❓ The Minister for Water provides an update on the opportunities for irrigated agriculture in the Pilbara, focusing on using surplus water from mine sites and government investments in groundwater investigations and the Water for Food program. The response highlights potential for economic diversification and sustainable development in the region.
AnsweredQoN 889Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PILBARA —
IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE
889. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for
Water:
The minister recently released a
report into the opportunities of irrigated agriculture in the Pilbara using
surplus water from mine sites. Can she please update the house on the options
being explored?
IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE
889. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for
Water:
The minister recently released a
report into the opportunities of irrigated agriculture in the Pilbara using
surplus water from mine sites. Can she please update the house on the options
being explored?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
We have spoken about the Committee for Economic Development of Australia event
that was held in Karratha last week or the week before—it all merges
into one!—the focus of which was the economic development of the
Pilbara. There was a really strong cross-section of not only the Pilbara
community, but also interested stakeholders outside. There was a really
interesting dynamic within the room in terms of the speakers and the feedback
that was taken from the floor on the day.
One of the options for
diversification—we spoke about it in this house previously—is
around irrigated agriculture. Of course, the state government is making a
number of investments in this space. We are doing some groundwater
investigations over and above our normal groundbreaking investigation program,
turbo charged by royalties for regions. A large chunk of that is being invested
in the Pilbara and the north of the state. We also have the Water for Food
program. A number of those projects are occurring in the Pilbara and the
Kimberley. Since 2009, we have seen $100 million allocated through royalties
for regions in groundwater investigations, $25 million of which has been
invested in the Pilbara. There is enormous prospectivity in that region. The
most exciting results we have seen to date are in the west Canning basin. We
have gone from nominating 50 gigalitres of sustainable water that has
identified up to 100 gigalitres. We are talking about significant amounts of
water. When we overlay that with the soil types and where they are in proximity
to townships, we are starting to talk about truly diversifying the economy in
that region.
The single biggest investigation is
happening in the Pilbara. During the CEDA event, a report was released that had
been put together as a result of requests by the Department of Water to look at
the opportunities between mine dewatering and irrigated agriculture. A number
of mines up there operate below the water table. We looked at how their
footprint matches with the soil types and their proximity to locations of
townships. Over the course of the next months we will be investigating a number
of really exciting opportunities, particularly around Newman, but we should not
discount those in the more remote areas such as the Woodie Woodie trial, which
is being undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food and the
Department of Water for the Pilbara Hinterland Agricultural Development
Initiative. Ten precincts are identified in that report, and I very much look
forward to working with all the stakeholders—not just the mining
companies; we need to talk to the pastoral lessees and also the traditional owners—to
see where we can start to develop those opportunities into the future.
All this work is on the
diversification of not only the Pilbara's economy, but also the state's
economy. It is an incredible opportunity for sustainable development up there.
We are getting some real runs on the board with PHADI and other Water for Food
projects, and we will continue to work in that space. I know there is more
prospectivity in the Canning Basin, and I will continue to update the house as
we move forward.
We have spoken about the Committee for Economic Development of Australia event
that was held in Karratha last week or the week before—it all merges
into one!—the focus of which was the economic development of the
Pilbara. There was a really strong cross-section of not only the Pilbara
community, but also interested stakeholders outside. There was a really
interesting dynamic within the room in terms of the speakers and the feedback
that was taken from the floor on the day.
One of the options for
diversification—we spoke about it in this house previously—is
around irrigated agriculture. Of course, the state government is making a
number of investments in this space. We are doing some groundwater
investigations over and above our normal groundbreaking investigation program,
turbo charged by royalties for regions. A large chunk of that is being invested
in the Pilbara and the north of the state. We also have the Water for Food
program. A number of those projects are occurring in the Pilbara and the
Kimberley. Since 2009, we have seen $100 million allocated through royalties
for regions in groundwater investigations, $25 million of which has been
invested in the Pilbara. There is enormous prospectivity in that region. The
most exciting results we have seen to date are in the west Canning basin. We
have gone from nominating 50 gigalitres of sustainable water that has
identified up to 100 gigalitres. We are talking about significant amounts of
water. When we overlay that with the soil types and where they are in proximity
to townships, we are starting to talk about truly diversifying the economy in
that region.
The single biggest investigation is
happening in the Pilbara. During the CEDA event, a report was released that had
been put together as a result of requests by the Department of Water to look at
the opportunities between mine dewatering and irrigated agriculture. A number
of mines up there operate below the water table. We looked at how their
footprint matches with the soil types and their proximity to locations of
townships. Over the course of the next months we will be investigating a number
of really exciting opportunities, particularly around Newman, but we should not
discount those in the more remote areas such as the Woodie Woodie trial, which
is being undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food and the
Department of Water for the Pilbara Hinterland Agricultural Development
Initiative. Ten precincts are identified in that report, and I very much look
forward to working with all the stakeholders—not just the mining
companies; we need to talk to the pastoral lessees and also the traditional owners—to
see where we can start to develop those opportunities into the future.
All this work is on the
diversification of not only the Pilbara's economy, but also the state's
economy. It is an incredible opportunity for sustainable development up there.
We are getting some real runs on the board with PHADI and other Water for Food
projects, and we will continue to work in that space. I know there is more
prospectivity in the Canning Basin, and I will continue to update the house as
we move forward.
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