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Overview

Much of northern Australia’s land and water resources have not been mapped in sufficient detail to provide for reliable resource allocation, mitigate investment or environmental risks, or confidently build policy settings that can support decisions. Better data are required to inform decisions on private investment and government expenditure, to account for intersections between existing and potential resource users, and to ensure that development benefits are maximised.

In 2013, the Australian Government commissioned CSIRO to undertake the Flinders and Gilbert Agricultural Resource Assessment in north Queensland. This assessment developed fundamental soil and water datasets, and provided a comprehensive and integrated evaluation of the feasibility, economic viability and sustainability of agricultural development in two catchments in north Queensland.

However, this previous study covered only 155,000 km2 (approximately 5 per cent) of northern Australia.

In 2015 the Australian Government released the ‘Our North, Our Future: White Paper on Developing Northern Australia’ and the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, both of which further highlighted the opportunity for northern Australia’s land and water resources to enable regional development.

The Australian Government commissioned CSIRO to complete the 2.5-year, $15-million Northern Australia Water Resource Assessment. In collaboration with the governments of Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland, they respectively identified three priority areas for investigation: the Fitzroy catchment in Western Australia; the Finniss, Adelaide, Mary and Wildman river catchments around Darwin in the Northern Territory; and the Mitchell catchment in Queensland.

The assessment of each of the three study areas aimed to:

  • evaluate the climate, soil and water resources
  • identify and evaluate water capture and storage options
  • identify and test the commercial viability of irrigated agricultural, forestry and aquaculture opportunities
  • assess potential environmental, social and economic impacts and risks of water resource, aquaculture and irrigation development
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Key findings

The three study areas support diverse land uses and contain largely free-flowing rivers that currently sustain areas of high biodiversity, cultural and aquatic ecological value, and support valuable industries. Overview films were made on each of the three study areas. 

The Assessment identified that:

  • the Fitzroy, Darwin and Mitchell catchments differ significantly in their physical and social characteristics and, as a consequence, the extent to and methods by which agricultural development might occur
  • in the Fitzroy catchment, water harvesting (water pumped into ringtanks) could potentially support 160,000 ha growing one dry-season crop a year in 85 per cent of years. Independent of surface water, groundwater could potentially support up to 30,000 ha of hay production in all years
  • in the Darwin catchments, a combination of major dams, farm-scale offstream storage and groundwater could potentially support up to 90,000 ha of dry-season horticulture and mango trees
  • in the Mitchell catchment, large instream dams could potentially support 140,000 ha of year-round irrigation. Alternatively, water harvesting could potentially enable up to 200,000 ha, growing one dry-season crop per year.

If irrigated opportunities were pursued to their fullest extent they would only occupy about 3 per cent of the Assessment area. Impacts on ecological function are not confined to the direct development footprint and would warrant attention, especially immediately downstream of development and in drier years.

Understanding how diverse stakeholder, investor and developer perspectives interact will be crucial in building and maintaining ongoing social licence to operate for future water and agricultural development.

Overview

Much of northern Australia’s land and water resources have not been mapped in sufficient detail to provide for reliable resource allocation, mitigate investment or environmental risks, or confidently build policy settings that can support decisions. Better data are required to inform decisions on private investment and government expenditure, to account for intersections between existing and potential resource users, and to ensure that development benefits are maximised.

In 2013, the Australian Government commissioned CSIRO to undertake the Flinders and Gilbert Agricultural Resource Assessment in north Queensland. This assessment developed fundamental soil and water datasets, and provided a comprehensive and integrated evaluation of the feasibility, economic viability and sustainability of agricultural development in two catchments in north Queensland.

However, this previous study covered only 155,000 km2 (approximately 5 per cent) of northern Australia.

In 2015 the Australian Government released the ‘Our North, Our Future: White Paper on Developing Northern Australia’ and the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, both of which further highlighted the opportunity for northern Australia’s land and water resources to enable regional development.

The Australian Government commissioned CSIRO to complete the 2.5-year, $15-million Northern Australia Water Resource Assessment. In collaboration with the governments of Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland, they respectively identified three priority areas for investigation: the Fitzroy catchment in Western Australia; the Finniss, Adelaide, Mary and Wildman river catchments around Darwin in the Northern Territory; and the Mitchell catchment in Queensland.

The assessment of each of the three study areas aimed to:

  • evaluate the climate, soil and water resources
  • identify and evaluate water capture and storage options
  • identify and test the commercial viability of irrigated agricultural, forestry and aquaculture opportunities
  • assess potential environmental, social and economic impacts and risks of water resource, aquaculture and irrigation development

[Image shows animation of a body of water]

Narrator: Water is one of our most important resources,

[Image shows to show an animation of water a figure representing someone fishing on a boat floats by on screen]

we don’t just need it for drinking,

[Image changes to show a green background as animated figures representing farmers, industry workers and trees appear on screen]

 we need it for farming, industry and to keep our countries ecosystems healthy.

[Image changes back to the animation of water and figure representing someone fishing on a boat. Text appears: BIG CHALLENGES]

But we’ve got some big challenges with how we manage our water, from meeting competing demands from the agriculture, environmental and urban sectors,

[Image changes to show animations representing agricultural, environmental and urban sectors locations]

to the uncertainty of water resource availability and the impact of climate change.

[Image changes back to the animation of water and figure representing someone fishing on a boat]

To meet the challenges we need reliable and timely data and information.

[Image changes to show a pink background. Text appears: RELIABLE & TIMELY]

[Image shows pink background as text appears: DATA & INFORMATION]

[Image changes to show yellow background with text: The Bureau of Meteorology]

[Image continues to show text: The Bureau of Meteorology as text: + and logo: CSIRO appear]

In 2008 the Bureau of Metrology and CSIRO established the Water Information Research and Development Alliance,

[Image shows yellow background as text appears: W, water I, information, R, research, A, & D, development, A, alliance]

or WIRADA to deliver critical and accurate water information for Australia.

[Image changes to show yellow background with a green animated image of Australia as a white animated line traces a circle around it]

 This eight year, 65 million dollar research partnership combines CSIRO’s leading expertise

[Image changes to show green background as text appears: 8 YEAR (line) $65 MILLION Research Partnership]

[Image changes to show green background as logo appears: CSIRO and text: The Bureau of Meteorology, Water & information sciences + Hydrological Analysis & Prediction]

in water and information sciences and the Bureaus operational role in hydrological analyses and prediction, to deliver high quality water information and tools to government, industry and all Australians.

[Image changes to show green background as animated images to represent government, industry and Australians swipe past the screen]

The science and technology breakthroughs have surpassed all expectations,

[Image changes to show blue background showing a statistic graph and lines growing up along the screen]

they’ve changed the way Australia’s water managers and users operate,

[Image changes to show blue background with animated people appear next to text: Water Managers & Users]

by integrating weather and hydrological observations,

[Image shows animated images scroll past the screen to represent different climates]

with climate, catchment and river flow modeling, along with new statistical methods and super computer.

[Image changes to show an animation to represent graphs scroll past]

WIRADA created two products that accurately predicts stream flows,

[Image changes to show pink background with text: Predict Stream Flows with an arrow pointing toward an animated image representing calendars]

days, months and seasons ahead for major rivers across Australia.

[Image shows animated water with an animated image of a person on a boat floating in the water, with numbers in the corners and lines on the side representing real time stimulations of landscape water fluxes and stores]

There are real time stimulations of landscape water fluxes and stores across Australia,

[Image changes to show yellow background with animates images of white clouds]

[Image changes to show animated image representing satellite observations]

developed by innovatively combining in situ climate and stream flow measurements, satellite observations and hydrological modelling.

[Image changes to show green background with text: High Resolution Products, below this text animated lines appear tracing boxes around the text: Digital Elevation, River Network, animated images appear to represent digital elevation and river network as well as Australia]

Australians now have high resolution digital elevation and river network products, while data providers have adopted data exchange standards to share, interrogate, reuse and present water data.

[Image changes to show animated images surrounding text highlighted in a pink box: STANDARDS, SHARE, INTERROGATE, RE-USE, PRESENT, WATER DATA]

[Image shows to show an animation of water a figure representing someone fishing on a boat floats by on screen, text appears: Products & Services, WIRADA]

The water information products and services delivered through WIRADA

[Image changes to show animated images of people appear above the text: Help everyone, strong, sustainable, future, Australia’s water]

help everyone work toward a strong and sustainable future for Australia’s water.

[Image changes to show logo: CSIRO and text appears: Australia’s innovation catalyst]

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Key findings

The three study areas support diverse land uses and contain largely free-flowing rivers that currently sustain areas of high biodiversity, cultural and aquatic ecological value, and support valuable industries. Overview films were made on each of the three study areas. 

The Assessment identified that:

  • the Fitzroy, Darwin and Mitchell catchments differ significantly in their physical and social characteristics and, as a consequence, the extent to and methods by which agricultural development might occur
  • in the Fitzroy catchment, water harvesting (water pumped into ringtanks) could potentially support 160,000 ha growing one dry-season crop a year in 85 per cent of years. Independent of surface water, groundwater could potentially support up to 30,000 ha of hay production in all years
  • in the Darwin catchments, a combination of major dams, farm-scale offstream storage and groundwater could potentially support up to 90,000 ha of dry-season horticulture and mango trees
  • in the Mitchell catchment, large instream dams could potentially support 140,000 ha of year-round irrigation. Alternatively, water harvesting could potentially enable up to 200,000 ha, growing one dry-season crop per year.

If irrigated opportunities were pursued to their fullest extent they would only occupy about 3 per cent of the Assessment area. Impacts on ecological function are not confined to the direct development footprint and would warrant attention, especially immediately downstream of development and in drier years.

Understanding how diverse stakeholder, investor and developer perspectives interact will be crucial in building and maintaining ongoing social licence to operate for future water and agricultural development.

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