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In this section you will find detailed information, including national overviews and state and regional level assessments, from the 2000-2002 National Land and Water Resources Audit theme assessments.
Agriculture - Horticulture - Wet Subtropical Coast
Wet Subtropical Coast
Benchmarking Rural Industries' Practices and Productivity Performance and Review of Industries' Capacity to Change
Where is horticulture produced in the Wet Subtropical Coast?
The horticulture industry's Wet subtropical coast production region includes the following growing areas: Cooloola, Qld; Beaudesert, Qld; Lockyer Valley, Qld; Bundaberg/Isis, Qld; North Coast, NSW; Burnett, Qld; Bundaberg, Qld; Mid North Coast, NSW; Far North Coast, NSW; Sunshine Coast, Qld; Gayndah/Mundubbera, Qld; North/Far North Coast,Qld; Livingstone, Qld.
In this region, horticulture is produced on 49,374 hectares of land.
How much horticulture does the Wet Subtropical Coast produce?
Horticulture production in this region in 1998 included:
- 538,562 tonnes of horticultural product comprising 274,294 tonnes of annual crops and 264,268 tonnes of perennial crops;
- an average of 8.6 tonnes of horticulture product/hectare; and
- $584 million dollars worth of horticultural product, 47% from annual crops and 53% from perennial crops.
Production from the major crop types grown in the region is presented in the table below. These figures do not account for the entire horticulture industry in this region.
| Crop | Area (ha) | Production (tonnes)(ha) | Value ($M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asparagus | - | 260 | 1.5 |
| Bananas | - | 33,160 | 45.1 |
| Beans and Peas | 1,440 | 6,300 | 8.6 |
| Berry Fruits | - | 3,430 | - |
| Brassicas | 225 | 3,400 | 3.1 |
| Citrus | - | 39,560 | 45.4 |
| Cucurbits | 1,835 | 18,210 | 13.3 |
| Leaf Vegetable | 440 | 14,785 | 9.9 |
| Melons | 1,185 | 25,125 | 12.3 |
| Nuts | - | 11,580 | 41.7 |
| Onions and Garlic | 200 | 6,455 | 3.9 |
| Peppers | 300 | 5,235 | 6.6 |
| Potatoes | 865 | 20,290 | 9.2 |
| Root Vegetable | 1,015 | 30,960 | 12.2 |
| Stone Fruit | - | 20 | 0.1 |
| Sweet Corn | 325 | 3,945 | 1.8 |
| Tomatoes | 840 | 30,315 | 29.1 |
| Tropical Fruit | - | 109,495 | 63.4 |
- signifies no information available
What land and water resources are invested in horticulture production in the Wet Subtropical Coast?
This region is predominantly (approximately 60?subtropical with no dry season. The remainder of this region consists of subtropical areas in the north and temperate areas with no dry season in the south. Average annual rainfall in this region varies from 600 mm in the inland areas, to more than 1,800 mm along the coast. Average annual temperatures in this region range from a minimum of 12°C inland and a maximum of 18°C in the south, to a minimum of 18°C and a maximum of 27°C on the coast just north of Rockhampton.
In this region, horticulture product is grown on 49,374 hectares of land. This production is comprised of 16,872 hectares of annual and 32,502 hectares of perennial. There are approximately 8,601 hectares of irrigated vegetable crops (annual) and 11,185 hectares of irrigated fruit crops (perennial) in this region.
What environmental challenges face the horticulture industry in the Wet Subtropical Coast?The HRDC Report surveyed state agencies and selected key stakeholder/ industry representatives. This survey was intended to provide an indication of regional and industry environmental issues. the main environmental challenge facing the horticulture industry in this region as considered by extension officers is soil loss.
The main environmental challenge facing the horticulture industry in this region as identified by growers is also soil loss.
How is the horticulture industry meeting these environmental challenges in the Wet Subtropical Coast and across Australia?
The horticultural industry is responding to environmental challenges through a number of mechanisms, including:
- Industry strategic planning;
- Adoption of management practice;
- Development and implementation of Codes of Practice;
- Research and development; and
- Interaction with State government groups.
For more information on these programs, see the national horticulture industry page or the links to the web pages of these bodies in the further information section included below.
How do these environmental factors and responses affect the future prospects of the industry in the Wet Subtropical Coast region?
Each of the horticultural AER regions need to respond to identified environmental issues in a coordinated manner. This approach involves the following steps:
- Establish a database that is consistent with industry and national production/ environmental reporting procedures
- Participate in the development of catchment level plans within the region
- Develop a set of regionally relevant management practices that are consistent with industry Codes and guidelines
- Initiate a regional action planning process to ensure acceptance and adoption of proposed practices
- Establish a set of environmental indicators to monitor environmental performance
Further information
Link to Map maker to make a map using this information.
Link to data available for download on "A spatially consistent sub-set of agricultural statistics (AgStats) data 1982/93 to 1996/97"
"Benchmarking environmental challenges and agricultural practice - an overview" report. Summary
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