Darwin Harbour and its catchment
Covering 3227 km2 in the north-eastern section of the Finniss River drainage basin, the catchment surrounds Darwin Harbour and includes the urban areas of Darwin and Palmerston.
It extends south as far as the Darwin River Dam, west to the Cox Peninsula and the settlements of Belyeun and Wagait Beach, and east to the outskirts of Humpty Doo and Gunn Point.
Values to be protected
The catchment of Darwin Harbour consists of vast plains, rivers, wetlands and coastal and marine environments. It holds significant social, economic, environmental and cultural importance within the Top End Community.
Water quality issues
The catchment of Darwin Harbour contains the largest concentration of residential, commercial and industrial activities in the Northern Territory. Parts of Darwin Harbour are threatened by catchment based sources of pollution, notably urban land-use, agricultural runoff and wastewater point sources.
Increased nutrients and sediments from catchment runoff disturbs the ecology of the lakes system and contribute to excessive growth of algae. Sediments smother or shade-out seagrasses, macrophytes (aquatic plants) and other benthic organisms.
Key water quality improvement projects
Key stakeholders / agencies
- Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts
- Department of Planning and Infrastructure
See also
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