| Principal Investigator | Dr Keith Bristow, Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Land and Water, Keith.Bristow@csiro.au |
| Host Organisation | CSIRO Land & Water |
| Issue or Problem to be Addressed | The NAIF project has been established to help address the likely future role of irrigation in northern Australia. Key questions being asked are: Should we irrigate in northern Australia? If so, where should we irrigate, what should irrigation look like, and how should it be managed? |
| Objectives | To delineate key landscape attributes (including soil & water resources, climate, vegetation, rivers, near shore marine environments, & where appropriate links to people, industries, markets) relevant to ecologically sustainable irrigation across northern Australia. To use key landscape attributes to develop sustainability indicators and associated management criteria covering a range of scales (field, farm, district, irrigation scheme, catchment) for northern Australia. To develop an overall framework that, through their involvement, is embraced by policy makers, regulators, investors and managers, to help ensure any irrigation is managed in a consistent, ecologically sustainable manner in northern Australia. To use a number of linked case studies and stakeholder input to support and inform development and testing of the framework. Through provision of a robust framework, contribute tools and knowledge to support considered debate, decision making and long term strategic planning for northern Australia & Australia as a whole. |
| Comment | Stage 1 was launched in October 2003 and focused on engaging a broad range of clients and stakeholders, and formulating a workplan, project team and funding arrangements for Stage 2. The current Stage 2 focuses on collating and developing knowledge on northern water systems, particularly the groundwater systems, understanding the concepts of irrigation mosaics and developing, testing and applying a sustainability framework. A review of institutional frameworks and comparisons and learnings from the Daly, Ord and Burdekin irrigation areas has been undertaken. |
| Research Timeline | 4 years |
| Research Partners | CSIRO Land & Water |
| Proposed Funding | NPSI total budget $550,000, to be expanded by local and state agencies. Overall budget forecast to be approx $1.8M involving cash and in-kind. |
| Research Bulletins: |
|
NAIF FINAL REPORT.pdf (pdf - 476KB)
NAIF FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT.pdf (pdf - 332KB)
NAIF NEWS - Issue #1 - March 2006 ( PDF, 365 kB )
Northern Australia Irrigation Futures -- Article on p22 of RipRap Tropical Rivers Edition (#28)
Report of Stakeholder consultations in Western Australia - May 2004 (PDF File - 138Kb)
NAIF Website:www.clw.csiro.au/naif/
Northern Australia Irrigation Futures -- Article in Irrigation and Water Resources Journal - Summer 2004
Opinion Piece about the future of irrigation in Northern Australia by Sustainable Irrigation program Chairman Mike Logan - February 2004
Back to current research projects.
View the Knowledge Base of completed irrigation research.