Northern Australia regions: Overview
Climate and Water
2016-17 rainfall compared to historical records (1911–2016)
- In 2016–17, well above-average annual rainfall occurred in the Ord and Daly regions due to several tropical low pressure systems over northwestern Australia.
- Annual rainfall in the Ord region was the third highest on record with the January rainfall nearly 3 times the average for the month.
- In the Burdekin region, ex-tropical cyclone Debbie brought heavy rainfall to the region in March 2017.
Percentage-full volume during 1 July 2014–30 June 2017 for Burdekin and Ord storages
- In the Ord region, the heavy wet season rainfall caused storage volumes to greatly exceed 100% full in late-January and continue spilling for the remainder of the year.
- In the Daly region, above average rainfall during the year contributed to an increase in aquifer storage, the first annual rise in aquifer storage in 5 years.
- In the Burdekin region, the heavy rainfall in March contributed to an increase in storage volume to 96% full at the end of the year.
Water availability
Water allocations and abstractions in the Burdekin, Daly and Ord regions for 2016–17
- Total water allocations were 1,759,100 ML, which was similar to the previous year.
- 48% of the allocated water was abstracted.
Water sources and supply
Total water sourced in the Burdekin, Daly and Ord regions for 2016–17
- Total water sourced across the northern regions was 1,083,080 ML, 8% less than the previous year.
- This was largely due to increased rainfall in the regions that decreased users' reliance on surface water for irrigation.
- Surface water resources accounted for nearly 90% of total water use across the three Northern Australia regions.
- However in the Daly region groundwater is the primary water source, accounting for approximately 80% of water used.
Users of water in the Burdekin, Daly and Ord regions for 2016–17
- Approximately 60% of total water supply was used for irrigation schemes; 40% was for individual users, primarily for agricultural purposes.
- In these sparsely populated areas, only around 1% was used for town water supply.