Northern Australia sustainable yields
| Objective: | To assess the groundwater and surface water resources from Broome to Cairns providing critical information on current and likely future water availability in Northern Australia. The project will provide an assessment of water availability under current and future climate scenarios and predicted future water resource development. |
| Funding: | $6 million plus applicable GST from the Australian Government |
| Jurisdiction: | All catchments and groundwater resources discharging into the Timor Sea, Arafura Sea, the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Coral Sea north of Cairns. |
| Commencing: | September 2008 |
| Completed: | August 2009. Read the final report for this project. |
About the project
In March 2008, the Council of Australian Governments agreed to expand the CSIRO assessment of Sustainable Yields in the Murray-Darling Basin so that, for the first time, Australia would have a comprehensive scientific assessment of water yield in all major water systems across the country to allow a consistent analytical framework for water policy decisions across the nation.
The Northern Australia Sustainable Yields project formed part of the Northern Australia Water Futures Assessment (NAWFA), a Commonwealth Government Initiative. The objective was to develop an enduring knowledge base to inform decisions about development of Northern Australia's water resources, so that any development proceeds in an ecologically, culturally and economically sustainable manner.
Funded by the National Water Commission, the Northern Australia Sustainable Yields project complemented Northern Australian governments' programs for water investigation, analysis and management so that the results can be used in regional and statutory water management plans.
The project assessed the surface water and groundwater resources of this region with an emphasis on current and potential development and recognition of the ecological, social and cultural assets within the region.
The Northern Australia Sustainable Yields project used sophisticated computer models with information supplied by state jurisdictions to assess water resources on an individual catchment and aquifer basis, providing an assessment of the impact of current and future predicted water resource development at key locations. It investigated water resources using four different scenarios:
- historical climate and current development
- recent climate (of the past 10 years) and current development
- future climate (2030) and current development
- future climate (2030) and future development.
The project took into account the unique seasonal characteristics and the interconnectivity of surface and groundwater systems in Northern Australia and gave advice on how these impact on water availability.
The project also assessed water storage options in agreed catchments, including the storage of water in aquifers.
Project benefits
The Northern Australia Sustainable Yields project is the most comprehensive assessment of water availability across northern Australia ever undertaken. Northern Australia has a highly seasonal rainfall pattern, with intense monsoonal rains in summer, and little rain through winter.
These characteristics make water management difficult, but help support rich and diverse ecological habitats, and provide nutrients to the oceans to help support extensive fisheries. The project has provided important information to help governments, industry and communities consider the environmental, social and economic aspects of the sustainable use and management of the water assets of Northern Australia.
For this study, CSIRO developed transparent, consistent and robust methodologies for determining the extent of available water resources in the catchments/aquifers of the study area, including guidance on:
- how to utilise the historic flow records used in surface water models and the recharge assumptions used in groundwater models, to factor in climate change and other risks
- how to address the interaction between surface and groundwater systems
- appropriate models/methodologies to use in regions that do not have existing surface water or groundwater models and/or which do not have comprehensive water resource data
- ensuring that models/methodologies are capable of incorporating a range of 'development' scenarios or land-use change activities
- identifying significant knowledge and information gaps.
In determining the extent of sustainable yields, the project has:
- assessed water-storage options in agreed catchments, including the storage of water in aquifers
- utilised current water resource assessment projects and activities under way in northern Australia where applicable - in particular, those associated with the TRaCK program, the Indigenous water policy group within NAILSMA (North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance) and any consultancy or in-house projects as identified by project contact group members.