The Great Artesian Basin (GAB) is the largest artesian basin in the world and the main source of freshwater for agriculture and human use in inland Queensland. The GAB is defined on hydrological grounds such that its boundaries are different from the constituent sedimentary basins. Most of the extracted groundwater is sourced from the Surat and Eromanga Basins, however, groundwater is also produced from the upper part of the Bowen and Galilee Basins.
Temperate native grasslands form one of the most endangered ecosystems in Victoria, with less than 0.5% of their pre-European extent remaining. Historically, vast areas of grasslands, including most of the Victorian volcanic plain, have been destroyed or substantially altered by agricultural practices such as grazing and cropping. As a consequence, some of the largest and most intact grassland remnants in Victoria occur on the western and northern fringes of Melbourne, where they are now vulnerable to urban expansion.
Ningaloo Marine Park (NMP) is a remote coastal reef strip of 300km covering approximately 170,000ha. Already iconic to the people of Western Australia, the NMP has recently been attributed UNESCO World Heritage status. Managed by the state, the NMP has a resident population of just 7,000 but is visited annually by over 200,000. The main drawcards of the NMP are reflected in visitor activities and include the chance to swim with whale sharks, viewing the abundant marine life and recreational fishing.
The Murray-Darling Basin is the ‘food basket’ of Australia generating about $15 billion/year in agricultural production, a third of which is produced by irrigation. Irrigation (including conveyance) uses about 11,000 GL/year, representing 90% of the surface water consumed. On average these extractions reduce annual flows in the lower Murray by about 60%, and in dry periods flows are reduced by up to 96%.
Contact us
Please contact the Academy if you would like to make a donation.
...
© 2025 Australian Academy of Science
