Western Australia
August 7, 2014
Water, environment and sustainability issues related to potential food production in northern Western Australia have been highlighted at an industry forum in Perth.
Department of Agriculture and Food principal research scientist Richard George presented at the UWA Institute of Agriculture forum on a department review of available land and water in the north and lessons from recent investigations to prove the capability of sustainable food production in the region.
The forum provided an opportunity for a range of perspectives on the feasibility and likely effectiveness of new agricultural developments in this region of the State, which presents different challenges than southern parts of WA.
Dr George said the sustainable use of natural resources was vital in future plans to realise northern Western Australia’s potential for Asia-focused food production.
“The Ord Irrigation Area will be the initial powerhouse of agricultural expansion due to the availability of water and energy infrastructure which enables relatively low-cost production,” Dr George said.
“The Ord region currently has 14,000ha of agricultural land in production and 7,500ha is currently being developed.
“In the north of the State there is presently 30,000ha in production, with an additional 60,000ha, much of which is in the Ord region, in planning.
“Currently, the volume of relatively accessible, low salinity water available in northern WA is approximately 1600GL. Depending on the cropping systems, this amount of water could irrigate more than 100,000ha land.”
Dr George said the department had led land and water assessments and an impact analysis of development on soils, water and downstream environments in the Ord Stage 2 Weaber-Goomig area.
“This major program of data collection and analysis, carried out over four years, was used to underpin the eventual approval by the Commonwealth of the State Government’s Ord Stage 2 proposal,” he said.
“We now have a much better idea of the knowledge and time needed to show how agriculture can exist in such difficult areas, and manage land degradation seen in the past.”
Dr George also described models of agricultural development being proposed.
“Continued development of northern WA for agricultural production will benefit from a combination of Government and private investment,” Dr George said.
“The State Government’s support, via its Royalties for Regions initiative, has provided the ideal opportunity for private businesses to capitalise on partnership opportunities and contribute additional skills and capacity for growth.
“Sustainable irrigation development in the north of our State is possible provided we deliver innovative exploration and assessment systems and build on local cultural and scientific knowledge.”
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