4616.0.55.001 - Research Paper: A Methodology for Estimating Regional Agricultural Water Use, Sep 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 20/09/2006  First Issue
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  • About this Release

Water statistics are currently of keen interest to Australia's governments, academics and the general public. A range of agencies are involved in compiling water statistics and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is one of these. To date the ABS has released two Water Accounts, which provide state level information on the supply and use of water in the Australian economy. The ABS Water Account has been useful at a macro level. However as it only provides state level data, it is of limited use in regional planning and decision-making. Demand exists for regional information at finer spatial boundaries than the state level and at boundaries the ABS does not typically use in the design or output of its surveys.

This paper presents the results of the application of a simple methodology to calculate agricultural water use for Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) and for river basins. The focus of the paper is on the methodology, its advantages and disadvantages and potential methodologies that may be explored in future research papers.