Bioenergy and carbon farming opportunities in the Pilbara

Authors

Robert SudmeyerFollow
Kim BrooksbankFollow
David RogersFollow

Files

Publication Date

12-2016

Series Number

4884

Abstract

The Pilbara region covers 270 000 square kilometres of north-west Western Australia. Its main agricultural land use is pastoralism, with beef cattle grazing native pastures. Currently, only 24km² is under irrigation, with irrigated fodder the principal crop, but this could expand to 100km². This expansion has the potential to significantly broaden the economic base of the Pilbara.

Irrigation and the opportunities for changing land use and management may facilitate greater participation in the carbon economy by Pilbara land managers. Bioenergy feedstocks could be sourced from purpose-grown crops or agricultural wastes. Carbon farming activities may be facilitated by the land use and management changes that are possible with the introduction of irrigated agriculture into existing pastoral systems.

This report investigates the potential for land managers in the Pilbara to produce bioenergy from feedstocks sourced from irrigated agriculture, and to undertake carbon farming activities that are facilitated by introducing irrigated agriculture.

Number of Pages

53

ISSN

1833-7236

Keywords

bioenergy, carbon farming, Pilbara, feedstocks, irrigated agriculture

Disciplines

Agriculture | Environmental Sciences

Recommended Citation

Sudmeyer, R, Brooksbank, K & Rogers, D 2016, ‘Bioenergy and carbon farming opportunities in the Pilbara’, Bulletin 4884, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, Perth.

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