerned with?

• Supporting Reef Guardian Schools in the district
• Involving community groups, service clubs and schools in the Seagrass Watch program to monitor seagrass density, variety and condition in the Townsville area
• Interaction with the Burdekin Dry Tropics Board’s planning process for a natural resource management plan for the Townsville/Thuringowa coastal plain with a focus on coastal and marine issues. Also an ongoing activity
• Continuing membership recruitment program with the view to making “community involvement” in the management of the Marine Park mean just that
• Development of a local boating guide for the region

What the LMAC has accomplished?

• Providing a successful link between community, industry and the decision-makers
• Involvement in local Reef Guardian and Future Leaders’ schools in LMAC meetings.  This has been particularly beneficial in providing school students with an understanding of members’ areas of interest
• Taking part in the presentation of plaques and some assistance to schools and the judging of Reef Guardian Schools’ submissions
• Inviting community input on the Queensland governments proposed heavy industrial area for the shores of Cleveland Bay, making a submission to government and seeking reference of the project to the planning provisions of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act
• Education of members on the importance of research into Irukandji syndrome, effects on tourism and communities.  Ongoing project on community safety
• Raising awareness of inappropriate planning actions by local and state governments which have the potential to impact on the world heritage values of the Marine Park

Further information about LMACs

For further information on Local Marine Advisory Committees, please contact:

Northern Regional Office
PO Box 1379
TOWNSVILLE   QLD   4810

Tel:  (07) 4750 0708
Fax: (07) 4772 6093

Email: northern.region@gbrmpa.gov.au

Public Comments

If there is a local issue that concerns you, please contact the Chair or Secretary of the committee.

Chair:                Steve McGuire
Secretary:       Amber Hansen