TWEED Shire residents have been called on to help shape the future of the Tweed River as council prepares for an expected population boom.

The Tweed is one of the fastest growing regions in the country with a current population of about 92,000 but that is expected to continue to expand in the coming years with forecasts tipping almost 130,000 will call the region home by 2036.

Council's waterways program leader Tom Alletson said the increasing population meant that the natural environment needed to be protected and managed effectively.

"We all know that this is one of the fastest growth areas in NSW and the weight of numbers means there is increasing pressure on the natural environment,” he said.

"The river is one of the biggest playgrounds in the shire. We need to have strategies in place that protect and enhance the things we value most about the river.”

To help prepare a management plan, council has launched a community survey.

Consultant Jetty Research has already conducted a phone survey of randomly selected residents and now the rest of the community is being asked to participate via an online questionnaire.

The river is one of the biggest playgrounds in the shire.

"We want to know how people use the river and its surrounds and what they value about the Tweed River,” Mr Alletson said.

"We're developing a 10-year plan for managing the river and we want to prepare a plan that is consistent with what the community's aspirations for the river are.

"While there are policies and regulations that we have to be consistent with, we also want to prepare a plan that reflects the community's hopes and vision for the river.”

Mr Alletson said the survey would play a crucial role in producing a Tweed River Estuary Coastal Management Plan.

"Doing this early research into how the community uses the river and how the community values the river will put us in a good position to develop management objectives that everyone can get behind,” he said.

"The river completely underpins the landscape character and the identity of the shire. For me it's the thread that holds it together.”

To have your say, visit yoursaytweed.com.au/tweed-river-estuary for a link to the survey. Printed copies are available at council's Murwillumbah and Tweed offices and the libraries.

The survey will be open for feedback until November 7.