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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
What is the extent of off-farm infrastructure used to support irrigation in Queensland?
Irrigation reticulation systems consist of a variety of carriers including, constructed open channels (lined and unlined), natural streams and pipelines (gravity and pressurised to varying degrees). The length of distribution carriers and drainage channels for numerous water supply systems within the State is provided in the table below.
Most of the water supply systems with a majority of natural carriers are in Queensland. Queensland also has the most length of irrigation pipelines, representing 39% of the 2,740 km of pipeline in Australia.
| State | Natural Waterways as Carriers (km) | Length of Supply Channel (km) | Length of Supply Pipeline (km) | Length of Stock & Domestic Supply System (km) | Area Serviced by Surface Drains (ha) | Area Serviced by Sub-Surface Drains (ha) | Replacement Value of Assets 1999/2000 ($'m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queensland | 2,707 | 1,122 | 1,059 | 100 | 741 | 0 | 1,795,358 |
| Barker-Barambah Irrigation Project | 116 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51,696 |
| Boyne River Irrigation Project | 87 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35,862 |
| Bundaberg Irrigation Area | 129 | 99 | 518 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 371,637 |
| Burdekin-Haughton Irrigation Area | 123 | 378 | 35 | 0 | 27,338 | 0 | 417,850 |
| Dawson Valley Irrigation Area | 330 | 46 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50,957 |
| Eton Irrigation Area | 0 | 44 | 146 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 118,376 |
| Logan River Irrigation Project | 125 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41,061 |
| Mareeba Dimbulah Irrigation Area | 276 | 180 | 221 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 210,248 |
| Mary River Irrigation Area | 275 | 12 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 66,703 |
| Nogoa-Mackenzie Irrigation Area | 347 | 103 | 20 | 100 | 17,393 | 500 | 182,521 |
| Pioneer Valley Water Board | 100 | 5 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19,231 |
| Proserpine River Irrigation Project | 35 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56,277 |
| South Burdekin Water Board | 0 | 116 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| St George Irrigation Area | 114 | 114 | 1 | 0 | 10,000 | 0 | 59,495 |
| Upper Burnett Water Supply Scheme | 250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46,509 |
| Upper Condamine Irrigation Project | 280 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49,497 |
| Warrill Valley Irrigation Project | 120 | 18 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17,438 |
ANCID 2000
What are the main irrigation methods used in Queensland?
A range of irrigation methods are used in the State including:
- Flood
- Spray/sprinkle
- Trickle/Drip
- Furrow
There is limited information available on the type of irrigation systems installed on various farms and the resulting environmental and/or production benefits. Available and anecdotal data indicate an increase in the adoption of more efficient water application methods, with the installation of this infrastructure occurring in all Greenfield irrigation districts. The move to more efficient irrigation practices reflects the increasing recognition that water resources are becoming scarcer, with demand for water increasing, and their adoption is a desired outcome for profitability and the environment. More information is required on the extent of adoption of these systems to and observed benefits. It is possible to collect this information as part of the next Australian Bureau of Statistics Agricultural Census.
Further information
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