Gary Jones Chief Executive eWater Adjunct Professor University of Canberra Institute of Applied Ecology Fenner Conference 2013 Population resources amp climate change implications for Australias near future ID: 424233
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Slide1
Balancing water use for food and the environment: Looking to the North based on lessons from the South
Gary Jones
Chief Executive, eWater
Adjunct Professor, University of Canberra
Institute of Applied Ecology
Fenner
Conference 2013
Population, resources & climate change: implications for Australia’s near futureSlide2
Environmental impacts of agriculture
What have we learned from >100 years of agricultural production in southern Australia?
Have we learned enough to expand agriculture in the north without the ecological damage that occurred in the south?
Is there a good case for northern agricultural development?Slide3
RAustralian Water Resources (2005)Slide4
Land clearingSlide5
Land clearing and poor irrigation practices causing salinitySlide6
ErosionSlide7
Sand slugsSlide8
River mouth sedimentation and closureSlide9
Fertiliser run-offSlide10
Dams impact on flow regimeSlide11
Floodplain harvestingSlide12
Low river flows leading to toxic
algal bloomsSlide13
Loss of floodplain inundationSlide14
Loss of hydrologic connectivitySlide15
Decreased flooding leading to loss of
Water Birds from floodplain wetlands Slide16
Fish-passageSlide17
Degraded riparian habitatSlide18
StockimpactsSlide19
Northern AustraliaSlide20Slide21
Northern Australia Land & Water Task Force Final Report (2010)
Key
findings
• There are critical gaps in our knowledge and data sources,
and in
our understanding of Indigenous knowledge.
• Despite high rainfall, the north is seasonally water limited.
• The ability to capture and store surface water for
consumptive use
is constrained by climate and topography.
• The development of groundwater resources provides the best prospect to support new consumptive
uses of
water.
• There are approximately 600 gigalitres of groundwater potentially available across northern
Australia that
could support new consumptive uses.Slide22
Flinders-Gilbert Rivers
May 2013 - Q
DNRM
has granted 6 water
licences
, including three
licences
in the Flinders River catchment
totalling
80,000 megalitres, and three in the Gilbert River catchment
totalling
14,220
megalitres
.Slide23
Developing the North
Liberal Party (June 2013) 2030 Vision for developing northern Australia
Developing a food bowl in Northern Australia which could double Australia’s agricultural production by
2030
CSIRO say 3-4% increase more likely
Australia already produces enough food to feed 60 million people - we export 2/3Slide24
Food export/importSlide25
Integrated groundwater and surfacewater useSlide26
Coastal fisheries dependent on river flowsSlide27
Indigenous water use and cultural valuesSlide28
Agricultural expansion in Northern Australia
We have learned much from >100 years of agricultural production in southern Australia
We probably know enough to expand agriculture in the north without the ecological damage that occurred in the south ….but there are gaps
From a sustainable growth perspective, there appears not to be a strong case for further northern agricultural development - improving productivity in the south may be more beneficial to Australia