Rising groundwater in the Lower Burdekin

Rising groundwater in parts of the Burdekin Haughton Water Supply Scheme is threatening the productivity and sustainability of agriculture in the agriculture-rich Lower Burdekin region in North Queensland.

For several years, we have been working closely with local growers and scheme operator, Sunwater, to address the issue using both on-farm and off-farm actions.

Impacts on the region

Sugar cane production in the Lower Burdekin has an annual turnover estimated at between $160 to 180 million. The region has the highest sugar cane yield, in terms of tonnes per hectare productivity, of any region in Australia. Agriculture is the largest employer in the Burdekin local government area, employing over 1,500 people.

Higher groundwater levels can waterlog the soil and increase salinity, reducing the productivity of agricultural land and limiting opportunities for further development. It can also result in additional run-off to sensitive downstream environments (e.g. the Ramsar-listed wetlands at Bowling Green Bay and the Great Barrier Reef).

What we have done so far

In 2017, the Queensland Government commenced a working partnership with local water users and Sunwater to develop a coordinated response to these issues with a discussion paper that was released for public consultation (PDF, 1.6MB).

Since then, the department has undertaken a social and economic assessment, groundwater modelling and water quality sampling to better understand the issues and the impacts on industry and the environment.

In May 2018, Sunwater worked with local landowners to complete remedial works in Cassidy Creek to address siltation issues that were restricting the flow of water and causing higher groundwater levels. Mitigation works enabled Cassidy Creek to successfully drain and lower the pressure on groundwater levels in the immediate area.

In 2021 Sunwater began the Lower Burdekin Rising Groundwater Mitigation Project which will investigate and deliver off-farm actions to contribute to the mitigation of rising groundwater in the region. The four-year, $12.5 million project will use a range of preventative measures and intervention techniques to counter the threat of rising groundwater levels and high-water salinity. Sunwater is working with local grower representatives, agronomists, scientists and government agencies to identify sustainable solutions for areas impacted by rising groundwater.

In 2022, Sunwater received a further $12.5 million of matching funding under the National Water Grid Fund.

Next steps

We are continuing to work closely with Sunwater, local grower representatives, agronomists, scientists and other government agencies to identify sustainable solutions for areas impacted by the rising groundwater.

A coordinated strategy to address the rising groundwater issues will be developed in consultation and using the results of our technical assessments and feedback we’ve received so far.

The department is continuing to collect groundwater data for the region and will continue to monitor the situation.

More information

Last updated: 06 Mar 2024