Atlas - Northern Chapter 3 The Northern Planning Area Planning is now underway in the Northern Planning Area (figure 2). The Northern Planning Area covers about 800 000 km2 of water off the Northern Territory and Queensland coasts, and includes the Torres Strait, the Gulf of Carpentaria Fisheries Uses and Social Indicators in Australia’s Marine Jurisdiction and eastern Arafura Sea (to a line 133°23’ east, which coincides with the Goulburn Islands). Maps in this Atlas are of the Northern Planning Area. The Northern Planning Area covers a significant proportion of the Northern Marine Region. The Northern Planning Area is a region of great diversity in its land and sea scapes, its biodiversity and its people. It is an area of rich Indigenous cultural diversity but with a sparse population, located chiefly in isolated communities. Its main industries are fishing and mining, but compared with much of Australia’s marine domain, it is economically largely undeveloped. Marine planning in the Torres Strait is being considered as part of a separate process and was not covered by the arrangements agreed between the Queensland and Australian Governments for scoping the northern marine planning process. This is in recognition of the distinct ecological, cultural and institutional arrangements that characterise the Torres Strait. Figure 2: Indicative map of the Northern Planning Area 6 > Chapter 3 7 > Chapter 3 Atlas - Northern Map 1A - The Northern Planning Area Satellite Overview MODIS satellite imagery mosaic. NASA Earth Observatory. 135°E 140°E 145°E Indonesia This map uses a mosaic of data from the MODIS Papua New Guinea (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) sensor aboard the Earth Observer System satellites operated by NASA. The imagery is in the visible wavelengths and has quite good water penetration. Gulf of Papua The generally shallow nature of the Area can be seen, with coral reefs in eastern Torres Strait, mud and sand bottoms visible far offshore and some Bramble Cay evidence of paleo river channels in the south Deliverance I. East Cay eastern Gulf. This environment is a major determinant of the types of fisheries that are Yorke I. prevailent in the Area. Yam I. Maer I. 10°S 10°S Fisheries Uses and Social Indicators in Australia’s Marine Jurisdiction Arafura Sea Torres Strait !Thursday Island Injinoo Cobourg Cape Croker ! !Bamaga Penisula Croker Cape Wessel Island Mullet Bay Wessel Coral Sea Torres Strait Protected Zone Goulburn Islands Islands Elcho Outside but near Area Van Cape Stewart Island Cape Wilberforce ! ! Mapoon Cape Grenville Diemen Gulf ! Maningrida Milingimbi ! Australian Seabed Jurisdiction Nhulunbuy (Gove) ! !Jabiru Pine River Bay Weipa (Napranum) Northern Planning Area Albatross Bay !Lockhart River Cape Grey rivers Wonga Bay Wardarlea Bay ! Cape Cape Shield Aurukun Blue Mud York roads Bay Gulf of Carpentaria Penisula Angurugu Groote ! !Coen Eylandt Cape Beatrice Marangala 50 km Bay ± !Ngukurr Limmen Bight !Pormpuraaw 15°S 15°S Data Sources: Sir Edward Satellite: Modis mosaic, NASA, Earth Observatory. Pellew Group !Kowanyama ! Terrestrial features: Australian Land Information Group. Bing Bong Cartography and digital compilation: Bureau of Rural Sciences. www.brs.gov.au !Borroloola Queensland Copyright 2005 Mornington Cape Van Diemen Island ! Data are assumed to be correct as received from suppliers. Northern Territory Wellesley Island Group Sweers Island !Karumba !Normanton !Burketown !Doomadgee 135°E 140°E 145°E Map 1B - The Northern Planning Area Bathymetry Atlas - Northern One kilometre bathymetric mapping. 135°E 140°E 145°E Indonesia This map illustrates the bathymetry or water depth across the Northern Planning Area. The great Gulf of Papua majority of the Area is continental shelf waters Papua New Guinea of less than 100 meters depth (yellow to green). The only exceptions are in the north west Arafura Bramble Cay Sea that shoals down to 200 metres, and the Deliverance I. East Cay continental slope in eastern Torres Strait where depths exceed 1000 meters. Yorke I. 10°S Yam I. Maer I. 10°S Arafura Sea Torres Strait 0 m 20 m !Thursday Island 50 m Injinoo Cobourg Cape Croker ! !Bamaga 100 m Cape Wessel Penisula Croker 500 m Fisheries Uses and Social Indicators in Australia’s Marine Jurisdiction Island Wessel Mullet Bay Coral Sea 1000 m Goulburn Islands Islands Elcho 3500 m Van Diemen Cape Stewart Island Cape Wilberforce ! ! Mapoon Cape Grenville Gulf ! Maningrida Milingimbi ! Torres Strait Protected Zone Nhulunbuy (Gove) ! Outside but near Area !Jabiru Pine River Bay Weipa (Napranum) Albatross Bay !Lockhart River Cape Grey Australian Seabed Jurisdiction Wonga Bay Wardarlea Bay ! Cape Cape Shield Aurukun Blue Mud York Northern Planning Area Bay Gulf of Carpentaria Penisula Angurugu Groote rivers ! !Coen Eylandt Cape Beatrice roads Marangala Bay !Ngukurr Limmen Bight !Pormpuraaw 15°S 15°S 100 km Sir Edward Pellew Group ! ± Kowanyama ! Bing Bong Data Sources: !Borroloola Bathymetry: Geoscience Australia. Queensland Terrestrial features: Australian Land Information Group. Mornington Cape Van Diemen Island Cartography and digital compilation: ! Bureau of Rural Sciences. www.brs.gov.au Northern Territory Wellesley Island Group Copyright 2005 Sweers Island Data are assumed to be correct as received from suppliers. !Karumba !Normanton !Burketown !Doomadgee 135°E 140°E 145°E 8 > Chapter 3.