Department of Agriculture and Food Identification of high quality agricultural land in the Mid West region: Stage 1 – Geraldton Planning Region Second edition Resource management technical report 386 Supporting your success Identification of high quality agricultural land in the Mid West region: Stage 1 – Geraldton planning region Second edition, replaces Resource management technical report 384 Resource management technical report 386 Peter Tille, Angela Stuart-Street and Dennis van Gool Copyright © Western Australian Agriculture Authority, 2013 April 2013 ISSN 1039–7205 Cover photo: Young wheat crop growing on the rich alluvial soils of the Greenough flats. (Photo: A. Stuart-Street,) Disclaimer While all reasonable care has been taken in the preparation of the information in this document, the Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture and Food and its officers and the State of Western Australia accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions it may contain, whether caused by negligence or otherwise, or for any loss, however caused, arising from reliance on, or the use or release of, this information or any part of it. Copies of this document are available in alternative formats upon request. 3 Baron-Hay Court, South Perth WA 6151 Tel: (08) 9368 3333 Email: [email protected] agric.wa.gov.au Identification of high quality agricultural land in the Geraldton planning region Contents Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................... v Executive summary ........................................................................................................ vi 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Planning context ............................................................................................ 3 1.2 Prime, priority or high quality agricultural land? ............................................. 3 1.3 Existing interpretive mapping......................................................................... 5 1.4 The HQAL approach ..................................................................................... 9 2. Study area ............................................................................................................. 11 2.1 Local government authorities in the Region ................................................. 11 2.1.1 Agricultural industry in the Region .................................................... 11 2.2 Land and water resources ........................................................................... 15 2.2.1 Climate ............................................................................................ 15 2.2.2 Geology ........................................................................................... 16 2.2.3 Groundwater .................................................................................... 16 2.2.4 Soil-landscapes ................................................................................ 17 2.2.5 Land degradation risks ..................................................................... 20 3. Methods used to evaluate HQAL ......................................................................... 22 3.1 Datasets ...................................................................................................... 22 3.1.1 Land resource data .......................................................................... 22 3.1.2 Climate data ..................................................................................... 27 3.1.3 Groundwater data ............................................................................ 28 3.1.4 CRIS property and client data .......................................................... 28 3.1.5 Remnant vegetation mapping .......................................................... 28 3.1.6 Town planning scheme and public drinking water source area maps29 3.1.7 Agricultural production statistics ....................................................... 29 3.2 Land capability assessment ........................................................................ 29 3.3 High quality agricultural land ....................................................................... 32 3.3.1 Broadacre agriculture potential ........................................................ 33 3.3.2 Irrigated agriculture potential ............................................................ 43 3.3.3 Agricultural land areas ..................................................................... 82 4. Outcomes .............................................................................................................. 91 4.1 Broadacre agriculture .................................................................................. 91 4.1.1 Statewide significance of broadacre agriculture in the Region .......... 95 4.1.2 Comparison of relative wheat yield and ABS production data .......... 95 4.2 Irrigated agriculture ..................................................................................... 97 4.2.1 Current extent of irrigated agriculture in the Region ......................... 97 4.2.2 Statewide significance of irrigated agriculture in the Region ............. 97 4.2.3 Future potential of irrigated agriculture ............................................. 98 4.2.4 Water supplies ............................................................................... 100 4.2.5 Other considerations ...................................................................... 103 4.2.6 Other findings ................................................................................ 104 4.3 Agricultural land areas ............................................................................... 106 Agricultural land area information sheets ................................................................. 111 4.3.1 Knobby Head ALA ......................................................................... 112 4.3.2 Arrowsmith River UCL .................................................................... 114 iii Identification of high quality agricultural land in the Geraldton planning region 4.3.3 Drummonds Crossing ALA ............................................................. 116 4.3.4 Tompkins Road UCL ...................................................................... 118 4.3.5 Lefroy ALA ..................................................................................... 120 4.3.6 South Dongara ALA ....................................................................... 122 4.3.7 Irwin valley ALA ............................................................................. 124 4.3.8 Mt Horner ALA ............................................................................... 126 4.3.9 Allanooka ALA ............................................................................... 128 4.3.10 Geraldton–Dongara ALA ................................................................ 130 4.3.11 Greenough Flats ALA ..................................................................... 132 4.3.12 Casuarina Sandplain ALA .............................................................. 134 4.3.13 Ellendale – Eradu Valley ALA ........................................................ 136 4.3.14 Eradu East Sandplain ALA ............................................................. 138 4.3.15 Mullewa ALA .................................................................................. 140 4.3.16 Pindar ALA ..................................................................................... 142 4.3.17 Naraling Hills ALA .......................................................................... 144 4.3.18 Eradu West Sandplain ALA ............................................................ 146 4.3.19 Moresby Range ALA ...................................................................... 148 4.3.20 Northampton–Chapman ALA ......................................................... 150 4.3.21 Yuna – Binnu Sandplain ALA ......................................................... 152 4.3.22 Ajana – East Yuna Sandplain ALA ................................................. 154 4.3.23 Galena–Wandana ALA .................................................................. 156 4.3.24 Ogilvie Road South ALA................................................................. 158 4.3.25 Horrocks Coast ALA ....................................................................... 160 4.3.26 Hutt River ALA ............................................................................... 162 4.3.27 Christmas Hill ALA ......................................................................... 164 4.3.28 Gregory ALA .................................................................................. 166 4.3.29 Kalbarri ALA ................................................................................... 168 5. HQAL in the Geraldton planning region ............................................................ 169 5.1 Grouping ALAs .......................................................................................... 169 6. Broad guidelines for ALAs ................................................................................. 175 6.1.1 Guideline 1: Groups A, B and C ..................................................... 175 6.1.2 Guideline 2: Groups D, E and F ..................................................... 176 6.1.3 Guideline 3: Group G ..................................................................... 178