About CHRRUP

The Central Highlands Regional Resources Use Planning Cooperative (CHRRUP) is a community-owned organization designed to improve the sustainability of natural resource use and management.

CHRRUP works with landholders on an individual and voluntary basis, but focuses on Neighbourhood Catchments – a group of properties sharing a common catchment. A field officer is dedicated to each catchment, and works to achieve outcomes for each property.

CHRRUP assists landholders and community members by providing:

CHRRUP was established in July 1997 as a 3 year research project funded by CSIRO, Land and Water Australia and Central Queensland University. The project examined and addressed the limitations in regional planning and evaluated the ability of new regional planning innovations to achieve sustainable and equitable resource use outcomes. The project was strongly supported by the local community and key regional stakeholders and in 2001 CHRRUP became an Incorporated Cooperative.

In 2002 – 2003, CHRRUP through significant community consultation developed the Central Highlands Natural Resource Management Plan, identifying voluntary targets for stakeholders to improve NRM. This CHNRM Plan fed into the Central Queensland Strategy for Sustainability 2004 and Beyond.

Funding Sources

Regional NRM bodies receive funding from the State and Federal Governments to deliver on-ground incentive programs, research and capacity building activities to stakeholders with an interest in NRM.

The Federal Government has concluded the previous program of Natural Heritage Trust and is implementing a new natural resource funding strategy called “Caring for our Country”. The Government have listed a number of priorities that they will strategically fund from 2008 – 2011 to improve collaborative NRM.

The Queensland State Government also provides funds to the regional bodies to deliver state based outcomes and support national initiatives. CHRRUP, as a sub-regional group receives funding from the Fitzroy Basin Association. CHRRUP contracts to regional bodies to provide on-ground project development, management and monitoring.

What are Natural Resources?

Natural resources is the term broadly used to describe our land, water, marine and biological systems. These systems are comprised of soil, water, air, plants, minerals and cultural heritage. The sustainable management of these systems will benefit our ongoing social, economic and environmental future.

Ecologically sustainable development (ESD) can be broadly defined as resource use that meets the needs of present generations, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. In order to achieve ESD, the environment, economy and society need to work together through organisations such as CHRRUP.

Investing in Our Region

Map shows region in green and new shire borders. Inset showing region in relation to rest of QLD. Over the three years from 2004 to 2007, CHRRUP with the support of the regional NRM bodies, Fitzroy Basin Association and Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM invested over two million dollars in the Comet, Nogoa and Belyando-Suttor River Catchments.