Burnett Mary
The Burnett Mary region is approximately 53,000 square kilometres and encompasses the World Heritage-listed Great Sandy Strait, K’gari and the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The region has a moderate, subtropical climate with mean annual rainfall of around 800 millimetres.
The region has more rain in the summer and in the coastal areas, delivering sediments, nutrients and pesticides to the inshore and sometimes offshore Reef in pulsed flows. Land uses include grazing, dairy, sugarcane and horticulture, including tree cropping like macadamia and avocado. Surface and groundwater are important for irrigation.
Urban centres such as Bundaberg, Hervey Bay and Maryborough are located on the coastal strip, with other towns such as Gympie and Kingaroy inland. The region includes the Great Sandy Biosphere and the K’gari World Heritage Area. Marine habitats include offshore reefs, intertidal and deep-water seagrass and mangroves. Reef-based tourism, as well as commercial and recreational fishing, are important to the regional economy.
The Regional Natural Resource Management body, the Burnett Mary Regional Group, works with industry and landholders to improve land management practices and water quality across the region.
The catchment profiles provide information about each area including size and rainfall, land use, priorities for water quality improvement and sources of pollutants.
- Last updated
- 5 August 2026