IRRIGATION WATER USE

In 2007-08, the amount of irrigation water used by Australia's 40 thousand irrigating agricultural businesses decreased 18% to 6,285 gigalitres. Of the 1,351 gigalitre decrease, New South Wales contributed 928 gigalitres, over two thirds of the decrease.

All states/territories reported decreased irrigation water use except Queensland, which remained steady. As a result, Queensland became the largest irrigating state, using 1,843 gigalitres for irrigation in 2007-08.

There were 2 thousand less irrigating agricultural businesses in Australia in 2007-08 than in 2006-07. Nationally, 72 thousand hectares less land was irrigated at a decreased application rate of 3.4 ML/ha.

1.2 IRRIGATION ACTIVITY, by State - 2003-04 to 2007-08
			Agricultural businesses	Agricultural businesses irrigating	Area of agricultural holding	Area irrigated	Volume applied	Application rate
			no.	no.	ha	ha	ML	ML/ha
TOTAL
	Old basis(a)
		2003-04	130 526	40 400	440 109 578	2 402 137	10 441 515	4.3
		2004-05	129 934	35 244	445 148 804	2 404 864	10 084 596	4.2
	New basis(b)
		2005-06	154 681	44 826	434 924 814	2 546 318	10 737 364	4.2
		2006-07	150 817	41 787	425 449 341	1 922 982	7 636 194	4.0
		2007-08(c)	140 704	39 637	417 287 562	1 850 937	6 284 799	3.4
2007-08
	New basis(b)
		New South Wales(d)	44 521	8 974	58 154 425	525 021	1 677 083	3.2
		Victoria	34 177	10 309	12 535 698	427 584	1 332 045	3.1
		Queensland	29 121	9 047	141 057 855	512 774	1 842 729	3.6
		South Australia	14 996	6 114	47 075 615	225 716	880 268	3.9
		Western Australia	13 084	2 720	93 034 706	63 364	284 878	4.5
		Tasmania	4 200	2 185	1 541 487	91 538	252 113	2.8
		Northern Territory	605	288	^63 887 775	^4 940	^15 683	^3.2
^ estimate has a relative standard error of 10% to less than 25% and should be used with caution
(a) Derived using ABS-maintained frame. Refer to Explanatory Notes paragraph 9.
(b) Derived using ABSBR. Refer to Explanatory Notes paragraph 9.
(c) Totals include other pastures or crops not elsewhere classified.
(d) Includes ACT.

Victoria had the greatest number of irrigating agricultural businesses of the states/territories and accounted for 26% of Australia's irrigating businesses. Tasmania had the highest proportion of irrigators (52%) and irrigated agricultural land (6%) in 2007-08.

The area of irrigated agricultural land increased in most states/territories with exception of New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern Territory. These states/territories also recorded the largest drops in the volume of irrigation water applied from 2006-07 to 2007-08 (36%, 19% and 21% respectively).

Of Australia's irrigated agricultural land, 34% (624 thousand hectares) was irrigated by agricultural businesses with an area of holding of 100<500 hectares, and only 3% (54 thousand hectares) by businesses with up to 15 hectares. Only 92 businesses with 25 thousand hectares or more, irrigated their land, and of this, less than 1% of the area of holding was irrigated.

1.3 IRRIGATION ACTIVITY, Australia - by Area of holding - 2007-08
		Agricultural businesses	Agricultural businesses irrigating	Area of agricultural holding	Area irrigated	Volume applied	Application rate
		no.	no.	ha	ha	ML	ML/ha
Area of holding (ha)
	Total	140 704	39 637	417 287 562	1 850 937	6 284 799	3.4
	<15	14 689	9 293	96 293	53 880	191 206	3.5
	15<50	20 665	7 987	647 193	106 562	388 867	3.6
	50<100	17 118	5 518	1 224 722	139 691	449 582	3.2
	100<500	43 117	11 135	10 516 260	623 840	2 071 248	3.3
	500<1,000	15 445	2 628	10 867 143	269 329	865 735	3.2
	1,000<2,500	15 836	1 781	24 459 540	261 922	877 822	3.4
	2,500<25,000	11 749	1 202	78 792 106	340 742	1 192 575	3.5
	25,000>	2 085	^92	290 684 306	54 970	247 763	4.5
^ estimate has a relative standard error of 10% to less than 25% and should be used with caution

The Murray-Darling Basin accounted for 39% of Australia's irrigating agricultural businesses, 52% of all irrigated agricultural land and 50% of irrigation water applied in 2007-08.

The Queensland MDB region was the only MDB region to increase its volume of irrigation water applied in 2007-08 (up 34%). The region also irrigated 61% more agricultural land than in 2006-07, irrigating only 7% less land than in 2005-06.

1.4 IRRIGATION ACTIVITY, Murray-Darling Basin(a) - 2007-08
	Agricultural businesses	Agricultural businesses irrigating	Area of agricultural holding	Area irrigated	Volume applied	Application rate
	no.	no.	ha	ha	ML	ML/ha
MDB in NSW	27 438	4 808	53 662 089	449 690	1 483 874	3.3
MDB in Vic.	17 408	6 846	8 336 251	298 578	937 927	3.1
MDB in Qld	7 472	1 506	29 198 463	136 656	405 615	3.0
MDB in SA	4 269	2 320	4 364 951	72 828	314 243	4.3
MDB	56 586	15 479	95 561 754	957 752	3 141 659	3.3
non MDB	84 118	24 158	321 725 808	893 185	3 143 140	3.5
Australia	140 704	39 637	417 287 562	1 850 937	6 284 799	3.4
(a) Based on NRM regions. Refer to Explanatory Notes paragraph 14.