- Author CRCNA
- Publish date 24 October 2024
- Type Presentations
- Documents
- Water: Making Water Work program
- Water
Summary
Advance Rockhampton hosts the annual Agricultural Leaders event to bring together key stakeholders from across the industry.
Anthony Curro, Chief Executive Strategy and Engagement at the CRCNA presented on the Making Water Work Program, his presentation is available here as a PDF or to view as a digital booklet.
24 October 2024.
Projects
Making Water Work program: Achieving reef water quality requirements in new agricultural developments
The project will assist the expansion of agriculture in the Lower Fitzroy (Central Queensland) by bridging the support gap needed to meet Reef Water Quality requirements. Businesses undergoing material land use changes will have access to expert advice and land management toolkits to help them navigate regulatory constraints, as well as implement appropriate monitoring and record-keeping practices necessary for sustainable production and operation. This mechanism for continuous improvement will support the industry and be tailored to the specific needs of the region.
Making Water Work : Integrating nutrient, waste and energy streams in agriculture development through hyacinth harvest and processing
Water hyacinth is an invasive aquatic weed that was introduced into the Fitzroy River in Central Queensland as an ornamental plant. However, once established in waterways, its long-term impact is significant due to its rapid growth rate, dense biomass, and long-lived seeds. This project aims to identify and evaluate methods for the beneficial reuse of water hyacinth in the Fitzroy River. This includes exploring its potential as a vector for nutrient removal from the waterway, thereby contributing to improved water quality flowing to the Great Barrier Reef.
Making Water Work program: Mobilising strong water governance arrangements
The construction of Rookwood Weir on the Fitzroy River is expected to deliver up to 72,000 ML of water, with approximately half allocated to agricultural use. These new water supplies are in addition to existing storages at the Fitzroy River Barrage and Eden Bann Weir, as well as allocations of supplemented water. However, the system is complex due to three separate water ownership structures – Queensland Government, Sunwater, and Rockhampton Regional Council – with limited transparency around private water sales and no formal or informal networks among irrigators to advance their interests. Currently, there is limited potential for efficient management as the irrigation sector develops in the Lower Fitzroy, primarily because there is no unified group representing irrigator interests. Additionally, the ability to transfer water to its highest-value use through market transactions is constrained by the fragmented ownership and underdeveloped market structures. Strong water governance arrangements are required the to ensure water use is effective, efficient, and inclusive. This research addressed three core challenges: Lack of irrigator involvement in system management decisions. This was addressed by working with landholders to form a relevant network or organisation to engage with key system management issues. Limited coordination among the three entities (potentially four, including the Gladstone Area Water Board). Solutions explored included improved coordination, complementary systems, or the establishment of a single operating system. Underdeveloped water trading mechanisms, which were addressed by identifying deficiencies in market information, platform access and consistencies between ownership structures.
Making Water Work program: Defining a Supply Chain for Lower Fitzroy
Providing water for irrigation alone is not sufficient to guarantee agricultural development, as new enterprises depend on a complex network of services, innovation and infrastructure to justify investment. These requirements are difficult to predict – particularly in northern Australia, where there are limited examples of irrigation precincts being developed. This project established a vision and actionable steps to guide the development of an agricultural precinct based on water resources in the Lower Fitzroy region of Central Queensland. It identified and mapped the potential for additional water resources in the region, assessed potential agricultural uses and demand, and integrated these analyses spatially to predict the most likely precincts and nodes for future development. Potential supply chains to support this development were also mapped to assess the depth of potential support. Investor analysis and engagement were undertaken to promote interest in the region. While the project focused on the Lower Fitzroy, this case study has selected with the intention of extrapolating the results to other regions across northern Australia. The key objective was to identify the range of issues involved in water supply, development, supply chains, and investment, and to provide templates for future analysis in other locations.
Making Water Work program: Visionary land use planning to facilitate development precincts
This project is one of five sub-projects designed to support the broader Making Water Work (MWW) business case for the new Rookwood Weir development in Rockhampton, Central Queensland. The business case represents the Rockhampton region’s wider integrated approach to maximising the economic, social, environmental and cultural value from the new Rookwood Weir development and other available sources of water sources. The broader MWW agenda includes co-investment from the Queensland Government through its Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) and seeks to highlight the: The need to deliver high-value water security in the region. The opportunity to unlock significant unmet agriculture export and domestic demand. The potential to create new jobs through agricultural development, food manufacturing and export of agricultural products and materials. The existence of important agricultural and pastoral development opportunities in the Rockhampton Regional Council area and the Lower Fitzroy. Growing policy and consumer pressure for a more circular and value-rich agricultural economy, particularly in the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. Specifically, the visionary land use project confirmed the extent of landholders interest in irrigation water in the target South Yamba area. It assessed suitable land uses, irrigated area potential, resultant water demand, production value, economic analysis, and community benefits. A structured engagement process and preferred option study were applied to develop an optimised concept design for delivering an irrigation scheme, along with preliminary capital and operating cost estimates. The project also considered the impact on associated infrastructure and supply chains and explored consequent needs.