Fitzroy NRM region

The Fitzroy NRM spans 6 catchments and covers 15.6 million hectares of which 11.7 million hectares is land used mainly for agricultural production. The Fitzroy River catchment extends approximately 450km into central Queensland and makes up the vast majority of the NRM region, with other catchments clustered along the coast. Beef cattle grazing and horticulture are the most common agricultural activities in this region.

				AGRICULTURAL LAND USE AND SELECTED PRACTICES
	Total Catchment area	Holdings in the catchment		Land used mainly for agricultural production	Land area over which herbicides were used (a)	Fertiliser applied	Maintained at least 40% ground cover in riparian areas
	Ha.	Number		Ha.	Ha.	Tonnes	Percent
Styx River	302,716	53		235,299	207	4	46.3
Shoalwater Creek	370,409	37		170,532	0	395	56.8
Water Park Creek	176,914	89		16,856	325	392	36.6
Fitzroy River (Qld)	14,293,924	3,860		10,948,235	522,559	50,093	33.2
Calliope River	221,404	162		146,271	2,221	173	20.8
Boyne River	248,058	127		158,813	3,653	62	40.3
Total Fitzroy NRM	15,613,425	4,328		11,676,007	528,964	51,118	33.4
Source: Land Management Practices in the Great Barrier Reef Catchments, Preliminary, 2008-09 (cat. no. 4619.0).

(a) Does not include any area that had herbicide applied using spot spraying.




Styx River catchment

The Styx River catchment is located about 150km north-west of Rockhampton. Land used mainly for agricultural production covers 78% of the catchment. It has 53 agricultural holdings, all grazing beef cattle with a small number also engaged in horticulture.

Approximately a quarter (26%) of the holdings grazing beef cattle actively controlled stock access to riparian areas.

Shoalwater Creek catchment

The Shoalwater Creek catchment is located about 80km north of Rockhampton. The Shoalwater Bay Military Area covers 285,300 hectares in this, and the neighbouring Water Park Creek catchment. Land used for agricultural production covers much of the rest of the catchment (46% in total). Beef cattle grazing accounts for all but a minor proportion of the agricultural activity undertaken by the holdings in this catchment.

In this catchment 24% of holdings grazing beef cattle actively controlled stock access to riparian areas. A significant number of holdings (24%) reported no rivers or creeks on the holding.

Water Park Creek catchment

Water Park Creek catchment is a small narrow coastal strip with Yeppoon being the major population centre. Like the adjacent Shoalwater creek catchment, it contains land used by the Australian Defence Forces. Just 10% of land in the catchment is used mainly for agricultural production with horticulture and beef cattle grazing the two activities of note.

In this catchment 37% of holdings with horticultural activity reported using alternate or cover crops (37%) and 33% reported the use of permanent traffic lanes (33%).

Just over half (51%) of the holdings in the catchment reported grazing cattle. The total area grazed was 15,566 hectares with grazing on 5,193 hectares of improved pastures.

Fitzroy River (Qld) catchment

The Fitzroy River catchment covers 14.3 million hectares and is the largest catchment discharging into the Great Barrier Reef. The Fitzroy River catchment's western boundary is the Carnarvon ranges west of Emerald in central Queensland. The river discharges into the ocean 40km east of Rockhampton, the largest city in the catchment. Land used mainly for agricultural production accounts for 77% of the catchment area. Beef cattle grazing is the main agricultural activity, with significant amounts of broadacre cropping also present.

Just over half (52%) of the holdings in this catchment ensured at least 40% ground cover remained on paddocks at the end of the 2008 dry season. Contour banks, diversion banks or constructed waterways (36% of holdings), and the maintenance of at least 40% ground cover in riparian areas (33%), were the other major surface water run-off management practices applied in this catchment.

In this catchment 22% of holdings grazing beef cattle reported actively controlled stock access to riparian areas and 13% of holdings ensured their riparian areas were fully fenced off from livestock and alternate water points established.

Minimal zonal till was used on 206,978 hectares, zero till on 163,152 hectares, and full cultivation on 77,478 hectares by holdings preparing land for broadacre crops and/or cotton . Leaving stubble intact on 245,989 hectares was the predominant practice employed in the management of crop residue or stubble.

Calliope River catchment

The Calliope River catchment is a small catchment running inland from Gladstone to the Calliope Range. Land used mainly for agricultural production accounts for 66% of the catchment area. The most common agricultural activity is beef cattle grazing with a small amount of horticulture also present.

For those holdings reporting beef cattle, rates of adoption of riparian management practices were similar to Fitzroy River catchment with 25% of holdings actively controlling stock access to riparian areas and 12% of holdings ensured that their riparian areas were fully fenced off from livestock and alternate water points established.

Boyne River catchment

The Boyne River catchment is located just south of Gladstone. Land used mainly for agricultural production accounts for 64% of the catchment area, with beef cattle grazing accounting for all but a minor proportion of this area.

Only 10% of holdings grazing beef cattle ensured that their riparian areas were fully fenced off and alternate water points established.