In 2012-13, 43% of Australia's agricultural water (5.1 million megalitres) came from irrigation channels, 25% (2.9 million megalitres) was sourced from rivers, creeks and lakes. Groundwater made up 16% (1.9 million megalitres) and on-farm dams and tanks accounted for 15% of agricultural water (1.8 million megalitres).
Water supplied by irrigation channels was the major source of water for agriculture in the Murray-Darling Basin, accounting for 49% of agricultural water sourced in the region (4.2 million megalitres).
Outside of the Murray-Darling Basin, groundwater was the major source of water for agriculture at 35% (1.2 million megalitres).
SOURCES OF AGRICULTURAL WATER, year ended 30 June 2013
Irrigation channels or pipelines
On-farm dams or tanks
Rivers, creeks or lakes
Groundwater
Recycled/re-used from off-farm
Town or country reticulated mains supply
Other water sources
ML
ML
ML
ML
ML
ML
ML
NSW
2 555 923.3
534 684.4
1 536 615.3
512 922.6
35 112.1
23 350.3
3 254.6
Vic.
1 652 080.4
154 869.3
502 824.8
235 510.3
29 525.1
20 045.3
19 168.7
Qld
661 279.6
838 375.5
603 131.3
467 064.9
37 547.7
5 736.1
10 093.1
SA
123 899.9
35 970.1
185 433.1
462 849.7
7 381.0
25 222.6
2 127.2
WA
113 230.5
65 327.0
13 218.3
117 321.1
735.1
12 137.4
2 037.2
Tas.
32 662.9
123 378.8
93 019.1
17 198.2
3324.7
880.7
1 419.1
NT
396.7
3 207.3
3 676.2
42 917.2
0.0
34.7
162.2
ACT
0.6
116.2
259.7
71.0
0.0
3.2
0.0
Aust.
5 139 473.9
1 755 928.6
2 938 177.6
1 855 855.1
113 625.6
87 410.4
38 262.0
MDB (a)
4 227 671.3
1 188 519.5
2 381 809.6
685 912.8
59 277.7
23 445.6
7 706.7
Non MDB
911 802.6
567 409.1
556 368.0
1 169 942.2
54 347.9
63 964.8
30 555.3
(a) Murray-Darling Basin based on aggregations of NRM regions
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