Rangelands

What are Rangelands?

More than 75% of Australia is defined as rangelands including tropical savannas, woodlands, shrublands and grasslands.

The Audit worked with the ACRIS Management Committee to compile a national report in 2007 on change in the rangelands. Indicators of rangelands change have been expressed under a number of broad themes:

• landscape or ecosystem change
• sustainable management
• biodiversity change
• sustainable water management
• social and economic change
• climate variability

Trial Regions

NSW—Darling Riverine Plains
Qld—Desert uplands
SA—Gawler
WA—Gascoyne Murchison
NT—Victoria River District

National Coordination

The Australian Collaborative Rangelands Information System (ACRIS) is a coordinating mechanism that collates rangelands information from state, Northern Territory, Australian Government agencies and other sources. The Department of the Environment and Water Resources coordinates ACRIS and the National Land & Water Resources Audit (the Audit) was represented on the management committee.

Audit Related Publications