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Queensland Government
WetlandInfo   —   Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation

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Blue Heart area

Blue Heart area

Access wetland mapping in PDF and KML format by selecting the desired 100K map tile below or download the data via the Queensland Government Information Service.

The below map is for visual representation purposes only. For more detailed mapping, please download the boundary KML.

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Catchment stories info

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Wetland observations

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Wetland extents info metadata

Based on wetland mapping version 6.0

Display areas in

Blue Heart area wetland area by system 2019
System Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 2,802 100.0% 53.0%
Artificial and highly modified 620 22.1% 11.7%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 556 19.9% 10.5%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 282 10.1% 5.3%
Lacustrine (natural) 0 0.0% 0.0%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 31 1.1% 0.6%
Palustrine (natural) 608 21.7% 11.5%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 695 24.8% 13.1%
Riverine 9 0.3% 0.2%
Blue Heart area wetland area by habitat 2019
Habitat Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 2,141 100.0% 40.5%
Mangroves - Casuarina 396 18.5% 7.5%
Mangroves - other 366 17.1% 6.9%
Salt marsh and salt flats 77 3.6% 1.5%
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain clay plan lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (window) lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid Great Artesian Basin fed spring swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 320 15.0% 6.1%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 6 0.3% 0.1%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 936 43.7% 17.7%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 14 0.6% 0.3%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 26 1.2% 0.5%
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 0 0.0% 0.0%
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 0 0.0% 0.0%

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

All statistics are approximate and generated based on data transformed to a customised Albers equal-area projection, thus allowing wetland extent change for different regions of Queensland to be comparable.

Areas may change over time as mapping approaches improve.

Totals may not match the sum of individually displayed figures due to the rounding of displayed figures.

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Wetland extent changes

Blue Heart area wetland extent change by system
System 2019 area
(ha)
2017 area
(ha)
2013 area
(ha)
2009 area
(ha)
2005 area
(ha)
2001 area
(ha)
pre-clear area
(ha)
2019/pre-clear
percentage
Total 2,802 2,803 2,793 2,794 2,803 2,809 4,469 * 48.8%
Artificial and highly modified 620 699 1,362 1,574 1,579 1,581 0 n/a
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 556 556 556 547 548 549 671 83.0%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 282 282 31 4 1 1 0 n/a
Lacustrine (natural) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 31 31 14 13 13 13 0 n/a
Palustrine (natural) 608 608 608 608 615 619 3,780 16.1%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 695 617 213 38 38 36 0 n/a
Riverine 9 9 9 9 9 9 19 51.1%

* Total 2019/pre-clear percentage excludes artificial and highly modified

Blue Heart area wetland extent change by habitat
Habitat 2019 area
(ha)
2017 area
(ha)
2013 area
(ha)
2009 area
(ha)
2005 area
(ha)
2001 area
(ha)
Total 2,141 2,063 1,408 1,197 1,202 1,206
Mangroves - Casuarina 396 396 220 190 188 188
Mangroves - other 366 366 326 320 320 320
Salt marsh and salt flats 77 77 41 41 41 41
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain clay plan lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (window) lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid Great Artesian Basin fed spring swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 320 320 106 106 113 116
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 6 6 6 6 6 6
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 936 858 668 493 493 495
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 14 14 14 14 14 13
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 26 26 26 26 26 26
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 0 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 0 0 0 0 0 0

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

All statistics are approximate and generated based on data transformed to a customised Albers equal-area projection, thus allowing wetland extent change for different regions of Queensland to be comparable.

Areas may change over time as mapping approaches improve.

Totals may not match the sum of individually displayed figures due to the rounding of displayed figures.

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Australian Land Use and Management Classification (ALUMC) metadata

Blue Heart area land use
ALUMC code and description
Area (ha)
% total area
Total 5,288 100.0%
3.3 Cropping 1,923 36.4%
3.6 Land in transition 1,507 28.5%
6.5 Marsh/wetland 788 14.9%
1.1 Nature conservation 444 8.4%
5.4 Residential and farm infrastructure 234 4.4%
6.6 Estuary/coastal waters 150 2.8%
2.1 Grazing native vegetation 63 1.2%
1.3 Other minimal use 37 0.7%
3.4 Perennial horticulture 34 0.6%
5.7 Transport and communication 33 0.6%
4.4 Irrigated perennial horticulture 29 0.6%
5.5 Services 28 0.5%
5.2 Intensive animal production 11 0.2%
5.9 Waste treatment and disposal 8 0.2%

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Wildlife

Kingdom
Class
Native Introduced Wetland
indicator
species
Rare or
threatened
species
All
TOTAL 2,010 240 298 78 2,250
Animals 551 23 124 43 574
Mammals 68 9 6 6 77
Birds 330 8 75 23 338
Reptiles 59 1 8 3 60
Amphibians 23 1 12 5 24
Ray-finned fishes 21 2 23 2 23
Insects 48 2 0 2 50
Malacostracans 2 0 0 2 2
Bacteria 1 0 0 0 1
Chromists 17 0 0 0 17
Fungi 123 0 0 0 123
Plants 1,318 217 174 35 1,535

Note: Wildlife statistics are based on information that has been submitted to the DETSI WildNet database and converted to a 10km² grid. The grid information has been intersected with the mapping polygons to determine the species lists. Click here to view the species grid metadata.

Information from WildNet can also be accessed via Wildlife Online and WetlandMaps.

Rare or threatened includes species listed as extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or conservation dependent under either the Nature Conservation Act or Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act

Disclaimer: While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this product, the Queensland Government and Australian Government make no representations or warranties about its accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose and disclaim all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages (including indirect or consequential damage) and costs which might be incurred as a consequence of reliance on the product, or as a result of the product being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason.

AreaType-blue-heart

This page should be cited as:

Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland (2013) Blue Heart area — facts and maps, WetlandInfo website, accessed 30 March 2025. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/facts-maps/blue-heart/