View the Horticulture Wide Bay Burnett catchment story

Transcript

This map story is part of a series prepared for the catchments of Queensland. It is intended to be viewed as part of the Kolan , Burrum and Burnett catchment stories.

We would like to respectfully acknowledge the First Nations peoples of the land and waters on which this project takes place, and Elders both past and present. We recognise the ongoing effort to protect and promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, which will leave a lasting legacy for future Elders and leaders.

Cover (front) image. Horticulture in the Wide Bay-Burnett region. Photo by Gary Cranitch © Queensland Museum

Main image (left). Capsicum plantation, Photo by Gary Cranitch © Queensland Museum

Table of contents

1. Horticulture—Kolan, Burrum and Lower Burnett catchments
2. Horticulture in Australia
3. Queensland context
4. Wide Bay-Burnett region
5. Tree crops Vegetables
6. Fruit and field crops
7. Special feature—macadamias
8. Water supply and irrigation
9. Water Supply Scheme
10. Paradise Dam
11. Special feature—aquatic fauna passage
12. Water usage
13. Water plan
14. Water markets
15. Water quality for people and environment
16. Sustainable farm practices
17. Sustainable horticulture production
18. Water management
19. Case study—macadamia
20. Case study—citrus
21. People and economy
22. History of horticulture in the region
23. Opportunities and challenges
24. Acknowledgments
25. Data source, links and information

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Horticulture - Kolan, Burrum and Lower Burnett catchments

Horticulture in Australia

Horticulture in Australia is the science, art, and business of cultivating high-value, intensively managed crops, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, flowers, turf and nursery products. Horticulture is Australia’s third largest agricultural industry. Australian produce is high quality and sought after in Australian and overseas markets. Across Australia, most growers are relatively small family farms however the number of medium to large farms is increasing.

In 2022, across Australia there were approximately 12,000 horticultural farms employing 117,000 people and generating $16 billion worth of produce. In 2023, Australia produced approximately:

• 3.6 million tonnes of vegetables worth $5.8 billion
• 2.7 million tonnes of fruit worth $6.3 billion
• 0.3 million tonnes of nuts worth $721 million
• 0.1 million tonnes of olives and dried fruit.

The Australian Tree Crop Map provides the area of commercial horticulture tree crops in Australia, including avocado , banana , citrus, macadamia, mango, olive and truffle. Some farms utilise horticultural structures , including netting, glasshouses, polytunnels, polyhouses and shadehouses, to protect or enhance growing conditions.

The Australian Tree Crop Map provides a measure of the size and distribution of Australia’s tree crop industries and has also been used as a valuable tool for the Australian Bureau of Statistics, biosecurity preparedness and responding to natural disasters. The Wide Bay-Burnett region is a major producer for most of the mapped tree crops.

Queensland context

Horticulture is Queensland’s second largest primary industry. It is worth more than $2.8 billion per year, employing approximately 25,000 people across 2,800 farms, and growing more than 120 types of fruit and vegetables on farms extending from the Atherton Tablelands in the north to Stanthorpe in the south.

Queensland grows one-third of Australia’s fruit and vegetable produce. Queensland's production area is a relatively small coastal portion of the state compared to the other top producing states of New South Wales and Victoria , where production is spread across much of the state. Queensland's horticulture industry is compact and efficient, producing the majority of Australia’s banana, pineapple, mango, mandarin, avocado and tomato. The horticulture industry also links to the tourism industry, providing work for backpackers and others.

Macadamia Plantation - Photo by Gary Cranitch © Queensland Museum

Wide Bay-Burnett region

Horticulture has been central to the agricultural development of the Wide Bay-Burnett region. The region is a unique agricultural region due to the environmental values (geology, soils, climate, water resources), skilled workforce, and effective transport infrastructure including proximity to Asia-Pacific export markets. There are approximately 2,800 agribusinesses across approximately 3 million hectares of land. The region supports irrigated horticulture and cropping (sugar cane), representing Australia's largest macadamia, avocado, sweetpotato and chilli producers, as well as Queensland's largest timber plantations.

Explore the swipe map showing horticulture and sugarcane development over time, together with preclear and remnant vegetation, using either of the options below*.

• Interactive swipe app where you can zoom into areas and use the swipe bar. The application can also be opened in a new window (see the icon in the top right corner for more control over the datasets displayed. (ESRI version)
• Interactive swipe app where you can use the swipe bar. Use the white slide bar at the bottom of the map for a comparison (HTML version).

The Wide Bay-Burnett region generates approximately 12 per cent of Queensland agricultural gross value of production and 6 per cent of Queensland's export revenue. It also generates 4 per cent of Australia's gross value of production.

In 2020-21, the top agricultural commodities of the Wide Bay-Burnett region in terms of gross value of production were:

• Fruit and nut including mostly tree crops: mandarin, macadamia, avocado, table grapes, pineapples
• Vegetables: sweetpotato, capsicum and chilli, tomato, melons, beans
• Field crops: sugarcane, maize, grain sorghum, cotton, wheat.

The Wide Bay-Burnett region provides:

• Approximately 99 per cent of Queensland's mandarins
• Approximately 90 per cent of Queensland's sweetpotatoes
• Approximately 64 per cent of Australia's macadamias
• Approximately 12 per cent of Australia's sugar production
• One of Australia's largest avocado producing areas
• Australia's largest chill and peanut processing facility
• Major coffee processing facility.

Environment

The geology, soils, climate and water resources of the Wide Bay-Burnett region enable the production of a diverse range of horticultural commodities throughout the year.

The region is one of a few production areas in Australia with suitable year-round climatic conditions. The climate supports both temperate and sub-tropical crops, and at certain times of the year the Wide Bay-Burnett region fills supply gaps from other production areas. The region also experiences fewer cyclones and damaging frosts than other parts of Queensland. Farmers in other regions of Australia do not have this climatic advantage, with some moving to the region to farm when they cannot produce elsewhere.

The fertile and well-draining soils of the Wide Bay-Burnett provide ideal growing conditions for a range of high-value crops, particularly those of the Elliott Formation and coastal sand. Several irrigation schemes operate within the region to support horticulture, relying on surface and groundwater resources and a network of channels, pipelines, weirs and several large and small dams. The irrigation schemes are discussed on the Water supply and irrigation tab.

Skilled workforce

The region’s university sector places a strong emphasis on innovation and global outreach, and has developed partnerships with communities, industries and governments in Australia and overseas. The Queensland Government has several research facilities across the region that support horticultural production and value-add capabilities. Stakeholder collaborations exist regionally, nationally and internationally.

Transport

The proximity of the Wide Bay-Burnett region to major transport corridors provides valuable connections to domestic and international markets. Road freight is the primary mode of regional transport, most notably the Bruce, Isis and Burnett highways. Transport is also provided by the North Coast Rail line, Port of Bundaberg and several regional airports and aerodromes.

Tree crops

Macadamias are grown from the Atherton Tablelands in northern Queensland to the mid north coast region of New South Wales on the east coast, as well as smaller areas on the west coast of Australia. The Wide Bay-Burnett region is the largest production region for macadamias in Australia.

Citrus is grown in the Riverina and Murray Valley areas of New South Wales, northern and southern Queensland, and parts of Western Australia, including oranges, mandarin, tangelo, lemon, lime, grapefruit and pummelo. Eighty-one per cent of Queensland's crop is grown in a Great Barrier Reef catchment and the Wide Bay-Burnett region is one of the largest mandarin producers in Australia.

Avocados are grown across all states of Australia, with the largest number of producers in Queensland. The Wide Bay-Burnett region is one of the major avocado producing areas in Australia.

Mangoes are grown from Darwin in the north to South East Queensland on the east coast and Carnarvon on the west coast. Queensland dominates mango production with a large number of farms in the areas such as the Atherton Tablelands, Bowen and surrounds, Rockhampton, Gladstone and from Wide Bay-Burnett to the Gold Coast.

Bananas are grown mostly on the east coast of Australia from Cooktown in the north to Coffs Harbour in the south. Queensland dominates banana production with a large number of farms in the Wet Tropics region (around Cairns) and Sunshine Coast, together with the Northern Rivers and Coffs Harbour in New South Wales.

Olives are grown across parts of Australia from Rockhampton in the east to Geraldton in the west.

Other trees crops include lychee , grown from Cooktown in Far North Queensland to Coffs Harbour in New South Wales, dragon fruit and persimmon.

Vegetables

Vegetables, including potatoes and onions are grown across Australia and account for approximately one third of Australia's horticulture industry value. One fifth of production is grown in Queensland, with two of the main growing regions located in Great Barrier Reef catchments.

Sweetpotato - Photo by Gary Cranitch © Queensland Museum

Sweetpotatoes are grown mostly in the Bundaberg region, but also in other parts of Queensland, northern New South Wales, and Western Australia (Perth, Carnarvon and Kununurra). The Wide Bay-Burnett region is one of the major sweetpotato producers in Australia.

A wide range of beans are grown across Australia including linseed, mungbeans, soybeans, adzuki beans, chickpeas, field peas and lentils as well as pinto, great northern, black eye, kidney and black beans. Within Queensland, soybean production extends from Cairns to the Gold Coast with concentrated farming around the Wide Bay-Burnett, Mackay and the lower Burdekin areas.

Fruits and field crops

Pineapples are grown mostly in the Sunshine Coast (South East Queensland) and Wide Bay-Burnett areas but also in central and northern Queensland.

Passionfruit are grown in northern New South Wales, and along the Queensland coast (Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay-Burnett, Daintree, Cooktown and Mareeba).

Watermelons and muskmelons (rockmelon, honeydew and other specialty varieties) are grown in every mainland state and the Northern Territory.

Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries) are grown in all states of Australia.

Special feature - macadamias

The macadamia tree is native to Australia, originating from ancient rainforests around 60 million years ago. There are four macadamia species with two used for horticultural production in Australia: Macadamia tetraphylla and Macadamia integrifoIia.

Macadamia integrifolia is the main commercial species and occurs naturally from the New South Wales - Queensland border to north of Gympie in the Wide Bay-Burnett. Macadamia tetraphylla is the other hybrid horticultural species and is found from Lismore in New South Wales to Mount Tamborine in South East Queensland.

Dozens of different macadamia varieties have now been bred with growers selecting varieties that perform well in the local soil and climate. Some of the newer varieties start bearing nuts after three years, compared to up to seven years for older varieties.

Australia's commercial industry is around 50 years old and the largest producing areas are New South Wales Northern Rivers (approximately 18%) and Queensland's Wide Bay-Burnett (approximately 64%). The natural adaptation of macadamias to the local environment over millions of years has enabled the Wide Bay-Burnett and Northern Rivers regions to develop robust macadamia industries.

The macadamia industry started in the Northern Rivers which has several hundred growers on mostly small farms. The Wide Bay-Burnett macadamia industry is younger but has expanded significantly over the past decade, with many plantings now starting to produce.

The flatter country around Bundaberg provides for larger farms with longer rows of macadamia trees (typically 400 metres long) compared to the Northern Rivers hilly landscape. This also makes it easier to manoeuvre machinery, thereby speeding up the harvest.

Irrigation is essential in Wide Bay-Burnett macadamia orchards due to a relatively hot and dry climate. Farmers rely on irrigation schemes and farm dams as discussed on the Water supply and irrigation tab.

Water supply and irrigation

There are five water supply schemes within the Burnett basin water plan area:

• Barker Barambah Water Supply Scheme
• Boyne River and Tarong Water Supply Scheme
• Bundaberg Water Supply Scheme
• Three Moon Creek Water Supply Scheme
• Upper Burnett Water Supply Scheme

The schemes rely on surface water resources and a network of channels, pipelines, weirs and dams including several larger impoundments:

• Fred Haigh Dam (Lake Monduran)
• Bucca Weir
• Kolan Barrage
• Paradise Dam
• Ned Churchward Weir
• Ben Anderson Barrage
• Lenthalls Dam (operated by Fraser Coast Regional Council as part of the Wide Bay Water Supply Scheme)

The provision of local water security is sought through storage of water in smaller dams on-farm and may include damming of surface waterways and the extraction of groundwater.

Water supply scheme

Most of the channels, pipelines, weirs and dams of the region are managed by Sunwater as part of the Bundaberg Water Supply Scheme (BWSS). The original purpose of the scheme was to provide surface water for irrigation as an alternative to groundwater extraction close to the coast. The scheme provides water infrastructure to support irrigated horticulture and agriculture via inter-basin transfers between the Kolan (Fred Haigh Dam), Burnett (Paradise Dam, Ned Churchward Weir and Ben Anderson Barrage) and Burrum (Isis area via channel and pipeline network) catchments.

A channel carries water from the Lake Monduran to Gin Gin , thereafter to the Sheep Station Creek subcatchment of the Burnett catchment, where it is released downstream. In the lower Burnett catchment, the Ned Churchward Weir and Ben Anderson Barrage act as holding storages for water to be pumped to other holding storages in the Upper Isis , Gregory , Elliott and Woongarra Coast catchments for distribution to horticultural and residential users.

Bundaberg Water Supply Scheme Fact Sheet

Groundwater and surface water are highly connected in parts of the region with surface water baseflows sustained by groundwater, particularly in coastal areas. Groundwater systems are associated with the porous geologies of the Maryborough Basin, particularly the deeply weathered Elliott Formation sediments, fractured geologies, alluvium and coastal sand systems. Historically, groundwater extraction from the coastal aquifers for agriculture caused seawater to intrude into the freshwater aquifer. By providing a surface water supply through a water supply scheme, as an alternative to groundwater, groundwater depletion, and therefore seawater intrusion, is limited to groundwater bores.

Groundwater flow direction is northeast towards the coast. Retention of groundwater levels supports agricultural values and also social and environmental values. Environmental values are discussed further in the Kolan , Burrum and Burnett catchment stories.

Groundwater use in the region is regulated under the Burnett Basin Water Plan (Coastal Burnett Groundwater Management Area) to ensure its sustainable use and to support ecosystems dependent on groundwater. In coastal areas, surface water usage is preferred over groundwater usage to prevent saltwater intrusion to aquifers. Groundwater bores are regularly monitored for groundwater and salinity levels as part of the Coastal Burnett Groundwater Management Area.

Most groundwater extraction is from areas comprising the Elliott Formation geology, along with sand, basalt and alluvial systems.

The Bundaberg Regional Irrigators Group Ltd represents irrigators within the Bundaberg district across a range of commodities including horticulture, sugarcane and grain. The Bundaberg Irrigation Area supplies irrigation water to approximately 55,000 hectares of farmlands across more than 1,000 properties surrounding Bundaberg, Childers and Gin Gin, by way of more than 600 kilometres of channel and pipeline.

Paradise Dam

Paradise Dam has enabled horticulture to develop in the Wide Bay-Burnett region. The dam is critical to both agriculture and urban water security and feeds the Bundaberg Water Supply Scheme. Paradise Dam was built to store water and was not designed for flood mitigation.

The dam was built on the Burnett River in 2005 and is located approximately 20 kilometres north-west of Biggenden and 80 kilometres south-west of Bundaberg. The dam, and its lake, are named after the nearby gold mining town, Paradise, that serviced miners through until the early 1900s. The dam is also known as the Burnett River Dam.

Paradise Dam is a roller compacted concrete gravity dam. Following flood damage in 2013, Sunwater lowered the spillway at Paradise Dam to improve the safety of downstream communities. These essential works were a short-term risk reduction measure to allow for longer-term dam remediation planning.

Sunwater has been progressing the improvement works, which involve a program of intensive testing to inform design development. Testing revealed further issues regarding the long-term strength and quality of the dam’s concrete, and Sunwater is now progressing a detailed business case for a new dam wall immediately downstream of the existing structure.

Speacial feature - aquatic fauna passage

Many of the large dams and weirs of the region are fitted with aquatic fauna passage structures (fishways), including:

• Kolan Barrage on the Kolan River
• Paradise Dam, Ned Churchward Weir and Ben Anderson Barrage on the Burnett River
• Burrum Weir on the Burrum River (not considered suitable for the fish community of the Burrum River).

Paradise Dam is fitted with a fish lift and Ned Churchward Weir is fitted with a fish lock . These types of structures are mechanical fishways as they have moving parts to transfer fish from one side of a barrier to the other, and are suited to medium to large barriers to pass a broad size range of fish. They operate by attracting fish into a sealable chamber at the downstream side of the barrier. The chamber is moved or filled to the storage water level, where fish can exit the chamber on the upstream side of the barrier. Mechanical fishways are also designed to pass fish safely downstream, usually by operating in reverse for the downstream cycle. This is an important consideration for catadromous species, such as barramundi (Lates calcarifer), bass (Percalates novemaculeata) and striped mullet (Mugil cephalus) (valuable commercial and recreational fishes), that migrate downstream to estuarine areas to spawn.

Fish hopper (sealable chamber) on the fish lift at Paradise Dam, photo provided by Queensland Government.

The Ben Anderson Barrage and Kolan Barrage are fitted with vertical slot fishways, which are generally used on low- and medium-sized weirs. They consist of a concrete channel structure divided into individual pools, each connected by a baffle with a vertical gap or slot. The vertical slot runs the full depth of the baffle and angles water flow across the pool to the opposite side, thereby dissipating the energy of the water in each pool. Long vertical slot fishways may have resting pools to allow fish to rest during ascent.

Vertical slot fishway - photo provided by Tim Marsden

These structures have been installed to allow aquatic fauna, mostly fish but potentially crustaceans, turtles and platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), to move up and downstream. Barriers to aquatic fauna passage may need more than one type of structure (fishway) to successfully facilitate aquatic fauna movement and monitoring is required to determine success. The aquatic ecosystems of Paradise Dam were monitored following the installation of the aquatic fauna passage structure, with a focus on the Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri).

Water usage

Water security is very important to horticulture and the local economy. Measures being implemented to reduce losses of pesticide, sediment, and nutrients include:

• Maintaining good inter-row ground cover to slow run-off, reduce soil loss and increase infiltration
• Adopting precision technology for irrigation, fertiliser and pesticide application, including soil/leaf for nutrient budgeting
• Frequent calibration and maintenance of monitoring and application equipment
• Proactive and frequent monitoring/scouting for weeds, pests and disease
• Using on-farm weather stations to ensure practices (i.e. spraying) are undertaken in suitable weather conditions
• Strategies to provide habitat for beneficial insects which prey on pest species and assist pollination (e.g., mowing only every second row, leaving ‘mohawks’ in each row, and maintaining native vegetation on verges, gullies and headlands).

Water plan

Water plans are developed under Queensland legislation to sustainably manage and allocate water resources. They set the rules for allocation and use of surface water (watercourses, lakes and springs), overland flow and underground water. Water plans are defined by river basins (catchments), rather than local government areas.

Each water plan is developed to balance the needs of water users (e.g. towns, agriculture and other industries) and the natural environment in that unique water plan area. Water plans are implemented through a range of documents, developed in consultation with water users.

The Burnett Basin water plan area covers approximately 38,370 square kilometres. Major waterways include the Burnett, Kolan, Elliott, Gregory and Isis rivers, together with Boyne, Stuart and Auburn rivers, and Barker, Barambah and Three Moon creeks. Rivers and creeks in the area are seasonal which means water volume and flow naturally change throughout the year.

Water in the Burnett Basin water plan area supports towns, industry, tourism and agriculture (including sugar cane and macadamia production) and grazing. It also supports habitat for five species of freshwater turtle, platypus and many fish species including the Australian lungfish. The basin contains many protected areas and environmental values as discussed in the Burnett, Kolan, Burrum and Boyne catchment stories . The south eastern part of the Burrum catchment is managed under the Mary Basin Water Plan . The Mary water plan manages surface water and underground water resources in the Mary River catchment and its surrounding areas (including the Burrum, Noosa, Maroochy, and Mooloolah catchments).

Water markets

Establishing water markets provides certainty for the water industry, thereby contributing to a stable and more attractive business environment. Different water markets currently operate in Queensland, including:

• Water allocation market (trading of registered water allocation titles)
• Seasonal water assignment market (seasonal assignment of water allocations and other entitlements)

A water allocation is an authority to take water, and an entitlement to a share of the available water resource in a catchment. A water allocation has a title separate from a land title and can be bought and sold independently in a similar way to land. This enables water allocation holders to buy water to expand their operations or sell water they don't need. Trading is voluntary and prices are set by the market.

Seasonal water assignments (sometimes called 'temporary trades') are useful for meeting additional short-term water needs. The holder of a water entitlement may apply to assign some or all of the water that may be taken under that entitlement in a water year, to another person or to themselves (i.e., another entitlement they hold).

Movement of the water is managed under trading rules specified in the water management protocol (for unsupplemented allocations) or operations manual (for supplemented allocations).

Water quality for people and the environment

Waterways, wetlands, estuarine and marine systems are all environments that provide critical ecosystem services and have high tourism, aesthetic, cultural, recreational and economic values. The values can be impacted by poor water quality from urban, peri-urban, industry and agricultural land-uses. Poor water quality, which can be caused by elevated levels of fine sediments, nutrients and pesticides, has a detrimental impact on Great Barrier Reef ecosystems, particularly freshwater, estuarine, coastal and inshore marine ecosystems.

For more information on the processes, challenges and initiatives to manage water quality in specific industries and environments, please refer to the following resources:

• Coral reef
• Wetlands
• Cropping
• Horticulture and Bananas
• Grazing
• Sugarcane
• Urban

Sustainable farm practices

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has been adopted by all United Nations Member States, which includes Australia. It provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, which is based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDGs were considered in developing the Australian-grown horticulture sustainability framework 15 . The framework is a process for understanding and measuring the many elements of sustainability of Australian-grown horticultural production and setting goals for the future.

Sustainable horticulture production

Improved land and soil management is making farming more sustainable in terms of soil health and biodiversity (e.g., earthworms). Improved water and fertiliser use provides economic benefits and also reduces sediment, nutrient and pesticide run-off into waterways and the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. Sustainable farming in the Wide Bay-Burnett region includes initiatives such as:

• Sustainable inputs such as organic fertilisers and microbial fertilisers.
• Reduced food loss and waste through the supply chain.
• Reduced packaging waste and reducing stress on the environment.
• Innovative technology to improve the productivity on farms (e.g., artificial intelligence and precision technologies).
• Maximising productivity gains in protected cropping systems (e.g., tomatoes, figs, lychees, blueberries, stone fruit and cut flowers).

There is enthusiasm in the region to create a stronger bioeconomy.

Water managment

Horticulture is playing a positive role in reducing the impact of farming management practices on water quality in the Great Barrier Reef. The Hort360 Great Barrier Reef (Hort360GBR) project, funded by the Queensland Government’s Queensland Reef Water Quality Program, assists horticultural growers to address priority actions required to achieve best management practices across the Great Barrier Reef catchments. Growers’ commitment to participating in Hort360GBR, Growcom’s best management practices (BMP) program, and becoming Reef Certified has been key to this achievement. Reef Certification is designed to:

• Reduce pollutants such as fine sediment, pesticides and nutrients from leaving the farm and entering waterways.
• Demonstrate strong industry stewardship towards Great Barrier Reef water quality.

The Hort360GBR program assists horticulture growers to assess their land management practices and identify actions to make improvements to achieve best management practices across the horticulture growing area in Great Barrier Reef catchments. The program involves ‘benchmarking’ to identify changes that can prevent losses of fertiliser, pesticide run-off, and loss of topsoil.

Hort360 Reef Certification provides an accreditation pathway for horticulture growers to demonstrate their environmental stewardship and industry best practice standards. Hort360 Reef Certification aligns and leverages off current systems used by agri-businesses to provide improved water quality outcomes.

A diverse range of horticulture growers are participating in the Hort360 Reef Certification including growers of vegetables, avocados, macadamias, blueberries, mangoes, citrus, lychees, and pineapples.

Case study - macadamia

The macadamia industry is highly engaged with the Hort360 Reef Certification, with many certified macadamia orchards in the Wide Bay-Burnett region.

Measures being implemented to reduce losses of pesticide, sediment, and nutrients include:

• Maintaining good inter-row ground cover and treelines to slow run-off, reduce soil loss and increase infiltration
• Adopting precision technology for irrigation, fertiliser and pesticide application, including soil/leaf and sap analysis for nutrient budgeting
• Frequent calibration and maintenance of monitoring and application equipment
• Proactive and frequent monitoring/scouting for weeds, pests and disease
• Using on-farm weather stations to ensure practices are undertaken in suitable weather conditions
• Strategies to provide habitat for beneficial insects which prey on pest species and assist pollination (e.g., mowing only every second row, leaving ‘mohawks’ in each row, and maintaining native vegetation on verges, gullies and headlands).

Case study - Citrus

Queensland’s citrus industry has an important land stewardship role to play with most of the state’s crop grown within the Great Barrier Reef catchments.

Practices that contribute to Great Barrier Reef water quality improvement and which are considered citrus industry standard include:

• Mulch in tree lines and grassy inter-rows to minimise loss of topsoil and maximise infiltration. Mulch and compost to increase soil organic carbon and the overall moisture holding capacity of the soil.
• Soil moisture monitoring devices which measure moisture in the soil profile to inform irrigation scheduling, which prevents over-watering (or under-watering) and improves water use efficiency.
• Vegetated gullies between blocks to slow and capture any run-off before reaching water courses, which reduces erosion and loss of sediment.
• Diversity in inter-row species using both grass and legumes, such as peas and clovers, to fix atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can use, improving soil organic matter content, soil structure and microbial activity.

Main image (left). Macadamia orchard. Photo by Gary Cranitch © Queensland Museum

People and economy

History of horticulture in the region

Bundaberg is the hub of the Wide Bay-Burnett region. It was initially surveyed in 1868 and named after the local Aboriginal people, the Bunda. In the 1870s, following the establishment of pastoral sheep and cattle properties in the late 1840s and a sawmill in 1867, Bundaberg developed as a centre for large-scale sugar cane plantations. Avondale, a district near Bundaberg, was established due to its fertile soil and timber resources, also becoming a sugar cane farming area. The North Coast Railway line, with a station at Avondale, further aided the area's agricultural development. Dairy farming and agriculture (particularly fruit growing) became the main commodities from the early 1900s.

Food delivery

Food and agricultural exports from Australia to Asia have increased significantly over the past two decades and are valued at $33 billion. Demand in Asia is expected to double by 2050 with significant opportunities for products that meet the needs of future consumers.

Farmers in the Wide Bay-Burnett region are developing new digital channels to provide food direct to consumers. There is increasing use of ecommerce networks and strong support through trade and investment networks to reach global markets.

Peak industry bodies

The Great Barrier Reef catchment includes the following peak industry bodies 14 , which represents the interests of each commodity:

• Australian Banana Growers Council Inc
• Australian Dragon Fruit Growers Association
• Australian Lychee Growers Association
• Australian Macadamia Society
• Australian Mango Industry Association
• Australian Melon Association Incorporated
• Australian Mungbean Association
• Australian Pineapples
• Australian Sweetpotato Growers Incorporated
• Australian Vegetable and Potato Industry Representation
• Avocados Australia
• Berries Australia
• Citrus Australia
• Hort Innovation Australia
• Passionfruit Australia Incorporated
• Persimmons Australia Incorporated
• Sub-Tropical Fruit Tropical Fruit
• Australian Institute of Horticulture
• Australian Society of Horticultural Science*

Opportunities and challenges

Diversification

As the world population grows, demand for food will increase significantly, particularly for fresh and convenient foods, and food with added nutritional and health benefits. Many Wide Bay-Burnett producers have already increased their capabilities to value-add products and ingredients that appeal to domestic and international consumers. The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) has identified future trends in agriculture. The Wide Bay-Burnett region has the processing capability, resources and diversity to embrace many of these trends.

Macadamia biochar

Historically, once the macadamia kernel was extracted for consumption, the shell was discarded or sometimes recycled as mulch or compost for macadamia trees. Today the shells are being reused and recycled for a wide range of products and processes

Biochar is produced by burning macadamia shells at a high temperature in a special, low-oxygen environment. Biochar can be used as a soil enhancer to make soils more fertile and to store carbon in the soil, thereby reducing greenhouse gases. The process of making biochar can also produce electricity, by creating oil and gas by-products that can be used as fuel for renewable energy plants.

Activated charcoal made from macadamia shells is also used to make carbon filters for water and air purification. And finely crushed macadamia shells can be more effective than traditional charcoal treatments, which means they could be useful in hospitals to treat poisonings.

Macadamia shells can also be used for a range of other products such as particle board suitable for high-moisture environments, high purity silicon carbide and silicon nitride nano-powders that can be used to make metal alloys and plastics more shock, heat and wear resistant, and homewares.

Green mulch

Green mulch uses urban green/tree waste and converts it to soil enriching compost (saleable product). The main steps include grinding the raw material, turning, curing, screening and pasteurisation. More information can be found on the process can be found here: Green Solutions Wide Bay.

Carbon trading

The Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme encourages people and businesses to run projects that reduce emissions or store carbon, for example by:

• using new technology
• upgrading equipment
• changing business practices to improve productivity or energy use
• changing the way vegetation is managed

Project activities for agricultural ACCU methods include:

• recycling and reusing animal waste
• storing carbon in soil
• switching farm animal diets and fertilisers

In the Wide Bay-Burnett region there are opportunities for growers to reduce emissions and store and trade carbon. Many growers are already using new technology, upgrading equipment, improving productivity and vegetation management.

Main image (left), Sugarcane - Photo by Gary Cranitch © Queensland Museum

Acknowledgments

Developed by the Queensland Wetlands Program in the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation in collaboration with local partners.

Walking the Landscape contributors:
• Australian Avocados
• Australian Macadamias
• Australian Sweetpotato Growers
• Avo and Macas (Chris Searle)
• Bundaberg Ag-food and fibre alliance
• Bundaberg CANEGROWERS (Matthew Leighton)
• Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers
• Bundaberg Irrigators Group
• Chris Cannizzaro
• Citrus Australia
• Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation – Office of the Great Barrier Reef
• Department of Primary Industries, Queensland
• Keith Sarnadasky
• Michelle Haase
• Warwick Willmott, Geological Society of Australia Qld Division
• Wide Bay-Burnett Environment Council, Michael Moller

This resource should be cited as: Horticulture Wide Bay-Burnett v1.0 (2026), presentation, Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, Queensland.

Images provided by: Burnett Mary Regional Group and Gary Cranitch © Queensland Museum

The Queensland Wetlands Program supports projects and activities that result in long-term benefits to the sustainable management, wise use and protection of wetlands in Queensland. The tools developed by the Program help wetlands landholders, managers and decision makers in government and industry.

Contact wetlands@detsi.qld.gov.au or visit https://wetlandinfo.detsi.qld.gov.au

Disclaimer

This catchment story has been prepared with all due diligence and care, based on the best available information at the time of publication. The department holds no responsibility for any errors or omissions within the document. Any decisions made by other parties based on this document are solely the responsibility of those parties. Information contained in this education module is from a number of sources and, as such, does not necessarily represent government or departmental policy.

Data source, links and information

Software Used

ArcGIS for Desktop | ArcGIS Online | ESRI StoryMaps

Some of the information used to put together this catchment story can be viewed on the Queensland Globe.

The Queensland Globe is an interactive online tool that can be opened inside the Google Earth™ application.

Queensland Globe allows you to view and explore Queensland spatial data and imagery. You can also download a cadastral SmartMap or purchase and download a current titles search.

More information about the layers: Source Data Table

Peak Industry Bodies

• Australian Banana Growers Council Inc
• Australian Dragon Fruit Growers Association
• Australian Lychee Growers Association
• Australian Macadamia Society
• Australian Mango Industry Association
• Australian Melon Association Incorporated
• Australian Mungbean Association
• Australian Pineapples
• Australian Sweetpotato Growers Incorporated
• Australian Vegetable and Potato Industry Representation
• Avocados Australia
• Bean Growers Australia
• Berries Australia
• Citrus Australia
• Hort Innovation Australia
• Passionfruit Australia Incorporated
• Persimmons Australia Incorporated
• Sub-Tropical Fruit Tropical Fruit
• Australian Institute of Horticulture
• Australian Society of Horticultural Science

Other references

*Note - If you have been directed here via a reference hyperlink, to return to the section you were previously reading, use your browser's 'back button' to resume reading where you left off.*

1. Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre, University of New England (2026) Australian Tree Crop Map
2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2024) Australian Agriculture: Horticulture Statistics on the production and value of a range of horticultural crops webpage accessed 28 March 2025
3. Australian Government (2025) Snapshot of Australian Agriculture 2025 Australian Government webpage accessed 28 March 2025
4. Australian Macadamia Society
5. Australian Macadamias (2024) 5 surprising facts about Australia’s 2 main macadamia growing regions webpage accessed 26 March 2025
6. Australian Macadamias: Macadamia shells: the material of the future
7. Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers (2022) Wide Bay-Burnett Regional Agrifood Beverage Capabilities Snapshot 2022. The GVP of a cash crop enterprise is the total value of the production from that enterprise.
8. Bundaberg Regional Irrigators Group webpage accessed 26 March 2025
9. Clean Energy Regulator: Australian Carbon Credit Unit Scheme
10. CPB Contractors Paradise Dam Essential Works Project webpage accessed 26 March 2025
11. Growcom Commodity In Focus: Citrus — Growcom
12. Growcom Hort360 Great Barrier Reef — Growcom
13. Growcom (2025) Commodity in Focus: Macadamias , webpage accessed 26 March 2025
14. Growcom (2025) List of Peak Industry Bodies (PIB’s) – Great Barrier Reef Catchment Areas QLD (Horticulture), HORT360 Phase 2 Communications Plan
15. Hort Innovation: A sustainability framework for Australian-grown horticulture webpage accessed 26 March 2025
16. Hort360 graphs
17. Horticulture Innovation Australia Ltd (2024) Australian-grown Horticulture Sustainability Framework
18. Nolan, Janette Gay (1978). A history of Bundaberg , 1840-1920. M.A. Thesis, School of History, Philosophy, Religion, and Classics, The University of Queensland
19. Queensland Economic Advocacy Solutions for Bundaberg Canegrowers (2019) The economic contribution of the Sugarcane Industry to Queensland and its regional communities
20. Queensland Farmers' Federation webpage accessed 26 March 2025
21. Queensland Government Biopassage structure (fishway) mapping webpage accessed 28 March 2025
22. Queensland Government Paradise Dam Lungfish and Aquatic Ecosystem Monitoring 2006-2016 Biennial Summary Report 5 and Final Report webpage accessed 27 March 2025
23. Queensland Government: About the Burnett Basin water plan About the Burnett Basin water plan | Local Government, Water and Volunteers
24. Queensland Government: Water markets, trading and investment Water markets, trading and investment | Business Queensland
25. Queensland Government: Water planning framework Water planning framework | Business Queensland
26. Sunwater (2020) Fact Sheet: Bundaberg Water Supply Scheme . Indicative catchment boundaries are drawn in red over Sunwater’s figure.
27. Sunwater (2026) Paradise Dam webpage accessed 26 March 2025
28. Sunwater Paradise Dam Improvement Project webpage accessed 26 March 2025
29. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs: THE 17 GOALS THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development
30. Wild Macadamia Conservation (2026) The Four Macadamias Macadamia Trust webpage accessed 28 March 2025
31. Commonwealth of Australia and the Queensland Government (2024) 2022 Scientific Consensus Statement, Land use impacts on Great Barrier Reef water quality and ecosystem condition

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Last updated: 22 July 2026