Introduction to IAL Mapping The Department of Primary Industries, The NSW Department of Primary Industries is Agriculture has developed a consistent method undertaking Important Agricultural Land (IAL) for mapping important agricultural lands to Mapping across nine regions in NSW. The Riverina support strategic planning by local and state Murray in southern NSW, as shown in Figure 1, is governments and industry. The booklet “A one of these regions. The IAL Mapping program guideline to identifying important contributes to the NSW Department of Planning agricultural lands in NSW” describes the and Environment’s regional planning actions that method for mapping important agricultural identify the need to map important agricultural lands. lands in NSW. IAL Mapping utilises biophysical, economic and Knowing where important agricultural land is social factors to identify focus industries, define situated and understanding its requirements, industry criteria, and identify production and land use planning considerations. value and contribution will assist state and local government, organisations and industries with making decisions about current and future agricultural land uses. $1.4 billion - the Riverina Murray makes the largest regional contribution to agricultural production in NSW (DPE 2017a). Agricultural output from the Riverina Murray Figure 1: Location of the Riverina Murray IAL Mapping accounts for 12.7% of all agricultural output in region in southern NSW. NSW and continues to be the most important sector for employment within the Riverina (DPE The Riverina Murray region covers approximately 2017a). Agriculture is a vital part of the economy 115,000 square kilometres, or 14% of NSW (DPI and the ongoing growth of the region. 2018), including twenty local government areas, listed in Table 1. These are: Albury City, Berrigan Regional Features Shire, Bland Shire, Carrathool Shire, Coolamon The Riverina Murray region is located in southern Shire, Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council, NSW, on the border with Victoria. It extends from Edward River Council, Federation Council, Greater the ACT in the east to near Balranald in the west. Hume Shire, Griffith City, Hay Shire, Junee Shire, 1 | NSW Department of Primary Industries, November 2018 Riverina Murray Agricultural Profile Leeton Shire, Lockhart Shire, Murray River Council, Outside of the residential centres there are some Narrandera Shire, Snowy Valley Shire, Temora generally patterns in the farm size across the Shire and Wagga Wagga City. region. In the steep hills of the east (Snowy Valley LGA) farms are smallest in the 300 to 500ha range. The Riverina Murray region has a population of Moving west onto the undulating hills and slopes approximately 268,000 people (ABS 2017a) mainly (Gundagai, Greater Hume) farm size is slightly located in the major urban centres of Wagga larger in the 600ha to 1,000ha range. Through the Wagga, Albury and Griffith. Outside of the major lower slopes and plains (Cootamundra, Coolamon, towns there is a network of smaller towns and Junee, Wagga Wagga, Lockhart), farm size is numerous villages across the Region with close slightly larger in the 1,000ha to 2,000ha range. cross-border connectivity to settlements in Victoria. The total population for the Riverina Through the regions centre (Bland, Narrandera, Murray accounts for a mere 3.6% (ABS 2017a) of and Federation) there is a band of larger farm size the NSW population. in the 3,000ha to 4,000ha range. Moving west into the influence of the irrigation areas property size The size of farms varies greatly across the region decreases slightly (Carrathool, Griffith, depending on location, landscape and production Murrumbidgee, Berrigan) into the 2,000ha to system. The average farm size for each LGA in 3,000ha range. 2016 is shown in Table 2 and the farm size range for each Statistical Area 2 (SA2) is shown in Figure Still influenced by irrigation, but with more 2 (a description of SA2 is provided in the section rangeland, the properties in the south-west of the Economic Contribution). region (Edward River, Murray River) are in the 3,000ha to 4,000ha range. In the far north-west of the region (Hay) properties are largest and typically greater than 7,00ha. Biophysical Features The Riverina Murray region extends from the steep alpine slopes in the east, through the cropping & grazing land of the southern ‘wheat- sheep’ belt at its centre, to wide shrub and grasslands and riverine floodplains in the west. The occurrence of several climate classes, various Figure 2: Average farm size per Statistical Area2 in the terrain and landform types, numerous soils, and Riverina Murray region diverse ecosystems all contribute to the wide variety of biophysical features noted in the region. The mixed zone of rural residential and small farm holdings can be seen around most of the main The three main rivers of the Riverina Murray residential centres. Within a 20km radius of the region are the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Lachlan main urban centres of Wagga Wagga and Albury Rivers, all fed by numerous creeks and tributaries. farm size is very small (<50ha) near the urban The three river systems are part of the greater centre increasing slightly (50 to 100ha) on the Murray-Darling Basin. urban fringe. Around the city of Griffith and the towns of Corowa and Tumut farm size is still small The Riverina Murray region consists of two (100 to 200ha). separate physiographic divisions, as shown in Figure 3, that roughly follow the divide pin- 2 | NSW Department of Primary Industries, November 2018 Riverina Murray Agricultural Profile pointed north to south by the towns of Ardlethan, East – Alps, Highlands and Slopes Narrandera and Corowa (ASRIS 2013). The Alps occurs on the high altitude mountains, ranges and valleys along the eastern edge of The eastern physiographic division is part of the region. The altitude is generally above 1000m. The Eastern Uplands Division of the Kosciuszkan Alps make up just 2% of the Region and are Uplands Province, consisting of ridges, hills and located in the temperate, no dry season (mild tablelands with milder temperatures and higher summer) climate class (BoM 2001). Rainfall tends rainfall. This division is covered by three Interim to be in the 606 to 2344mm range. The mean Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) maximum temperatures fall below -7.00C in winter regions: Australian Alps, South Eastern Highlands and just under 300C in summer. Snow can occur and NSW South West Slopes (herein for the throughout the Alps and persist above 1400m for Riverina Murray region referred to as Alps, months. Frosts may occur throughout the year Highlands & Slopes). (OEH 2016; BoM 2018). A very large proportion of this area is used for conservation (significant proportion of the western side of the Kosciuszko National Park). Forestry is another primary land use. The main agricultural industry is the grazing beef cattle on the less rugged terrain and lower slopes. There are no town or villages in this area. The Highlands occur on the eastern edge of region between the Alps and the South Western Slopes. The altitude is between 400 and 1000m. Figure 3: Physiographic divisions and IBRA regions in the The Highlands make up just 4% of the Region. The Riverina Murray region Highlands are located in the temperate, no dry season (warm summer) climate class (BoM 2001). The western physiographic division is part of the Rainfall tends to be in the 460 to 1880mm range. Interior Lowlands Division of the Murray Lowlands Temperatures fall below -3.00C in winter but rarely Province with plains, dunes and channels, hotter reach over 300C in summer (OEH 2016; BoM temperatures, greater evapotranspiration and 2018). lower rainfall. This division is covered by three IBRA regions: Riverina, Cobar Peneplain and Murray Darling Depression (herein for the Riverina Murray region referred to as Plains, Peneplain & Depression). The dominant east-west divide provided by the physiographic regions correlates well with the noticeable change in primary production and the agricultural systems that have developed. In the IAL mapping this divide has been used to applying specific east or west criteria for selection Image 1: Apple orchard on rolling hills near Batlow with important agricultural land in the focus industries. steeper timbered country in the background. 3 | NSW Department of Primary Industries, November 2018 Riverina Murray Agricultural Profile A large proportion of the Highlands is still used Communities include Cootamundra (318m), for conservation. Forestry is a primary land use. Gundagai (232m), Tumut (305m) and Adelong The main agricultural industry is pome fruit (303m). orchards (around Batlow), the grazing of beef cattle on the less rugged terrain and lower slopes, In the west, the Slopes are characterised by rolling with some valley cropping mainly for stock feed. hills and plains. The altitude is between 150 to Communities include Batlow (775m), Talbingo 330m. The west Slopes are primarily located in the (410m) and Tumbarumba (645m). temperate, no dry season (hot summer) climate class (BoM 2001). Rainfall tends to be in the 500 to 0 The Slopes, being the second largest landscape at 700mm range. Temperatures fall to around 2.0 C 0 34% of the Region, incorporate a variety of in winter and are regularly over 31 C in summer terrains including: undulating rolling hills, slopes (OEH 2016; BoM 2018). and plains, and scattered ranges. The landscape of the west Slopes is extensively In the east, the Slopes are characterised by steep cleared and developed for farming. It includes the hills and well defined valleys. The altitude is prime southern dryland cropping zone with between 300 and 600m. The east Slopes are cereals (wheat, barley, oats and triticale); canola primarily located in the temperate, no dry season and pulses (lupins, faba beans, chickpeas) grown (warm summer) climate class (BoM 2001). Rainfall extensively. There is some irrigation for maize, tends to be in the 600 to 800mm range.