Water Security for Northern Australia - co-design report - Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia

Summary

The CRCNA partnered with the Northern Australian Universities Alliance to fund research into key issues for sustainable utilisation of water resources in Northern Australia.

This program has identified four key focal nodes where pressure for increased water utilisation is high – Gilbert (QLD), Daly-Katherine (NT), Ord (WA), and lower Fitzroy (QLD) – to be the focal nodes for this research program. To determine the most appropriate research questions for each focal node, we undertook a co-design phase with relevant regional stakeholders in each focal node. This co-design phase and its outcomes are described here. The result includes the generation of 15 research projects that are now proposed for funding under the Water Security for Northern Australia program.

Water Security for Northern Australia program: Co-design phase

The Water Security for Northern Australia co-design phase laid the foundation for a long-term, stakeholder-driven research program focused on improving water security and enabling sustainable agricultural development across northern Australia. Delivered through the Northern Australia Universities Alliance (NAUA) – a collaboration between James Cook University, Charles Darwin University and CQUniversity – the project brought together regional expertise to identify the most pressing water and agricultural development challenges across four focal catchments: the Gilbert River catchment in north Queensland, the Lower Fitzroy catchment in central Queensland, the Daly catchment in the Northern Territory and the Ord River Irrigation Area in Western Australia. Through desktop analysis, literature review and extensive stakeholder engagement with industry, landholders, Traditional Owners, government agencies and regional organisations, the project identified shared priorities and place-based research needs across each node. This collaborative process informed the design of an integrated 3.5-year research program focused on practical solutions for water security, agricultural development and improved regional decision-making. The outcome was a cohesive, co-designed research agenda with strong stakeholder support, creating the foundation and implementation for the broader CRCNA Water Security for Northern Australia program (AT.7.2223014).