9 BURDEKIN DRY TROPICS NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2016-2026
RESOURCE-RELIANT ENTERPRISES
Our region’ s economy relies heavily on natural resource-based industries – the gross value of commodities produced in our region for 2014-15 was an estimated $ 1,228.9m( Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2016)( described below). The region is well placed to support sustainable and diverse enterprises due to its significant water volumes captured by the Burdekin Falls Dam( Queensland’ s largest dam), fertile soils, pasture-rich rangelands, mineral-rich geologies, wild fish stocks and unique natural wonders. Building on these enterprises, our region is a leader and hub in value-adding industries, associated essential services, and expertise in natural resource research, management and marketing. Strategic infrastructure is also a significant feature that strengthens the region’ s competitiveness, including two major ports – Townsville and Abbot Point, which connect our resources to world markets. All of these enterprises create ancillary businesses and services that provide local employment.
Grazing
• 9 % of population involved in grazing on over 90 % of region’ s land area.
• About 1,400,000 head of cattle run for local markets and box / chill and live export to various global markets( Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2015).
• Gross value of production estimated $ 511.7m for cattle livestock slaughtered and other disposals( Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2016).
Challenges
• Climate variability.
• Market drivers( eg. strength of Aus $ and export demand).
• Business costs.
• Regulation.
• Protecting the GBR.
• Ownership of abattoirs.
Opportunities
• Integrated multi-purpose pastoral land use and management, including tourism and carbon sequestration.
Commercial Fishing
• Includes commercial trawling, net and crab( pot) fisheries that take prawns( tiger, red-spot king, endeavour and banana), scallops, bugs, grey mackerel, barramundi, threadfin and mud crabs( Beumer, et al., 2012).
• Marine wild fishing returned an average of around $ 67m / yr( Centre for International Economics, 2013).
• Established aquaculture businesses in region are worth around $ 35m / yr( Centre for International Economics, 2013).
• 22 – 28 % of people in region enjoy recreational fishing( Farr, 2013).
Challenges
• Predicted climate change impacts.
• Decline in water quality.
• Lack of fish passage connectivity.
• Adverse impacts on intertidal nursery habitats and marine ecosystems.
Opportunities
• Expansion of sustainable aquaculture operations using new technology.
• Innovation to reduce barriers to fish passage and trawling by-catch.
Cropping and Horticulture
• The Burdekin Falls Dam, groundwater and fertile soils enable cropping and horticulture mainly along the coast and Lower Burdekin sub-catchment.
• Irrigated agriculture based on groundwater e. g. Don sub-catchment, and water harvesting from rivers in the Upper Burdekin, Cape, Belyando and Suttor sub-catchments.
• The quality and security of regional produce makes it desirable to international markets.
• Key crops include sugar, tomatoes, capsicums, melons, mangoes( among many others) and large areas of cereal crops in southern inland areas.
• Major value-adding industries include sugar milling, and crop packaging and handling.
• Gross value of production estimated $ 697.9m pa( Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2016).
• Broad acre crops $ 402.5m pa, main products are:- crushed cane /$ 355.2m- sorghum /$ 38.1m.
• Horticulture $ 286.2m pa, main products are:- tomatoes /$ 59.3m, capsicums /$ 41.7m, melons /$ 37.2m, beans /$ 15.6m, mangoes /$ 14.4m, potatoes /$ 6.2m. NOTE: The ABS figures are estimates based on information obtained from respondents to the Rural Environment & Agricultural Commodity Survey( REACS) for year ended 30 June 2015 and are subject to sampling variability. Data received from Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for horticulture enterprises in our region( Mullins, 2016) show a higher value of production for the 2014-2015 year as:
• Horticulture for the Bowen Gumlu Agricultural Precinct $ 449m pa, main products are:
- tomatoes /$ 161m, capsicums /$ 104m, beans /$ 69 m.
• Horticulture for the Giru area $ 117.48m pa, main products are:
- rockmelon and honeydew /$ 29m, mangoes /$ 20m, watermelons /$ 17m.
Challenges
• Ownership of sugar processing and marketing.
• Bio-security.
• Global market shifts.
• Business costs and regulation.
• Declining soil health.
• Protecting the GBR.
Opportunities
• Regional expansion and diversification.
• Ethanol production from sugarcane.
• New technologies.