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IBRA bioregions

Gulf Plains (GUP) IBRA bioregion

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Name: Gulf Plains (GUP)
Area type: IBRA bioregion
Total area: 21,894,679 ha
% total Qld: 12.7%
Page table of contents
Catchment stories
Wetland observations
Wetland extents
Wetland extent changes
Australian Land Use and Management Classification (ALUMC)
Drainage divisions
Drainage basins
Drainage sub-basins
Regional natural resource management (NRM) bodies
Local government areas
100K map tiles
Climate zones
Bioregions
Biogeographic subregions
IBRA subregions
Bioregional assessment areas
Marine meso-scale bioregions
Marine provincial bioregions
Regional plans
World Heritage areas
Ramsar internationally important wetlands
DIWA nationally important wetlands
National parks
Marine parks (Queensland)
Study areas
Report cards
Conservation parks
State forests
Forest reserves
Resources reserves
Timber reserves
Fish habitat areas
Coastal management district
Nature refuges
Freshwater biogeographic provinces
Aquatic Conservation Assessments (AquaBAMM) and others
Wetland (aquatic ecosystem) type—conceptual models
Wetland (aquatic ecosystem) type—management profiles
Groundwater dependent ecosystem type—conceptual models
Healthy Land and Water conceptual models
Water resource planning areas
Aquatic ecosystem monitoring programs
Point source monitoring
Wetland soil indicator case studies
Wetland management case studies
Wetland projects
Area specific conceptual model case studies
Paddock to Reef (P2R) report cards
Water Quality Improvement Plan catchments
EPP (Water) scheduled environmental values and water quality objectives
Shorebird zones
Biopassage structures
Related legislation/policies
Wildlife

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Catchment stories info

none

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Wetland observations

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Wetland extents info metadata

Based on wetland mapping version 7.0

Display areas in

Gulf Plains (GUP) IBRA bioregion wetland area by system 2021
System Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 1,423,817 100.0% 6.5%
Total excluding riverine and artificial/highly modified riverine 857,048 60.2% 3.9%
Artificial and highly modified 5,269 0.4% 0.0%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 530,692 37.3% 2.4%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 0 0.0% 0.0%
Lacustrine (natural) 4,214 0.3% 0.0%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 1,727 0.1% 0.0%
Lacustrine (unknown degree of modification) 11 0.0% 0.0%
Palustrine (natural) 311,628 21.9% 1.4%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 3,508 0.2% 0.0%
Riverine 566,768 39.8% 2.6%

View wetland system extents for all IBRA bioregions

For definitions of artificial, highly modified, modified, slightly modified and natural wetlands, see the Queensland Wetland Mapping Method - A Method to Provide Baseline Mapping of Wetland Extent and Changes in Wetland Extent in Queensland (PDF, 0.6 MB).

Gulf Plains (GUP) IBRA bioregion wetland area by habitat 2021
Habitat Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 842,380 100.0% 3.8%
Mangroves - Casuarina 0 0.0% 0.0%
Mangroves - other 102,870 12.2% 0.5%
Salt marsh and salt flats 426,200 50.6% 1.9%
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 971 0.1% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 116 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 1,007 0.1% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 36,865 4.4% 0.2%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 1,203 0.1% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 14,600 1.7% 0.1%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 84,269 10.0% 0.4%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 1 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 5,551 0.7% 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 59,565 7.1% 0.3%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 29,464 3.5% 0.1%
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 12,361 1.5% 0.1%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 67,309 8.0% 0.3%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
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 27 0.0% 0.0%

View wetland habitat area for all IBRA bioregions

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

Gulf Plains (GUP) IBRA bioregion wetland extent change by system
System 2021 area
(ha)		 2019 area
(ha)		 2017 area
(ha)		 2013 area
(ha)		 2009 area
(ha)		 2005 area
(ha)		 2001 area
(ha)		 pre-clear area
(ha)		 2021/pre-clear
percentage
Total 1,423,817 1,423,696 1,423,697 1,427,582 1,427,251 1,427,063 1,426,428 1,421,607 * 99.8%
Artificial and highly modified 5,269 5,244 5,213 4,967 4,751 4,576 3,857 0 n/a
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 530,692 530,692 530,696 530,699 530,699 530,699 530,699 530,812 100.0%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a
Lacustrine (natural) 4,214 4,214 4,214 4,214 4,214 4,214 4,214 4,584 91.9%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 1,727 1,727 1,727 1,711 1,631 1,633 1,621 0 n/a
Lacustrine (unknown degree of modification) 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 0 n/a
Palustrine (natural) 311,628 311,629 311,637 312,170 312,194 312,226 312,286 314,643 99.0%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 3,508 3,508 3,508 3,163 3,229 3,217 3,204 0 n/a
Riverine 566,768 566,671 566,693 570,647 570,524 570,488 570,537 571,568 99.2%

* Total 2021/pre-clear percentage excludes artificial and highly modified

metadata View 2021 wetland system extents for all IBRA bioregions

metadata View 2019 wetland system extents for all IBRA bioregions

metadata View 2017 wetland system extents for all IBRA bioregions

metadata View 2013 wetland system extents for all IBRA bioregions

metadata View 2009 wetland system extents for all IBRA bioregions

metadata View 2005 wetland system extents for all IBRA bioregions

metadata View 2001 wetland system extents for all IBRA bioregions

metadata View pre-clear wetland system extents for all IBRA bioregions

metadata View 2021/pre-clear wetland system extent percentages for all IBRA bioregions

Gulf Plains (GUP) IBRA bioregion wetland extent change by habitat
Habitat 2021 area
(ha)		 2019 area
(ha)		 2017 area
(ha)		 2013 area
(ha)		 2009 area
(ha)		 2005 area
(ha)		 2001 area
(ha)
Total 842,380 842,265 842,277 842,468 842,558 842,578 842,636
Mangroves - Casuarina 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mangroves - other 102,870 102,870 102,870 102,870 102,870 102,870 102,870
Salt marsh and salt flats 426,200 426,200 426,204 426,207 426,207 426,207 426,207
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 971 971 971 971 971 971 971
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 116 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (window) lake 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 1,007 1,007 1,007 1,007 1,007 1,007 1,007
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 36,865 36,866 36,866 36,873 36,876 36,878 36,879
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 1,203 1,203 1,203 1,203 1,203 1,203 1,203
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 14,600 14,600 14,600 14,601 14,601 14,601 14,639
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 84,269 84,270 84,275 84,284 84,288 84,294 84,295
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 5,551 5,551 5,551 5,551 5,551 5,551 5,559
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid Great Artesian Basin fed spring swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 59,565 59,565 59,566 59,566 59,567 59,576 59,577
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 29,464 29,464 29,464 29,467 29,467 29,467 29,471
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 12,361 12,361 12,361 12,468 12,474 12,475 12,480
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 67,309 67,309 67,309 67,373 67,448 67,448 67,448
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 27 27 27 27 27 28 28

metadata View 2021 wetland habitat area for all IBRA bioregions

metadata View 2019 wetland habitat area for all IBRA bioregions

metadata View 2017 wetland habitat area for all IBRA bioregions

metadata View 2013 wetland habitat area for all IBRA bioregions

metadata View 2009 wetland habitat area for all IBRA bioregions

metadata View 2005 wetland habitat area for all IBRA bioregions

metadata View 2001 wetland habitat area for all IBRA bioregions

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

Gulf Plains (GUP) IBRA bioregion land use
ALUMC code and description
Area (ha)
% total area
Total 21,889,639 100.0%
2.1 Grazing native vegetation 18,694,360 85.4%
6.5 Marsh/wetland 1,411,206 6.4%
1.1 Nature conservation 678,314 3.1%
1.2 Managed resource protection 671,850 3.1%
6.1 Lake 163,084 0.7%
1.3 Other minimal use 156,622 0.7%
6.3 River 95,213 0.4%
6.2 Reservoir/dam 5,251 0.0%
4.3 Irrigated cropping 2,947 0.0%
5.8 Mining 2,779 0.0%
3.3 Cropping 2,537 0.0%
5.4 Residential and farm infrastructure 2,501 0.0%
5.7 Transport and communication 1,458 0.0%
5.5 Services 875 0.0%
3.6 Land in transition 225 0.0%
5.2 Intensive animal production 97 0.0%
5.9 Waste treatment and disposal 90 0.0%
5.3 Manufacturing and industrial 80 0.0%
4.2 Grazing irrigated modified pastures 59 0.0%
4.4 Irrigated perennial horticulture 29 0.0%
3.1 Plantation forests 28 0.0%
4.5 Irrigated seasonal horticulture 24 0.0%
5.6 Utilities 8 0.0%
6.4 Channel/aqueduct < 1 0.0%

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Drainage divisions info metadata

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Drainage basins info metadata

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Drainage sub-basins info metadata

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Regional natural resource management (NRM) bodies info metadata

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Local government areas info metadata

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100K map tiles info metadata

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Climate zones info metadata

  • map Desert
  • map Grassland
  • map Subtropical
  • map Tropical

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Bioregions info metadata

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Biogeographic subregions info metadata

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IBRA subregions info metadata

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Bioregional assessment areas info metadata

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Marine meso-scale bioregions metadata

  • map Karumba-Nassau (KAN)
  • map Wellesley (WLY)

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Marine provincial bioregions metadata

  • map Northern Shelf Province

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Regional plans info metadata

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World Heritage areas info metadata

none

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Ramsar internationally important wetlands info metadata

none

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DIWA nationally important wetlands info metadata

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National parks info metadata

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Marine parks (Queensland) info metadata

none

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Study areas metadata

none

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Report cards metadata

none

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Conservation parks info metadata

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State forests info metadata

none

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Forest reserves info metadata

none

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Resources reserves info metadata

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Timber reserves info metadata

none

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Fish habitat areas info metadata

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Coastal management district info metadata

  • map Available (all have been combined since February 2012)

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Nature refuges info metadata

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Freshwater biogeographic provinces info metadata

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Aquatic Conservation Assessments (AquaBAMM) and others info metadata

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Wetland (aquatic ecosystem) type—conceptual models info metadata

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Wetland (aquatic ecosystem) type—management profiles info metadata

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Groundwater dependent ecosystem type—conceptual models info metadata

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Healthy Land and Water conceptual models info metadata

none

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Water resource planning areas info metadata

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Aquatic ecosystem monitoring programs info metadata

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Point source monitoring info metadata

none

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Wetland soil indicator case studies info metadata

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Wetland management case studies info metadata

none

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Wetland projects info metadata

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Area specific conceptual model case studies info metadata

none

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Paddock to Reef (P2R) report cards info metadata

none

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Water Quality Improvement Plan catchments info metadata

none

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EPP (Water) scheduled environmental values and water quality objectives info metadata

none

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Shorebird zones info metadata

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Biopassage structures info metadata

Name Construction year Structure types Stream name
map Augustus Downs 2012 Culvert Leichhardt River
map Bynoe River 2010 Cone Bynoe River
map Doomadgee Road 2009 Rock Ramp Gregory River
map Escott 2009 Cone Nicholson River
map Gin Arm 2009 Rock Ramp Gin Arm Creek
map Glenore Weir 2016 Cone Norman River
map Little Bynoe 2014 Cone Little Bynoe River
map Magowra Creek 2011 Culvert Magowra Creek
map Pear Tree Creek 2011 Culvert Pear Tree Creek
map Wernadinga Road 2009 Cone Flinders River

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Wildlife

Kingdom
Class
 Native Introduced Wetland
indicator
species		 Rare or
threatened
species		 All
TOTAL 3,272 240 470 83 3,513
Animals 840 23 195 58 863
Mammals 104 16 4 12 120
Birds 412 5 92 33 417
Reptiles 200 1 23 12 201
Amphibians 41 1 16 0 42
Ray-finned fishes 54 0 53 0 54
Cartilaginous fishes 4 0 4 1 4
Insects 24 0 3 0 24
Malacostracans 1 0 0 0 1
Bacteria 2 0 0 0 2
Fungi 22 0 0 0 22
Plants 2,408 217 275 25 2,626

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-ibra-bioregion

This page should be cited as:

Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland (2013) Gulf Plains (GUP) IBRA bioregion — facts and maps, WetlandInfo website, accessed 8 June 2025. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/facts-maps/ibra-bioregion-gulf-plains-gup/