Northern Australia Irrigation Futures

Providing new knowledge, tools, and processes to support debate
and decision making regarding irrigation in northern Australia

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Media Release - Improving knowledge about water in Australia's north

22 May 2008 Ref 08/75

Research to provide a better understanding about irrigation and the water systems of northern Australia was released today at the Irrigation Australia conference in Melbourne.

A suite of research bulletins summarises outcomes from the Northern Australia Irrigation Futures (NAIF) project – a partnership established to develop new knowledge, tools and processes to support debate and decision-making regarding irrigation in the north.

NAIF Steering Committee Chairman Ian Lancaster says the research outcomes will inform current policy development for the north and can help identify the focus of future research efforts.

The bulletins cover an overview of the NAIF project, information about northern groundwater systems, frameworks to support irrigation decision making, and the potential of developing distributed parcels of irrigation, known as mosaics, in the north.

A major output of the project is a web-based framework to help apply ecologically sustainable development principles in irrigation decisions in northern Australia.

NAIF Team Leader Jeff Camkin – from CSIRO’s Water for a Healthy Country Flagship and the CRC for Irrigation Futures – says northern Australia has unique and diverse ecological systems that need special care to retain their integrity.

“We have a unique and historic opportunity to ensure that management and use of Australia’s northern land and water resources takes place within a strategic, ecologically, culturally and economically sustainable framework,” Mr Camkin says.

“An improved understanding of river and catchment attributes and the risks associated with irrigation will help inform decisions regarding irrigation and other development opportunities in northern Australia.”

NAIF is a major collaboration between the Australian, Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australian Governments, as well as CSIRO, the Cooperative Research Centre for Irrigation Futures, Land and Water Australia, and the National Program for Sustainable Irrigation.

Reports will be available at the conference, and Mr Camkin will be presenting results of the work at 9.40am on Thursday, May 22 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.

The work is delivered through the Water for a Healthy Country Flagship, one of nine National Research Flagships initiated by CSIRO to provide science-based solutions in response to Australia’s major research challenges and opportunities. www.csiro.au/flagships

Image available at: http://www.scienceimage.csiro.au/mediarelease/mr08-75.html

Further Information:
Jeff Camkin, CSIRO Land and Water 08 9333 6398; 0409 08 2341; jeff.camkin@csiro.au 
Ian Lancaster, NRETA 08 8999 4892; 0401 118 363; ian.lancaster@nt.gov.au
To view the research bulletins and technical reports go to: http://www.clw.csiro.au/naif/

Media Assistance:
Helen Beringen, Water for a Healthy Country Flagship 0418 770 140 Helen.beringen@csiro.au