A report by CEDA says the food supply chain for irrigated agriculture is key to ensuring Australia can take advantage of increasing international food demands.
CEDA’s Australian Water Project report includes key recommendation around agriculture, environmental and urban water use.
CEDA Chief Executive, Professor the Hon. Stephen Martin says the report provides ‘recommendations for government to ensure more efficient and productive water use.’
“We are now in a period of relative water abundance and this is the perfect time to review the lessons of the recent extended drought, identify policy failures and implement water policy reform before the next drought begins,” he said.
Joint editor of the report and Uniwater, director, Professor John Langford said increasing food demand from Asia presented significant export opportunities for Australia.
“That is why a key recommendation of the report is a full review of the food supply chain, from international markets back to water supply for crops. This review should include stress testing, by increasing demand and reducing water availability, and examining trade policies, transport, storage and water infrastructure to identify and remedy blockages and constraints,” he said.
The issue of water irrigation and sustainable agricultural practices has been a growing concern as questions arise about how Australia can best cope with the growing demand from Asia.
Just this week, Cloncurry mayor Andrew Daniels says an irrigation sector is needed for his region which could also be used to service the town’s new beef abattoir.
"There's something like 124,000 megalitres on average goes down the Cloncurry River.
"If we can get 250 or 300 megalitre storages – three or four of them – to get pilot projects up and running, I think that will be sufficient. It won't have any environmental impact."
Daniels says irrigation would help to ensure cattle properties were sustainable.
In July, the Queensland Government announced plans to irrigate fertile land by using two untamed rivers out of the Gulf of Carpentaria, as plans to become Asia’s foodbowl started to take shape.
Under the outback Queensland plan, graziers and farmers are hoping to turn the black soil country lining the Flinders and Gilbert rivers into a hub for growing water-intensive crops including rice, cotton, beans and corn.
Up to 10 000 hectares of land would be opened up to irrigation under the plan, with 80 000ML coming from the Flinders and 15,000ML from the Gilbert in unallocated water reserves.
Other recommendations in the CEDA report include:
• Better funding and coordination of environmental water allocation, measuring and analysis
• Sustainable diversion limits set prior to water entitlement sales
• Insurance premiums to be quantified to guide augmentation and pricing decisions.
A full copy of the report can be found here.