| The CSIRO’s recent publication Northern Rivers and Dams: A preliminary assessment of surface water storage for Northern Australia provides a challenge to the McGowan Government to consider an expansion of irrigated agriculture in the Kimberley Region.
Shadow Minister for Agriculture Ian Blayney says the CSIRO publication is ground-breaking in that it identifies the potential for the harvesting of both ground and surface water in the Fitzroy River catchment.
According to the CSIRO document, water harvesting in the Fitzroy River catchment could irrigate 160,000 ha of land, in 85 of every 100 years.
“The Fitzroy River also has large contiguous areas of land potentially suitable for irrigated annuals and irrigated perennials, and considerable potential for broad scale irrigated agriculture,” Mr Blayney said.
“Under normal flood conditions the CSIRO estimated the Fitzroy River Alluvium could yield up to 100 GL per year, which would support small-scale irrigation sites such as mosaic irrigation from groundwater. This has the potential to support 30,000 ha of hay production in all years for livestock.
“This document requires further research from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to fully understand the opportunity and risk for irrigated agriculture for dry season cropping in our north.”
Mr Blayney said the potential for growth in food, fibre and animal production, as well as employment, warranted more detailed research.
“The potential for this untapped resource augers well for the economic future of the Kimberley Region,” he said.
“I look forward to a co-ordinated approach to the future development of sustainable, irrigated agriculture industries, underpinned by scientific research, to fuel employment opportunities and jobs growth in the communities of the Kimberley Region.”
Mining and Pastoral Region MP Ken Baston said the CSIRO report provided more evidence of the potential for a sustainable agricultural industry in the Fitzroy Valley catchment area.
“A process of effective consultations with the regions stakeholders and an investigation into infrastructure requirements will help determine the way forward for the West Kimberley,” he said. |
