The Government will provide $6.1 million of new funding, with a further $0.8 million in‑kind contribution from the CSIRO, over three years towards a $10.0 million strategy to realise the potential of new irrigated agriculture in North Queensland.

 

The strategy will build on the existing Northern Australia Sustainable Futures program. The funding includes:

 

  • $6.8 million to conduct an assessment of the feasibility of developing surface water resources in the Flinders and Gilbert River catchments in North Queensland, and identify new irrigated agriculture techniques; and
  • $0.1 million to jointly fund a study of the viability of establishing a meat processing facility in North Queensland, with a further $0.1 million from the Queensland Government.

 

The Queensland Government will contribute $3.0 million to undertake on‑farm demonstration projects and systems analysis to develop practical farming approaches.

 

The strategy was announced in  December last year.