FITZROY SALINITY STUDY TO BENEFIT CATCHMENTS

Central Queensland landholders, catchment groups and the Queensland Government have joined forces in the battle against rural salinity through a new assessment project.

Minister for Natural Resources and Water Craig Wallace said departmental officers, in conjunction with the Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA) and the CSIRO, were finalising a 12-month project in the Fitzroy Basin which identifies areas of salinity risk.

Studies focus on six catchment areas – the Nogoa, Comet, Isaac-Connors, Mackenzie, Dawson and Fitzroy River catchments.

A recent round of workshops last month at Ridgelands, Theodore, Emerald and Middlemount outlined some findings from the project to catchment field officers and community representatives.

Mr Wallace said the assessment identified broad areas in the Fitzroy Basin which were at risk of salinity.

“The aim of the project was to improve our understanding of salinity risk, both basin-wide and at local scales,” Mr Wallace said.

“We need to recognise there is a real salinity risk in some landscapes in the basin and a community approach will be required to tackle the issue.

“The results of the study have been presented to the FBA so they can prioritise where salinity risk needs to be addressed and invest their efforts with landholder projects in the future.”

NRW Rockhampton-based senior land resources officer Bruce Forster said departmental scientists compiled a series of data sets with information on groundwater levels, landform, soil, climate and existing salinity before running sophisticated models on the data.

Mr Forster said factors contributing to salinity were the mobilisation of salt, shallow groundwater systems and changes to the water balance.

The final reports are near completion and will be made available to landholders and other interested parties.

Media contact: Caroline Kaurila, Craig Wallace’s office, on 3896 3694.