Australian Natural Resources Atlas

Natural Resource Topics

Irrigation - Queensland

Queensland

Location map of Queensland

How much water is used by irrigation compared to other uses in Queensland?

The total consumption of water for irrigation in Queensland represents 65% of the total water use in the State. 73% of the water used for irrigation is sourced from surface water and 27% from groundwater.

Extent to which water resources are committed within each river basin in Queensland?

Chart of Total Water Use in State: Irrigation Water Use in State

NLWRA 2000

Table: Irrigation Water Use / Abstraction : Total Water Use / Abstraction in Queensland, 1996/97
Surface Water Groundwater
Basin Total Water Use 96/97 (ML/yr) Irrigation Water Use 96/97 (ML/yr) Irrigation Use as % of toal (%) Total G/W Abstraction 96/97 (ML/yr) G/W Abstracted for Irrigation 96/97 (ML/yr) Irrigation Abstraction as % of total (%)
Queensland 2,970 2,163 72.82 1,623 817 50.32
Georgina River (Qld) 99 97 97.98 59,561 116 0.19
Diamantina River (Qld) 17 0 0.00 54,986 237 0.43
Cooper Creek (Qld) 6,938 5,909 85.17 86,404 569 0.66
Lake Frome (Qld) 0 0 0 21 1 0.76
Hay River (Qld) 0 0 0 733 0 0.00
Bulloo River (Qld) 135 94 69.63 15,005 143 0.95
Jacky Jacky Creek 0 0 0 307 4 1.08
Olive / Pascoe Rivers 0 0 0 251 3 1.08
Lockhart River 0 0 0 no data no data 0
Stewart River 0 0 0 no data no data 0
Normanby River 1,596 1,592 99.75 13,103 7,487 57.14
Jeannie River 35 0 0.00 8,694 4,968 57.14
Endeavour River 1,945 747 38.41 5,800 3,298 56.87
Daintree River 1,706 1,203 70.52 7,525 4,298 57.12
Mossman River 3,783 3,270 86.44 1,631 916 56.17
Barron River 57,789 44,309 76.67 22,071 15,701 71.14
Mulgrave - Russell River 9,918 0 0.00 7,513 4,574 60.87
Johnstone River 10,915 251 2.30 8,644 5,196 60.11
Tully River 1,395 0 0.00 6,775 4,277 63.12
Murray River (Qld) 1,493 41 2.75 4,896 3,250 66.39
Hinchinbrook Island 500 0 0.00 no data no data 0
Herbert River 49,107 45,800 93.27 26,762 15,551 58.11
Black River 12,464 7,409 59.44 6,795 2 0.03
Ross River 46,601 708 1.52 19,208 18,500 96.32
Haughton River 14,348 14,298 99.65 226,810 224,182 98.84
Burdekin River 584,923 569,113 97.30 110,241 99,687 90.43
Don River 9,367 4,877 52.07 66,251 60,180 90.83
Proserpine River 21,384 18,566 86.82 13,131 2,091 15.92
Whitsunday Island 20 0 0.00 no data no data 0
O'Connell River 16,646 14,872 89.34 1,966 983 50.00
Pioneer River 20,077 8,200 40.84 8,551 7,902 92.42
Plane Creek 38,419 37,770 98.31 14,862 13,812 92.93
Styx River 1,343 1,340 99.78 2,511 1,256 50.00
Shoalwater Creek 0 0 0 3,005 1,503 50.00
Water Park Creek 13,185 1,360 10.31 3,120 1,841 59.01
Fitzroy River (Qld) 288,540 211,391 73.26 95,395 47,653 49.95
Curtis Island 0 0 0 no data no data 0
Calliope River 3,287 3,020 91.88 2,975 942 31.66
Boyne River 43,343 1,180 2.72 7,187 6,094 84.79
Baffle Creek 7,821 7,780 99.48 3,376 1,688 50.00
Kolan River 38,998 38,824 99.55 9,082 7,621 83.91
Burnett River 227,111 188,134 82.84 57,210 35,994 62.91
Burrum River 21,890 15,526 70.93 15,976 13,042 81.64
Mary River (Qld) 80,722 61,296 75.93 9,110 5,045 55.37
Fraser Island 0 0 0 253 no data 0.00
Noosa River 33,471 4,025 12.03 1,964 833 42.42
Maroochy River 32,986 6,420 19.46 2,805 599 21.34
Pine River 71,299 3,746 5.25 1,284 642 50.00
Brisbane River 243,236 26,857 11.04 58,940 43,167 73.24
Stradbroke Island 31,233 0 0.00 14,541 no data 0.00
Logan - Albert Rivers 54,148 36,691 67.76 19,651 15,222 77.46
South Coast 47,383 0 0.00 2,888 1,444 50.00
Border Rivers (QLD) 94,197 92,136 97.81 17,263 1,753 10.15
Moonie River (Qld) 1,209 462 38.21 15,313 189 1.23
Condamine - Culgoa Rivers (QLD) 514,563 510,237 99.16 197,504 62,684 31.74
Warrego River (Qld) 112,920 108,000 95.64 22,038 230 1.04
Paroo River (Qld) 233 57 24.46 14,336 147 1.02
Settlement Creek (Qld) 0 0 0 906 10 1.08
Mornington Island 440 0 0.00 92 1 1.08
Nicholson River (Qld) 1,108 199 17.96 11,988 15 0.12
Leichhardt River 20,957 1,604 7.65 1,614 18 1.08
Morning Inlet 0 0 0 396 5 1.08
Flinders River 7,695 6,814 88.55 44,012 441 1.00
Norman River 1,067 20 1.87 11,052 114 1.03
Gilbert River 6,414 1,628 25.38 1,100 13 1.11
Staaten River 0 0 0 2,633 29 1.08
Mitchell River (WA) 55,229 54,170 98.08 83,218 45,527 54.71
Coleman River 0 0 0 968 11 1.08
Holroyd River 0 0 0 911 10 1.08
Archer River 82 2 2.44 1,037 12 1.08
Watson River 0 0 0 6,374 6 0.08
Embley River 0 0 0 55,006 6 0.01
Wenlock River 0 0 0 712 8 1.08
Ducie River 360 0 0.00 700 8 1.08
Jardine River 87 87 100.00 342 4 1.08
Torres Strait Islands 1,022 0 0.00 no data no data 0
Groote Eylandt 2,443 0 0.00 3,399 no data 0.00

NLWRA 2000

How reliable are irrigation water entitlements in Queensland?

The percentage of years when irrigation entitlements are fully delivered provides a measure of the reliability of the supply. On average, irrigation water entitlements in Queensland are delivered in 79% of years. The percentage of the entitlement delivered in 1999/2000 was 60%.

Table: Entitlement : Irrigation Delivery 1999/2000 - for Irrigation Systems in Australia
State / System Irrigation Entitlement 1999/2000 (GL) % of Years when Entitlement Fully Delivered (%) Irrigation Deliveries 1999/2000 (GL) % of Entitlement actually delivered 1999/2000 (%)
Queensland 220,817 892,687 1,414,295 79
QBBT 30,257 78 16,547 55
QBOT 12,734 85 6,797 54
QBUT 273,775 60 125,329 46
QBRT 381,672 no data 237,075 63
QDVT 52,521 60 34,263 66
QETT 54,072 96 20,462 38
QLRT 13,637 99 7,507 56
QMDT 160,627 72 78,568 50
QLMT 41,040 100 12,506 31
QEMT 168,756 85 164,263 98
QPVT 46,414 95 13,407 29
QPRT 38,079 no data 11,889 32
QSBT 0 no data 27,116 no data
QSGT 71,512 52 84,223 118
QUBT 26,119 89 22,379 86
QUCT 22,322 57 21,259 96
QWVT 20,758 75 9,097 44

ANCID 2000

Further information

Link to Map maker to make a map using this information.

Before you download

Most publications are downloadable as PDF files. Adobe Acrobat Reader  is required to view PDF files.

If you are unable to access a publication, please contact us to organise a suitable alternative format.

Key

   Links to an another web site
   Opens a pop-up window