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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.
Irrigation - Queensland
Queensland
Extent of irrigation in Queensland
The total area irrigated in Queensland increased by 17,030 hectares or 4% from 1992/93 (386,740 ha) to 1996/97 (403,775 ha). Queensland is the only State with an observed increase in irrigated area between these two years. The extent of change in irrigated area varies significantly across river basins, with a decrease observed in some basins.
The area irrigated has been estimated using 2 methods - 1) by aggregating ABS SLA statistics to AWRC Basins; and 2) using ANCID Australian Irrigator Provider Benchmarking Statistics reporting area irrigated in 48 systems nationally.
Because irrigation systems reported by ANCID may straddle several AWRC Basins, area irrigated is reported for all Basins and Systems in each State. The difference between the reported State / Territory totals in 1) and 2) shows the extent of irrigated area not reported by ANCID in addition to irrigation occurring outside designated systems.
| Basin | Area Irrigated 1983/84 (ha) | Area Irrigated 1992/93 (ha) | Area Irrigated 1996/97 (ha) | Change in Area Irrigated 1992/93 - 1996/97 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QLD | 254,431 | 386,741 | 403,775 | 4.40 |
| Georgina River (Qld) | 2 | 2 | 23 | 1,248.04 |
| Diamantina River (Qld) | 106 | 74 | 61 | -17.26 |
| Cooper Creek (Qld) | 293 | 379 | 250 | -34.16 |
| Lake Frome (Qld) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Hay River (Qld) | 1 | 1 | 0 | -90.91 |
| Bulloo River (Qld) | 1 | 3 | 2 | -47.20 |
| Jacky Jacky Creek | 2 | 11 | 11 | 1.97 |
| Olive / Pascoe Rivers | 3 | 18 | 18 | 2.07 |
| Lockhart River | 2 | 13 | 13 | 2.07 |
| Stewart River | 2 | 12 | 12 | 1.98 |
| Normanby River | 14 | 104 | 105 | 1.11 |
| Jeannie River | 2 | 15 | 16 | 2.00 |
| Endeavour River | 2 | 9 | 9 | 1.95 |
| Daintree River | 186 | 327 | 135 | -58.68 |
| Mossman River | 62 | 227 | 35 | -84.80 |
| Barron River | 1,364 | 3,793 | 3,596 | -5.18 |
| Mulgrave - Russell River | 1,403 | 2,235 | 2,345 | 4.96 |
| Johnstone River | 1,181 | 3,652 | 3,413 | -6.54 |
| Tully River | 543 | 1,364 | 1,313 | -3.75 |
| Murray River (Qld) | 464 | 1,153 | 1,099 | -4.65 |
| Hinchinbrook Island | 207 | 473 | 439 | -7.25 |
| Herbert River | 2,500 | 4,255 | 3,617 | -15.00 |
| Black River | 735 | 871 | 2,347 | 169.51 |
| Ross River | 963 | 1,423 | 1,673 | 17.56 |
| Haughton River | 16,714 | 24,406 | 30,511 | 25.02 |
| Burdekin River | 25,009 | 38,385 | 43,347 | 12.93 |
| Don River | 2,972 | 4,461 | 5,648 | 26.61 |
| Proserpine River | 4,098 | 6,408 | 7,886 | 23.07 |
| Whitsunday Island | 310 | 485 | 596 | 22.96 |
| O'Connell River | 11,995 | 18,912 | 19,455 | 2.87 |
| Pioneer River | 4,048 | 7,872 | 7,861 | -0.15 |
| Plane Creek | 4,268 | 8,413 | 9,346 | 11.08 |
| Styx River | 133 | 319 | 406 | 27.23 |
| Shoalwater Creek | 201 | 401 | 574 | 43.14 |
| Water Park Creek | 101 | 202 | 289 | 43.15 |
| Fitzroy River (Qld) | 24,354 | 39,911 | 36,587 | -8.33 |
| Curtis Island | 59 | 102 | 26 | -74.85 |
| Calliope River | 208 | 384 | 245 | -36.10 |
| Boyne River | 264 | 497 | 438 | -11.76 |
| Baffle Creek | 6,513 | 7,427 | 7,005 | -5.69 |
| Kolan River | 13,751 | 15,477 | 14,358 | -7.23 |
| Burnett River | 18,313 | 25,842 | 24,878 | -3.73 |
| Burrum River | 10,518 | 16,421 | 18,168 | 10.64 |
| Mary River (Qld) | 8,532 | 9,942 | 10,153 | 2.12 |
| Fraser Island | 203 | 375 | 608 | 62.32 |
| Noosa River | 1,513 | 2,010 | 2,256 | 12.23 |
| Maroochy River | 1,254 | 1,848 | 1,766 | -4.44 |
| Pine River | 866 | 817 | 1,123 | 37.61 |
| Brisbane River | 26,481 | 27,842 | 23,696 | -14.89 |
| Stradbroke Island | 424 | 414 | 502 | 21.23 |
| Logan - Albert Rivers | 5,596 | 8,069 | 8,264 | 2.41 |
| South Coast | 940 | 1,784 | 1,387 | -22.26 |
| Border Rivers (QLD) | 11,538 | 25,821 | 27,431 | 6.24 |
| Moonie River (Qld) | 2,520 | 4,949 | 7,185 | 45.18 |
| Condamine - Culgoa Rivers (QLD) | 34,406 | 56,617 | 60,666 | 7.15 |
| Warrego River (Qld) | 14 | 28 | 85 | 202.75 |
| Paroo River (Qld) | 9 | 11 | 6 | -45.14 |
| Settlement Creek (Qld) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Mornington Island | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Nicholson River (Qld) | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Leichhardt River | 6 | 3 | 13 | 425.54 |
| Morning Inlet | 1 | 2 | 1 | -25.20 |
| Flinders River | 46 | 105 | 139 | 32.69 |
| Norman River | 5 | 15 | 25 | 71.99 |
| Gilbert River | 51 | 73 | 165 | 127.76 |
| Staaten River | 1,434 | 2,148 | 2,255 | 4.97 |
| Mitchell River (WA) | 3,555 | 5,400 | 5,669 | 4.98 |
| Coleman River | 7 | 47 | 48 | 1.73 |
| Holroyd River | 5 | 37 | 37 | 0.74 |
| Archer River | 7 | 48 | 48 | 0.59 |
| Watson River | 2 | 11 | 10 | -4.08 |
| Embley River | 3 | 17 | 17 | 0.80 |
| Wenlock River | 4 | 31 | 32 | 2.00 |
| Ducie River | 4 | 28 | 29 | 2.03 |
| Jardine River | 2 | 12 | 12 | 1.98 |
| Torres Strait Islands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Groote Eylandt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
ABS AgStats 97, 93 & 84 (concorded to 1996/97 SLA boundaries by BRS)
The total consumption of water for irrigation in Queensland represents 65% of the total water use in the State. In 1996/97, an estimated 2,978 GL of water was used to irrigate 403,775 ha. This represents about 17% of the total volume of water used for irrigation in Australia and approximately 20% of the total national irrigated area. Sugar ane accounts for 34% of the irrigated area, cotton 18%, pasture 10% and other crops 22%. Cereals, vegetables and fruit account for less than 6% each.
Since 1983/84 the total irrigated area has increased by 149,344 ha, or 59% and water usage has increased by 1,778 GL/yr or almost two and half times.
The gross value of irrigated production in 1996/97 was estimated at $1,918 million, representing 23.6% of the national total.
On average, 69% of the total area within the irrigation water supply systems in Queensland is irrigated each year. The extent of irrigation in a particular year depends on a number of factors including fluctuating commodity prices, climate, production potential of the land and water availability.
| Irrigation System | Total Area in System 1999/2000 (ha) | Actual Area Irrigated 1999/2000 (ha) | Area Irrigated (10 Year Average) (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|
| QLD | 321,030 | 266,267 | 220,817 |
| Barker-Barambah Irrigation Project | 8,650 | 8,650 | 4,900 |
| Boyne River Irrigation Project | 3,265 | 3,265 | 2,025 |
| Bundaberg Irrigation Area | 65,000 | 59,200 | 56,969 |
| Burdekin-Haughton Irrigation Area | 45,766 | 45,766 | 27,114 |
| Dawson Valley Irrigation Area | 7,529 | 7,529 | 7,342 |
| Eton Irrigation Area | 15,000 | 15,000 | 14,385 |
| Logan River Irrigation Project | 4,000 | 4,000 | 3,590 |
| Mareeba Dimbulah Irrigation Area | 21,800 | 21,800 | 16,220 |
| Mary River Irrigation Area | 19,110 | 19,110 | 12,130 |
| Nogoa-Mackenzie Irrigation Area | 24,710 | 24,710 | 19,933 |
| Pioneer Valley Water Board | 15,000 | 0 | 0 |
| Proserpine River Irrigation Project | 11,250 | 11,250 | 11,250 |
| South Burdekin Water Board | 27,450 | 13,437 | 0 |
| St George Irrigation Area | 20,000 | 13,400 | 13,039 |
| Upper Burnett Water Supply Scheme | 3,480 | 3,480 | 2,900 |
| Upper Condamine Irrigation Project | 20,850 | 7,500 | 20,850 |
| Warrill Valley Irrigation Project | 8,170 | 8,170 | 8,170 |
ANCID 2000
Further information
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