Advanced weather forecasting research for the Gascoyne Murchison region

2/07/02
The Gascoyne Murchison Strategy has entered into a project with the Queensland Centre for Climate Applications to improve seasonal forecasts for the region.
Agriculture Minister Kim Chance said improving rain forecasting would help protect the rangelands during drought and help increase productivity during good seasons.
The two-year initiative follows recently completed work for the GMS by the Centre for Water Research at the University of Western Australia.
This work has allowed predictions to be made of North-West cloudband activity, and hence rainfall, over the Gascoyne/Murchison region during winter.
Mr Chance said the project with the QCCA would provide focussed rainfall forecasting for the region linked to the particular needs of the rangeland industry.
"The first stage of the project will involve talking to pastoralists about the specific times of the year when improved forecasts would be of most benefit to their production systems," he said.
"It may be that accurate forecasts can be made - but at the wrong time of the year.
"The next stage will be to review at least 10 existing forecast systems to determine how relevant they are to the GMS region. Recent work has suggested that there is greater skill in this area than has been recognised.
"Once the review is complete, a decision will be made as to whether existing systems can be tweaked for the GMS or whether new systems will need to be developed."
The production implications of improved forecasts will be investigated through pasture growth modelling and clever ways of delivering the information to pastoralists will be tested.
Mr Chance said the latest research project followed the on-ground success of the GMS over several years, which had resulted from an integrated whole-of-government approach and strong support from the pastoral community.

"A shift away from a reliance on wool to other grazing production systems and the wide-scale introduction of improved grazing management for domestic and feral animals have been among the achievements across the region," he said.
"Another GMS success story has been an initiative to plug uncontrolled artesian water bores, which are now being used more sustainably for stock water supplies.
"As a result the Carnarvon Artesian Basin is also now able to maintain sustainable yields."

Further technical information is available from Research Officer Ian Watson at the Centre for Management of Arid Environments at the Department of Agriculture on 9690 2128 or iwatson@agric.wa.gov.au
More detail on the Centre for Water Research work can be found at http://www.cwr.uwa.edu.au/~telcik/menu.html
Minister's office: 9213 6700