Identification of high quality agricultural land in the Mid West region: Stage 1 – Geraldton planning region Second edition
Publication Date
4-2013
Series Number
386
Abstract
The future economic development of agriculture is highly reliant on the availability of two crucial natural resources—land and water. Broadacre agriculture requires continued access to large areas of good quality land receiving enough reliable rainfall to produce crops and pastures. Irrigated agriculture needs smaller areas of suitable land but these must be matched with good supplies of water for irrigation, both to preserve existing production and to allow for expansion. Both industries need land with the greatest capacity for flexibility to continually meet the challenge of changing markets and consumer tastes.
Number of Pages
236
Keywords
Mid West, quality agricultural land, Geraldton
Disciplines
Agriculture | Agronomy and Crop Sciences | Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment | Horticulture | Hydrology | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Soil Science | Systems Biology | Water Resource Management
Recommended Citation
Tille, P J, Stuart-Street, A, and van Gool, D. (2013), Identification of high quality agricultural land in the Mid West region: Stage 1 – Geraldton planning region Second edition. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia, Perth. Report 386.
Comments
This report has been temporarily withdrawn. New information has become available since publication that paints a significantly different picture of potential groundwater resources in the south of the planning region. This new information (HydroConcept Pty Ltd 2018, Groundwater prospectivity in the Midlands Project Area) takes into account data on groundwater quality and potential yields. An updated version is in progress.
This new data will significantly alter the map of potential irrigation resources (Figure 3.21) which in turn will alter the map showing irrigated agriculture potential (Figure 3.22) as well as the determination of the ALA boundaries (Figure 3.24) contained within the report.
Some of the information presented for the individual ALA information sheets in Section 4 will also need to be altered in light of this new data. This in turn will affect the ALA rankings. Of particular significance will be changes to information concerning the Irwin Valley ALA where groundwater resources are restricted by water quality. Further investigations in this area also highlighted deep drainage issues which further reduce the irrigation potential (especially given the water quality).