The Mighty Burdekin River Catchment to the Sea Cr. Bill LOWIS Mayor of Burdekin Shire Council And Chair of Burdekin Water Futures Queensland, Australia Burdekin “Healthy River, Healthy Economy” Burdekin’s main towns Ayr Home Hill The Burdekin is close to North Queensland’s major city centre Townsville Easy access to Townsville Airport and Shipping Port The Burdekin District v Populaon approximately 18,000 v Area – 5,043 square metres v Annual rainfall – about 1,000 millimetres v Major land use – agriculture The Mighty Burdekin River And Bridge the “Silver Link” Burdekin River flowing from the catchment Burdekin River Delta reaching the sea and Cape Upstart Burdekin River is dry for most of the year PHOTO – The Mighty Burdekin River An impressive sight in flood Black Snow Liquid Gold BURDEKIN FALLS DAM v Built as part of the Burdekin River Project v 876 metres long v 504 metres spillway v 40 metres drop to riverbed v Largest dam in Queensland holding 1.8 megalitres of water at full capacity v 4 Nmes amount of water in Sydney Harbour Lake Dalrymple Crocodile Barramundi ØBurdekin is the site of some of Queensland’s earliest irrigaon efforts IRRIGATION ØFirst wells tapped in 1884 ØTotal land now under IN THE irrigaon has expanded to some 80,000 hectares BURDEKIN ØIrrigaon development through Burdekin River Project now know as Burdekin Haughton Water Supply Scheme Tom Fenwick Pump Staon Burdekin Haughton Water Supply Scheme Cost - $580 million Clare Weir Pump Staon Largest land and water conservaon project in Queensland Ø Hydrology - Complex fresh Lower groundwater hydrology dominated by Burdekin Burdekin River. Ø ArKficial Recharge – Water Managed aquifer recharge developed to maintain manages part of groundwater levels and the coastal plain minimise threat of known as seawater intrusion. Ø Groundwater Quality – the Burdekin monitoring. River Delta Ø Groundwater Use – Most which contains pumped groundwater is a mulN-layered used for irrigaon of sugar aquifer system cane. Lower Burdekin Water Recharge Pits Recharge Pits Some strategically individual located over recharge underlying coarse pit areas sands and when may clean water is recharge diverted from river as much to recharge pits, it as 20 naturally megalitres percolates into per day. aquifer. Irrigaon Complex Burdekin River water systems and stakeholders • Water Managers • Government Agencies • Research Bodies • Natural Resource Groups MEMBERSHIP OF BURDEKIN WATER FUTURES BSC - Local authority managing the Burdekin district with a vested interest in ensuring the long term sustainability of our valuable natural resources. BBIFMAC - promotes an integrated, strategic and community-driven approach to the management of natural resources. They support the sustainable development of primary industries and the local economy for the long term benefit of present and future generations. BRIA Irrigators Ltd. – A committee of farmers in the Burdekin River Irrigation Area representing the interests of irrigators dependent on water supplies to grow their crops. CSIRO - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation shapes the future. They do this by using science to solve real issues. CSIRO Scientific research is helping the community better understand the mighty Burdekin River system and how it works. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) - The Queensland Government’s DAF through its Research & Development and Extension platforms, continues to support agricultural industry development opportunities in the Burdekin; and the uptake of best practice farming systems capable of improving both enterprise and sector level resilience, business, and environmental performance. Department of Natural Resources and Mines (DNRM) – The Queensland Government’s DNRM regulates the State’s surface water as well as groundwater within management areas. Lower Burdekin Water (LBW) - LBW is a category two water authority which is an autonomous statutory body funded by growers and industry. NQ Dry Tropics - an independent, not-for-profit organisation that is committed to sustaining our region’s natural resources for the benefit of current and future generations. SunWater - a government owned corporation, operates the Burdekin- Haughton Water Supply Scheme (BHWSS). TropWater - The Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research is Australia’s premier tropical aquatic research group. They undertake influential research in fields related to water science, resource management and the ecology of water ecosystems. Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) - Australia’s tropical marine research agency. Life does not exist without good clean healthy water! In 2012 Burdekin Shire Council received Orica Australia Award for “Best TasKng Tap Water In Queensland” The Burdekin is famous for its prized fish - Barramundi The prize from a good day’s fishing with my son Paul WILD CAUGHT BARRAMUNDI Great Barrier Reef Lagoon and healthy waterways ü Burdekin River Delta area with ouelow arrows to the Great Barrier Reef ü ProacNve approach to understanding natural process and applied technology supports the health of the region’s river. Healthy reef and river waters, FantasNc fishing The Burdekin is the largest sugar producing region in Australia THE BOUNTIFUL BURDEKIN ACHACHA BASIL CASSAVA PUMPKINS ROCKMELONS EGGPLANT MANGOES KFSU Ltd. is the Burdekin based first company to business bring a KFSU Ltd. commercial leading the field sugar cane in value-adding dietary fibre to to an exisNng the internaonal industry market with KFibre Thriving Pastoral Industry Produces up to 900 tonnes of premium black ger prawns annually The only Australian company farming 150 tonnes of award winning Cobia annually MBD Energy working with James Cook University and Pacific Reef Fisheries to develop a bioremediaon process to clean pond water at PRF’s Ayr site. MBD Energy Bio-remediaon process to clean pond water at Pacific Reef Fisheries Prawn and Cobia Farm SunRice Growing, harvesNng and packaging rice in the Burdekin The Mighty Burdekin River The community is working together to ensure the long-term sustainability of the region. We are growing the region and we do have a healthy river system and a healthy economy. The Mighty Burdekin River Healthy River producing a Healthy Economy! See us at Booth No. 5 .