We have worked with the community to develop a natural resource management plan that addresses issues identified by the community. To view our plan, and for an overview of the planning process we used, click here.

Desert Channels Queensland (DCQ) is a regional body. It is one of 14 in Queensland and 55 Australia-wide. These bodies are part of the regional arrangements between the Australian and state governments to deliver funds from the Natural Heritage Trust for natural resource management work.

DCQ is a coming together of the community to ensure a sustainable future for the region. It is made up of a Board, staff, implementation groups and the community.

Community:

The DCQ community is all those people who call the Queensland section of the Lake Eyre Basin home. Pastoralists, Indigenous groups, townspeople, industry, governments (local and State), and conservationists are all concerned members of the DCQ community; they all have an interest in the future of the region.

Implementation groups:

Three implementation groups cover the region: the Georgina Diamantina Catchment Committee; the Cooper's Creek Catchment Committee; and the Desert Uplands Build Up and Development Strategy Committee. Community members sit on these committees and work to implement the projects funded through DCQ.

Staff:

The operations of DCQ are supported by 17 staff in an office in Longreach. The staff members provide administrative, coordination, project management, mapping, information management, publications and communications support across all areas of DCQ work.

Board:

The DCQ Board is made up of 15 members of the region's community. They meet regularly to ensure that available funding is put to best use (in line with community priorities) for the sustainable management of the natural resources of the region. Feeding into the management board are representatives of the community-based implementation groups and other representative bodies.

The appointed Chair and 14 members are drawn from:

• Georgina Diamantina Catchment Committee (3 nominees)

• Cooper's Creek Catchment Committee (3 nominees)

• Desert Uplands Build Up and Development Strategy Committee (3 nominees)

• Western Queensland Local Government Association (2 nominees)
  
  
• Indigenous interests (1 nominee)

• Great Artesian Basin Committee (1 nominee)

• Conservation interests (1 nominee)