Northern Australia regions: Overview
- A delayed monsoon season resulted in below-average rainfall across most of northern Australia.
- Storages in the Fitzroy region were at their lowest levels on record.
- Groundwater levels in the Daly region were at their lowest levels in more than 20 years.
Climate and Water
Rainfall across northern Australia during July 2019–June 2020 compared with historical records (1900–2020)
- Below-average annual rainfall occurred over much of northern Australia, including the Ord, Daly, Burdekin, and Fitzroy regions. Annual rainfall in the Daly region was the lowest since 1963–64.
- The transition of the Southwest Indian Monsoon into the southern hemisphere was six weeks later than average and the latest on record. The delayed monsoon period meant very little rainfall occurred across the region at the start of the 2019–20 wet season, which contributed to the below-average annual rainfall.
- For much of northern Australia, this was the second consecutive year of very poor wet season rainfall.
Percentage-full volume during 1 July 2013–30 June 2020 for northern Australian regions storages
- End-of-year storage volumes in the Ord, Fitzroy and Burdekin regions decreased from last year.
- Storage volumes in the Ord and Fitzroy regions declined for the third consecutive year. At 30 June 2020, Ord storages were at their lowest end-of-year levels since 1993; Fitzroy storages were at their lowest end-of-year levels on record (since 1973).
- In the Daly region, the dry conditions resulted in an annual drop in aquifer storage for the third consecutive year. Groundwater levels at 30 June 2020 in the Tindall Limestone Aquifer were at their lowest levels in more than 20 years.
Water sources and supply
Total water sourced in the northern Australian regions for 2019–20
- Total water sourced across the northern Australia regions was 2,034 GL.
- Surface water made up 82% of total water supply and was the dominant source of water in the northern Australia regions except for Daly.
- Water supply in all four regions was higher than previous years. This increase is likely to be influenced by the dry conditions across these northern regions resulting in a higher demand from customers.
Users of water in the northern Australian regions for 2019–20
- 50% of total water supply was used for irrigation schemes while 48% was for individual users, primarily for agricultural purposes.
- In the Daly, where there are no irrigation schemes, most of the water was sourced from the Tindall Limestone and Oolloo Dolostone aquifers for agricultural purposes.
- In these sparsely populated areas, town water supply made up only around 1% of water use.