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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 - Western Australia
Western Australia
Extent of irrigation in Western Australia
The overall area irrigated in Western Australia has decreased by 3,040 hectares or 9% from 1992/93 (33,484 ha) to 1996/97 (30,444 ha). The extent of change in irrigated area varies significantly across river basins, with an increase 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WA | 25,697 | 33,485 | 30,444 | -9.08 |
| Nullarbor (WA) | 10 | 2 | 1 | -28.18 |
| Warburton (WA) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1,333.33 |
| Salt Lake | 58 | 33 | 5 | -87.26 |
| Sandy Desert | 21 | 55 | 75 | 37.94 |
| Mackay (WA) | 7 | 5 | 4 | -24.71 |
| Esperance Coast | 17 | 4 | 2 | -47.77 |
| Albany Coast | 245 | 2,508 | 330 | -86.87 |
| Denmark River | 93 | 152 | 141 | -7.51 |
| Kent River | 84 | 141 | 115 | -18.38 |
| Frankland River | 177 | 210 | 268 | 27.87 |
| Shannon River | 872 | 1,222 | 1,527 | 24.91 |
| Warren River | 778 | 1,105 | 1,328 | 20.27 |
| Donnelly River | 236 | 339 | 475 | 39.98 |
| Blackwood River | 998 | 1,143 | 1,493 | 30.58 |
| Busselton Coast | 1,243 | 1,475 | 2,451 | 66.22 |
| Preston River | 1,807 | 1,859 | 1,683 | -9.50 |
| Collie River | 3,296 | 3,753 | 3,236 | -13.77 |
| Harvey River | 5,013 | 5,308 | 4,397 | -17.17 |
| Murray River (WA) | 1,866 | 2,387 | 1,760 | -26.26 |
| Avon River | 517 | 355 | 33 | -90.76 |
| Swan Coast | 2,818 | 3,335 | 3,051 | -8.51 |
| Moore-Hill Rivers | 1,041 | 1,547 | 1,198 | -22.53 |
| Yarra Yarra Lakes | 1,420 | 93 | 8 | -91.86 |
| Ninghan | 10 | 1 | 2 | 558.01 |
| Greenough River | 195 | 374 | 80 | -78.86 |
| Murchison River | 10 | 100 | 38 | -62.59 |
| Wooramel River | 87 | 150 | 110 | -26.33 |
| Gascoyne River | 57 | 99 | 69 | -30.53 |
| Lyndon-Minilya Rivers | 341 | 579 | 416 | -28.08 |
| Ashburton River | 2 | 3 | 1 | -91.18 |
| Onslow Coast | 1 | 1 | 1 | 355.45 |
| Fortescue River | 1 | 1 | 3 | 304.42 |
| Port Hedland Coast | 3 | 2 | 9 | 382.01 |
| De Grey River | 1 | 1 | 4 | 330.35 |
| Cape Leveque Coast | 3 | 22 | 37 | 72.51 |
| Fitzroy River (WA) | 113 | 233 | 270 | 15.90 |
| Lennard River | 3 | 3 | 1 | -79.39 |
| Isdell River | 15 | 28 | 31 | 10.22 |
| Prince Regent River | 250 | 551 | 660 | 19.84 |
| King Edward River | 333 | 736 | 882 | 19.89 |
| Drysdale River | 492 | 1,086 | 1,302 | 19.89 |
| Pentecost River | 548 | 1,211 | 1,451 | 19.89 |
| Ord River (WA) | 412 | 907 | 1,086 | 19.68 |
| Keep River (WA) | 111 | 246 | 294 | 19.89 |
ABS AgStats 97, 93 & 84 (concorded to 1996/97 SLA boundaries by BRS)
The total consumption of water for irrigation in Western Australia represents 40% of the total water use in the State. In 1996/97, an estimated 710 GL of water was used to irrigate 30,444 ha. This represents 4% of the total volume of water used for irrigation in Australia and 1.5 % of the total national irrigated area. Pasture accounts for 34% of the irrigated area, vegetables 24% and fruit 16%. Other significant culture types include sugar cane (9%), cereals (6%) and other crops (8%).
Since 1983/84 the total irrigated area has increased by 4,747 ha, or 18% and water usage has increased by 372 GL/yr or two-fold.
The gross value of irrigated production in 1996/97 was estimated at $378 million, representing 4.6% of the national total.
On average, 20% of the total area within the irrigation water supply systems in Western Australia 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| WA | 127,000 | 23,730 | 24,871 |
| Gascoyne Irrigation District (Carnarvon) | 2,000 | 950 | 950 |
| Ord Irrigation Co-operative | 13,000 | 13,000 | 13,000 |
| South West Irrigation | 112,000 | 9,780 | 10,921 |
ANCID 2000
Further information
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