4618.0 - Water Use on Australian Farms, 2013-14 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 29/05/2015   
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KEY FIGURES

WATER USE ON AUSTRALIAN FARMS, year ended 30 June 2014
Aust.
NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT
MDB
Non MDB
AGRICULTURAL WATER USE
Agricultural businesses ('000)
128.5
41.1
30.8
26.8
13.3
11.9
3.9
0.5
0.1
50.9
77.5
Agricultural businesses irrigating ('000)
36.2
8.5
10.2
7.5
5.1
3.2
1.6
0.2
0.0
14.5
21.7
Total water use ('000 ML) (a)
11 561.9
4 506.0
2 677.6
2 957.8
763.2
343.9
255.7
57.2
0.4
8 024.7
3 537.2
Water applied for irrigation ('000 ML) (b)
10 730.9
4 295.1
2 519.9
2 702.9
704.6
259.4
231.3
17.5
0.2
7 736.4
2 994.5
Water applied for other agricultural purposes ('000 ML) (c)
831.0
210.9
157.8
255.0
58.6
84.5
24.4
39.7
0.2
288.3
542.7
Change in total water use from 2012-13 (%)
-3.1
-13.4
2.4
12.8
-9.4
6.1
-6.0
13.5
-2.4
-6.4
5.4
SOURCES OF AGRICULTURAL WATER
Irrigation channels or pipelines ('000 ML)
4 395.9
1 945.5
1 442.3
774.1
116.2
95.7
22.2
0.0
0.0
3 493.7
902.1
On-farm dams or tanks ('000 ML)
1 857.7
600.0
185.4
846.0
31.0
82.6
107.9
4.7
0.2
1 210.2
647.6
Rivers, creeks or lakes ('000 ML)
2 979.8
1 261.3
637.4
716.4
237.2
14.2
109.0
4.1
0.2
2 348.5
631.2
Groundwater ('000 ML)
2 087.7
631.9
328.1
575.7
350.6
139.9
13.7
47.7
0.1
863.3
1 224.3
Recycled/re-used from off-farm ('000 ML)
144.5
38.3
57.7
38.7
7.7
0.5
np
0.0
0.0
69.3
75.2
Town or country reticulated mains supply ('000 ML)
84.0
26.5
23.1
3.7
18.9
10.4
1.2
0.1
0.0
33.9
50.1
Other water sources ('000 ML)
12.4
2.5
3.7
3.3
1.5
0.7
0.3
0.5
0.0
5.7
6.7
(a) Includes water applied for irrigation and other agricultural purposes
(b) Includes water applied to pastures and crops
(c) Includes livestock drinking water, dairy or piggery cleaning etc.
np not published

Graph Image for Agricultural water use

Annotation(s): MDB=Murray-Darling Basin

Footnote(s): (a) Includes water applied for irrigation and other agricultural purposes;(b) Includes water applied to pastures and crops;(c) Includes livestock drinking water, dairy or piggery cleaning etc.

Source(s): Water Use on Australian Farms, 2013-14

Graph Image for Sources of Agricultural Water.

Annotation(s): MDB=Murray-Darling Basin

Source(s): Water Use on Australian Farms, 2013-14



KEY POINTS
  • Water use on Australian farms fell 3% to 11.6 million megalitres.
  • Of all states and territories, New South Wales was the biggest user of water for agricultural purposes, using 4.5 million megalitres. Increased water use was recorded in Queensland and Victoria, with more water applied to sugar cane crops in Queensland and to pasture and grazing crops in Victoria.
  • The primary sources of water used for agricultural production were irrigation channels or pipelines and rives, creeks and lakes accounting for 38% and 26% of total usage respectively.
  • Use of recycled water for irrigation accounted for just 1% of total water use, despite a 27% increase to 145,000 megalitres.