4610.0.55.007 - Water and the Murray-Darling Basin - A Statistical Profile, 2000-01 to 2005-06

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 15/08/2008 First Issue

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Contents >> Water use in the Murray-Darling Basin >> Overview of water consumption

OVERVIEW OF WATER CONSUMPTION

Australia's Agriculture industry is particularly dependent on water to sustain its production. In 2004–05, the distribution of water consumption in the Australian economy was:

65% by Agriculture
11% by Households
11% lost in delivery systems (defined as Water supply industry consumption)
3% by Manufacturing
10% by Other industries (for example Mining, Electricity and gas, Service industries).

In contrast, water consumption in the MDB in 2004–05 was more skewed towards Agriculture:

83% by Agriculture
13% lost in delivery systems
2% by Households
1% by Manufacturing
2% by Other industries.

In 2004-05, the MDB comprised 65% of Australia's agricultural water consumption, and contributed 45% of Australia's Gross Value of Irrigated Agricultural Production (GVIAP). The majority of Australia's area of irrigated cotton (92%), rice (100%), cereals other than rice (88%), pasture (for dairy and other livestock, 67%), grapes (58%) and fruit and nuts (53%) were grown in the Basin. Total agricultural water consumption in the MDB is influenced by changes in water consumed by these crops and pasture.