Wetland Toolbox and Summary Information Definitions

Area

Basin

The entire geographical area drained by a river and its tributaries or an area characterized by all runoff being conveyed to the same outlet. This area is often also referred to as a: catchment area, catchment basin, drainage area, river basin and watershed.

NRM regions

Regional NRM bodies are responsible for protecting and managing Australia's natural resources. To do this, regional NRM plans were developed. These plans outline how a regional body will identify and achieve the region's NRM targets.

There are 56 bodies in Australia. Fourteen of these are in Queensland.For information on other regional bodies around Australia, visit the Australian Government NRM website (Department of Natural Resources and Water, Queensland. Regional NRM bodies).

NRM regions are the regions that a Regional NRM body would look after. For example Terrain is the name of the Regional NRM body for Far North Queensland Region.

Local Government Areas

The Queensland Consolidated Acts, Local Government Act 1993 - Sect 15 defines a local government area as the fundamental geographical basis of Queensland's local government system.

An Local Government Area (LGA) included in the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) structure is a spatial unit which represents the whole geographical area of responsibility of an incorporated Local Government Council, an Aboriginal or Island Council in Queensland (Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1216.0 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) - Electronic Publication, 2005)

Local Government is a form of government in which responsibility for the regulation of certain matters within particular local government areas is delegated by statute to locally elected councilors. The Queensland Consolidated Acts, Local Government Act 1993 - Sect 35 defines a local government: as a body corporate with perpetual succession; and has a common seal; and may sue and be sued in its name.

Wetland Systems

Wetland system definitions can be found on the Wetland Systems Definitions page.

Tenure

Freehold

Freehold land is held outright by a private owner. Ownership by the titleholder is not absolute however, because the state is empowered to withhold certain rights, such as the right to any minerals or petroleum.

State land

State land is under the control of the State of Queensland, but may be subject to a lease, permit or licence, reserved for a community purpose, dedicated as a road, or subject to no tenure at all.

Commonwealth land

Commonwealth land includes land owned or leased by the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth agency.

Further information is available via:

Geoscience Australia

A Guide to land tenure in Queensland

Management Situation

Resource allocation

Also known as “Evidence of resource entitlement”, is the permission from state to use, take or access resources.

Development assessment

Under the Integrated Planning Act 1997 (IPA), the default assessment category for all development is exempt (therefore no development application or approval is necessary), unless it has been declared assessable in Schedule 8 of the IPA or a local government’s planning scheme. Development may include but is not limited to:

• carrying out operational work (e.g. laying out the roads in a new subdivision or clearing vegetation)
• reconfiguring a lot (e.g. subdivision of land)
• making a material change of use of premises (e.g. converting an existing house into an office)

Although this category is mainly IPA related, other legislation may be triggered.

Management and operations

This category to be chosen where:

1. confirmation by communicating with the relevant agency that the proposed activity is not assessable development and/or does not require evidence of resource allocation; or
2. a development permit has been obtained and/or evidence of resource allocation has been obtained, and to proceed with operations or management activities in accordance with those.