AGRICULTURE IN THE WEST KIMBERLEY - A CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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AGRICULTURE IN THE WEST KIMBERLEY
- A CALENDAR OF EVENTS
During the past half a century or more, several ideas to establish irrigated, monoculture crops
in the west Kimberley have fallen by the wayside. The failure of the Camballin venture,
primarily due to pest pressures, proves how incompatible this type of land use is for the
region. No comprehensive studies into the social, cultural, economic and environmental
implications of the proposal to grow cotton in the district have yet been undertaken.
DATE EVENT
1946 Kim Durack (first Ord research station) moves to Camballin and grows
rice and fodder crops.
1959 - 60 WA Government builds the barrage and the 17-mile dam and assists
with development of Camballin. This scheme is to parallel the Ord
irrigation scheme but on a much smaller scale.
1961 Northern Developments Pty Ltd joins Durack and produces rice for
some years at Camballin.
1965 Anna Plains Station acquired by Art Linkletter and Associates. They
establish a 40acre pivot sprinkler irrigation system, fed by an artesian
bore, for grain sorghum. First crop yields 4.48tonnes per hectare.
1967 Australian Land and Cattle Company Limited (ALCCO) buys out
Northern Developments Pty Ltd’s operations at Camballin. Note
Derby Meat Processing Company (DEMCO).
1980 ALCCO secures major funding from Aetna Casualty and Surety
Company and expands its irrigated agriculture venture at Camballin to
22,900ha. Irrigation systems use a combination of gravity and
sprinkler systems. Local floods destroy the levee and $28M worth of
farm development. Approximately 60,000 head of cattle lost. WA
Government decides not to rebuild the flood protection levee which
ALCCO constructed at a cost of $3.75M. ALCCO closes operations.
1985 Camballin and Liveringa purchased by Israelis in association with an
Australian company. Sale of plant and equipment.
1990 Bodoquena Pty Ltd plants 40 acres of cotton on Anna Plains Station
(Pima and short staple) over a two year trial period.
1991 John Logan, a director of Western Agricultural Industries Pty Ltd
(WAI – a joint venture between Queensland Cotton Holdings and
Kimberley Agriculture Industries), conducts a scouting trip to the
Kimberley to review the land and water resources, engineering options
and arrange for cottonseed germination trials to be conducted. He
concludes the area can sustain a large scale irrigated agriculture
industry. Bodoquena Cotton trials at Anna Plains Station end.
March 1992 Kimberley Pipeline Management and Advisory Board appointed by
the Labor State Government (Ernie Bridge is Minister for Water
Resources) to carry out feasibility studies and recommend actions to:
‘maximise the value to the community from the development of
Kimberley water resources’. WAI commences its pre-feasibility study
into developing: ‘an integrated, large scale irrigated agricultural
industry in the West Kimberley’.April 1993 The Kimberley Pipeline Management and Advisory Board changes its
title to Kimberley Water Resources Development Advisory Board.
May 1993 The Board’s report Fitzroy Valley Irrigation — A Conceptual Study is
published. This suggests a cotton industry could be established in the
valley at a development cost of $400M.
July 1993 A series of papers prepared for the Board is published, including:
Exploratory Study of the Economic Return to Australian Capital
Investment and Matching Sustainable Water Resources with Demand
in the 21st Century.
1994 WAI presents findings on water supply and infrastructure needs for
large scale irrigation and for transporting Kimberley water to the
Pilbara and Perth metropolitan region to Minister for Resources
Development, Energy and Tourism, Hon. Colin Barnett. WA
Government encourages WAI to pursue its irrigation proposal. First
cotton trials are conducted at Dampier Downs Station.
1994/95 Trials of a number of varieties of cotton are conducted at four
locations in the West Kimberley: Dampier Downs, Roebuck Plains,
Shamrock Gardens and Nita Downs Stations.
1995 Bridge travels the country promoting his Watering Australia
Foundation ideas to indigenous communities, local governments and
the public. The proposal includes building a pipeline from the
Kimberley to Perth to provide water to the metropolitan area and
places in between, a ‘greening the desert’ idea. It is widely referred to
as The Pipedream and opposed by most indigenous groups and others.
September 1995 WAI makes a presentation to WA Premier Hon. Richard Court. WAI
proposes: ‘that the most efficient route for successfully introducing an
irrigated agricultural industry to the region was to authorise a single
private sector proponent to carry out a feasibility study, to secure the
necessary community support and approvals and then to build and
operate the water infrastructure’.
1996 The state government publicly acknowledges it is looking into
developing the land and water resources of the West Kimberley in
earnest. The Fitzroy Valley Impact Assessment Group, a joint
committee presided over by Minister of Resources Development and
Minister of Agriculture, is formed. Its objective is to investigate the
possibility of using Fitzroy River water to irrigate agricultural crops in
the Kimberley. Thus supported by the WA Government, WAI
conducts further cotton trials at Shamrock Gardens. The company
confirms high yields and high quality cotton can be produced. WAI
acquires Nita Downs and Shamrock pastoral leases.
September 1996 Environs Kimberley is formed in response to plans to dam the Fitzroy
River and establish a cotton industry in the West Kimberley.
October 1996 Department for Resources Development project manager Richard
Elsey and WAI director John Logan travel through the West
Kimberley together and hold public meetings in Broome and Derby
about land and water use in the region. Mr Logan offers to ‘walk
away’ from the West Kimberley cotton project if the public and
Karajarri traditional owners don’t want it.
24 October 1996 Closing date for Registration of Interest in the West Kimberley Land
and Water Resources Development Feasibility Study.January 1997 WA Government places an advertisement seeking: ‘Expressions of
Interest from private parties interested in undertaking and financing a
feasibility study and the subsequent development of an integrated,
large scale irrigated agriculture industry in the West Kimberley’
(closes April 1997). By now, WAI has been studying various aspects
of its proposal to develop a cotton industry in the West Kimberley for
six years. The company has spent $2.5M.
April 1997 Four Expressions of Interest submissions are received: from Watering
Australia Foundation (an offer to work with the successful applicant);
Harmony Environmental Management/Fowler Hydraulic (sustainable
regional development using permaculture and keyline practices);
Gerhard Wittig; and WAI. ‘The vision is to develop an integrated,
large scale irrigated agricultural industry in the West Kimberley that
will harness the agricultural resources of the region in a way that will
enrich the local community (both aboriginal and non-aboriginal)
through employment, services and opportunities, invigorate the State’s
economy through export and wealth-creating investment, provide for
environmental care and protection and balance between farming
areas, places of cultural and historical significance and conservation
reserves.’ (WAI Expression of Interest document, March 1997.)
Stage I of the WAI development would entail the extraction of up to
90% of the estimated through-flow of groundwater in the La Grange
aquifer and the clearing and planting of up to 20,000ha of land under
pastoral lease for irrigation of transgenic cotton. Stage II would
involve the construction of up to 3 dams in the upper Fitzroy River
catchment, construction of up to 500km of canals to transport water to
Shamrock and Nita Downs Stations, and the clearing for broadscale
agriculture of up to 225,000ha of pastoral leases and unallocated
crown land elsewhere in the West Kimberley region.
13 April 1997 Environs Kimberley becomes incorporated.
May 1997 A public meeting is held in Broome with representatives of the Labor
Opposition and John Logan. Mr Logan acknowledges that WAI
expects to be the preferred tenderer to: ‘undertake and finance a
feasibility study and the subsequent development of an integrated,
large scale irrigated agriculture industry in the West Kimberley’.
June 1997 The government’s technical review panel evaluation is completed.
July 1997 Cabinet formally endorses WAI’s proposal.
December 1997 A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is drawn up and approved
by Cabinet.
March 1998 The MoU is signed by the WA Premier, Hon. Richard Court.
April 1998 The MoU is tabled in Parliament and ratified, enabling WAI to
investigate the feasibility of developing a large scale irrigated
agriculture industry – especially for the purposes of growing
genetically modified cotton – on land south of Broome, using ground
water and surface water resources. Use of the latter would entail the
construction of up to three dams on the Fitzroy River and its
tributaries. There is widespread public protest from environment
groups and Kimberley Aboriginal organisations.
August 1998 WAI submits its first quarterly report, for the period ending July 1998,
to the Department of Resources Development. Quarterly reports are arequirement under the MoU.
August 1998 WAI directors Brimblecombe, White, Rendle and Logan visit the
Kimberley and meet with Karajarri, Kimberley Land Council, Bunuba
and other Fitzroy River Traditional Owners, Environs Kimberley and
others.
October 1998 WAI directors, with consultant on indigenous affairs Rick Farley, re-
visit the Kimberley. They hold meetings at Bidyadanga, Broome and
Fitzroy Crossing where they announce they no longer plan to dam the
Fitzroy River. They will continue to investigate alternative surface
water extraction methods and off-river storage techniques.
December 1998 A Stakeholder Presentation is held in Derby by WAI and government
department representatives. In response to questions, Mr Logan admits
that WAI ‘cannot rule out’ the use of aerial spraying on cotton crops.
March 1999 The Water and Rivers Commission’s Kimberley water allocation
planning work commences. This includes a scoping study of
stakeholder issues in water allocation.
May 1999 First meeting of the La Grange Groundwater Allocation Committee is
held. The committee will assist the Water and Rivers Commission in
developing the La Grange Groundwater Allocation Plan by providing
input and advice.
June 1999 Stakeholder issues concerning Kimberley Water Allocation Planning
compiled and reports completed.
October 1999 First meeting of the West Kimberley Irrigation Committee held, as a
vehicle for discussing non-water issues related to the cotton proposal.
November 1999- Repeated calls made by EK and Karajarri Traditional Owners for the
February 2000 government to withdraw from the MoU and refuse an extension of the
trials beyond June 2000. Requests are made of the government to
replace the MoU with a community planning process to develop a
vision for sustainable land and water use in the West Kimberley. DRD
reports that WAI is not meeting its quarterly reporting requirements
and not undertaking adequate environmental and social studies as
required. EK expresses concern about lack of transparency in the
process.
March 2000 West Kimberley Irrigation Committee is terminated by DRD and WAI
before its second scheduled meeting, despite protests by EK.
30 June 2000 MoU expires. WAI given extra time to prepare a submission for an
extension of the MoU to 2003, including a work plan for the next three
years.
November 2000 WA Government varies and extends the MoU until June 2003,
enabling WAI to continue conducting cotton trials. The decision is
made despite widespread community opposition, substantial breaches
of the first MoU and representations by the Karajarri native title
holders. In the varied MoU, references to the dam are replaced with
‘surface water developments’, and references to ‘aiming for a
negotiated agreement with TOs’ are deleted. Confidentiality clauses
are added. The MoU gives effect to a proponent-driven process with
limited external controls. Both the trials and the proposed large scale
project pose significant environmental and social threats. WAI is soon
in breach of the amended MoU through non-compliance with the work
plan. The MoU is subject to annual review.December 2000 Sixth meeting of the La Grange Groundwater Allocation Committee.
The lease with Shamrock Gardens is not renewed and no further cotton
trials are permitted on this property. WAI submits an application for a
permit to clear, burn and blade-plough up to 30ha on Shamrock Station
and undertake agricultural research trials. They also request approval
to install a commercial water production bore, grow transgenic cotton
from May to November, use fertilisers, drip irrigation, a high clearance
spray rig and more than 10 pesticides in a chemically ‘clean’ area.
They want to use the area for trials for two years, and then use the
‘trial area as part of the commercial crop in any final development’. A
meeting between government agencies and WAI is held in Perth to
develop a mechanism by which government departments can fast-track
the approvals process, allowing WAI to commence small scale cotton
trials in March 2001. WAI is advised to revise and re-submit their
application by the end of January 2001 if they want approvals in time
for seeding by May 2001. This is not done.
February 2001 WA State Elections, Labor wins government, with five Greens in the
Upper House.
March 2001 Meetings with Minister for Agriculture, Hon Kim Chance are held. EK
asks him to cancel the MoU and replace it with a community planning
process to look into the long term sustainable use of land and water in
the West Kimberley. He gives an undertaking to look into the matter.
April 2001 State Government and other respondents to the Karajarri Native Title
Claim (Pastoralists and Graziers Assoc, WAI, Pearling interests) enter
mediation over unallocated crown land and Aboriginal pastoral leases.
Legal action under the Native Title Act continues over other pastoral
leases (Shamrock, Nita Downs and Anna Plains Stations).
May 2001 Queensland Cotton Holdings director Allan Brimblecombe holds a
meeting with Minister for State Development Clive Brown to
announce that QCH is withdrawing from the WAI partnership. This
leaves Kimberley Agricultural Industries as sole entity within WAI.
July 2001 Dr Gary Fitt, CEO of the Australian Cotton Cooperative Research
Centre, NSW predicts that by 2010: ‘Northern towns such as
Katherine, Kununurra, Richmond and Broome will be the centre of the
nation’s irrigated agriculture, including cotton. Tropical rivers–the
Roper, Katherine, Daly, Flinders, Victoria, Fitzroy and Ord–will
provide water to private dams, with cotton grown in the northern dry
season.’ (Outback magazine).
August 2001 The northern committee of the Australian Cotton CRC releases its
report titled Cotton Research & Development Issues in Northern
Australia: a review and scoping study. The report identifies 21
locations in northern Australia that are being scoped to grow cotton.
26 October 2001 Seventh La Grange Groundwater Allocation Committee meeting held.
WAI declines an invitation to attend.
27 October 2001 Environs Kimberley holds ‘Cotton on Trial’, a public forum to discuss
the future of land and water allocation and management in the West
Kimberley, at the Broome Courthouse. More than 100 people attend.
WAI declines an invitation to participate. A petition is commenced.
November 2001 WAI have not re-submitted their application for permits and licensesto clear land and grow trial crops of cotton on Shamrock Station. The
Pastoral Lands Board has expressed concern that WAI is not
complying with the conditions of their leases on Nita Downs and
Shamrock, and the PLB has not yet issued a permit to clear. TOs have
declined a request to conduct site clearance work (under State heritage
legislation) on the 30ha that WAI wants to clear for cotton trials.
Water and Rivers Commission cannot issue a production bore license
to WAI until they have access to the land via a permit from PLB. The
Native Title claim has not yet been determined by the courts, pending
the outcome of the Mirriuwung-Gajerrong decision. WAI have asked
the government to extend the MoU by the same length of time they
have been ‘held up’ by the native title proceedings. TOs remain
opposed to the cotton industry and to the use of groundwater for large
scale irrigated agriculture. The Weekend Australian (Nov 24-25 2001)
runs a series of articles about plans to establish a cotton industry in
Northern Australia and the campaigns to oppose such moves by
Environs Kimberley and other northern groups.
February 2002 Native Title is determined over 24, 275sqkm of Karajarri land. The
Shamrock, Nita Downs and Anna Plains pastoral leases are not
included in the determination. These are still subject to litigation,
pending the outcome of the Mirriuwung-Gajerrong case in the High
Court. EK prepares a submission to the state government’s GM-free
Zones discussion paper, urging a five-year moratorium on the
introduction of GM crops into WA, comprehensive community
consultation and keeping the Kimberley GM-free.
March 2002 WAI’s water exploration license expires on 20th March. No application
for an extension is received by WRC. An access agreement with the
Karajarri to allow WAI to conduct water exploration and other
activities specified under the MoU is not acted upon. The Office of the
Gene Technology Regulator requests public comment on the Risk
Assessment and Risk Management Plans for the release of genetically
modified cotton in locations across Australia, including the shires of
Broome and Wyndham-East Kimberley. The RARMP refers to an
application to release Bollgard II, Bollgard II/Roundup Ready and
Ingard cotton varieties. EK opposes the proposed releases. The OGTR
issues the Dept of Agriculture with the licenses to run trials of the
cotton in WA. Trials are conducted in the Ord River Irrigation Area,
but no trial crops are grown at the proposed Shire of Broome location
– WAI’s Shamrock Station.
April 2002 EK writes to Ministers Edwards, Brown and Chance, urging them to
withdraw from the MoU because of non-compliance by WAI.
May 2002 Inaugural meeting of the Northern Australian Environment Alliance,
Darwin. All northern environment groups and some national groups
are represented. Industry focus on irrigated agriculture development in
northern regions, including GM cotton, is discussed.
June 2002 The OGTR requests public comment on Monsanto’s application (DIR
012/2002) for a license to commercially release GMOs – Bollgard II
and Bollgard II/Roundup Ready – into the environment in 80 shires
across Australia, including the Shires of Broome and Wyndham-East
Kimberley. EK opposes the release, as does the Shire of Broome.September 2002 Comments on the Risk Assessment and Risk Management Plan for
DIR 012/2002 are submitted. The OGTR rejects an application by
Monsanto for the commercial release of Bollgard II and Bollgard
II/Roundup Ready cotton north of latitude 22ºS, while allowing its
release in southern areas.
May 2003 EK petition opposing the cotton industry development is tabled in state
parliament.
Eighth meeting of the La Grange Groundwater Allocation Committee.
WAI expresses its wish to proceed with the cotton proposal but
declines to reveal details about its financial partnership. A majority of
committee members indicate they do not support the WAI application
for an extension to the MoU and make a further call for a community
planning process to look into the long term sustainable use of land and
water in the West Kimberley. Advice from the committee is provided
to government ministers.
June 2003 Second MoU expires on 30th June.
July 2003 Kilto Station lessee applies to clear 3,500ha of native vegetation for
pasture production and grazing. The EPA recommends the matter be
investigated through a Public Environmental Review process due to
proposed large scale disturbance of flora and fauna and proximity to
Roebuck Plains system of wetlands.
August 2003 EK learns of landclearing, without a permit, of 285ha on Liveringa
Station and the damming of Snake Creek, also without the necessary
government approvals. Plans include the use of three pivot sprinklers
and the establishment of irrigated pasture and fodder crops and
possibly some timber crops. The matter is under investigation.
September 2003 Debesa Station lessee applies to clear 100ha for pasture production.
Concerns about introduction of weeds through this proposal.
Application pending approvals.
October 2003 The MoU is varied and a third extension signed. Expiry date is 30th
June, 2004. WAI accepts the government’s invitation to enter into
negotiations to vary the MoU or prepare a new one.
Federal Minister for Agriculture Warren Truss announces major new
studies into the potential for irrigated agriculture in northern Australia
including the L&WA/CSIRO $800,000 Northern Australia Irrigation
Futures Study and the L&WA/National Centre for Tropical Wetlands
Research $500,000 Northern Australia River Flows Study.
The $75 million Cooperative Research Centre for Irrigation Futures is
launched. It aims to: improve profitability of irrigation enterprises and
define sustainability of irrigation systems in Australia.
November 2003 The Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee
Inquiry into rural water use takes evidence in Kununurra.
Federal Agriculture Minister Warren Truss announces $386,000
funding to develop the Australian Collaborative Rangelands
Information System (ACRIS) to provide a national assessment of
pastoral areas within the rangelands and investigate opportunities for
diversifying into irrigated agriculture.
December 2003 KLC supports TOs in their opposition to WAI’s cotton proposal.
1.4ha cotton trial planted in June 2003 on Shamrock Station is
harvested with assistance from Agriculture Department staff.Applications to clear submitted for 80ha at Skuthorpe, near Broome to
grow mangoes, and 88ha at Pardu, south of Broome for melons.
Applications pending approvals.
January 2004 WAI sells Nita Downs Station, a destocked property without any
infrastructure, retaining 17,000ha on the western side for cropping
purposes, presumably cotton.
Department of Industry and Resources and Western Agricultural
Industries representatives visit Broome to promote the WAI proposal
through a public campaign.
This is a work in progress. Research is continuing into the history of the West Kimberley
cotton proposal. Environs Kimberley welcomes your additions to this Calendar of Events. All
readers are invited to advise us of any errors or omissions. For inquiries and contributions to
the Calendar email us envrkimb@broome.wt.com.au or phone: 9192 1922.You can also read
