Guidelines for Land Use Suitability
Abstract
The Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council in partnership with stakeholders has developed the following vision for the long-term sustainability of natural resource use within the Murray-Darling Basin:
'We the community and governments of the Murray-Darling Basin commit ourselves to do all that needs to be done to manage and use the resources of the Basin in a way that is ecologically sustainable'. The Murray-Darling Basin Commission is responsible for implementing the vision and policies of the ministerial Council and a series of projects have been commissioned to work towards achieving this. Eight projects, titled 'Watermark', aim to make a significant contribution to the strategic development of sustainable irrigation practices in the Murray-Darling Basin.
Sinclair Knight Merz is undertaking the Watermark project called "Guidelines for Land Use Suitability and Capability for Irrigation Development (LUSAC)". The aim of the LUSAC project is to ensure that the future location and application of irrigation in the Murray-Darling Basin maximises productivity, whilst minimising adverse environmental and social impacts. A draft policy framework and assessment guidelines have been developed and will be tested in a series of case studies with key stakeholders across the Basin. The final guidelines will include a set of irrigation planning principles and performance outcomes that will form the basis of an impact based assessment procedure for new irrigation development and for redevelopment within existing irrigation areas.
Author
Stephen Harding