Cropping, Irrigation & Horticulture

Agricultural operations in the Rockhampton Region are supported by the Fitzroy Food Bowl - the largest and most reliable water catchment on Australia's east coast.

While cotton, corn, sorghum, flowers and root vegetables are already grown in Rockhampton's sub-tropical conditions, there remains plenty of opportunities for budding enterprises to invest in crops such as lychees, macadamias, avocados, mangoes, mandarins and grains.

Growers can tap into the Fitzroy Agriculture Corridor which includes 45,000 hectares of suitable land for irrigation, 165,000 megalitres of supplemented water, and 46,000 megalitres of unsupplemented water.

Fitzroy Food Bowl Prospectus

The Fitzroy Food Bowl Prospectus is a collaboration between Advance Rockhampton, the CRCNA, Queensland Government and Sunwater and outlines water availability, soil types and investment opportunities across the Rockhampton Region.

Download the Fitzroy Food Bowl Prospectus

Land Resource Information

Land resource information is available to support assessment of the agricultural potential of the Fitzroy Agricultural Corridor via:

• Fitzroy River Soils Survey and Land Suitability
• Vegetation Management Areas
• Rockhampton Regional Council Planning Scheme

Macadamias, mangoes, lychees and avocados are among the horticultural crops currently grown in the Rockhampton Region, with significant opportunity for expansion.

Increased water availability via Rookwood Weir and growing consumer demand for 'clean and green' domestic produce put the Region in an unrivalled position to expand and diversify its agricultural offerings.

The Region's mix of rich alluvium and sandy soils, sub-tropical climate and an annual summer dominant rainfall of approximately 815 mm provides access to specific market windows for a variety of fruit and vegetable crops.

More information on untapped horticulture opportunities across the Region can be found in the Fitzroy Food Bowl Prospectus.

In 2024 Rockhampton Regional Council was the recipient of $850,000 in Queensland Government funding to develop a business case for irrigation development in South Yaamba, on the Region's northern boundaries.

The business case will investigate the feasibility of irrigation developments to enable extensive horticultural development and food manufacturing opportunities in South Yaamba, supported by food manufacturing and logistics opportunities in the Gracemere and Parkhurst Industrial Areas.

Advance Rockhampton is currently working with stakeholders and consultants on this project. Please contact us should you wish to discuss future opportunities in this area.

Rockhampton Regional Council through Advance Rockhampton in partnership with the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA) and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) coined the landmark program called ‘Making Water Work’ in 2019 thanks to an initial investment provided by the Department of Environment and Science for Communities in Transition.

While the program's delivery is expected to conclude in 2025, environmental outcomes from the program are expected to continue. In addition to improving agricultural outcomes, Making Water Work is driven by the environmental goal of supporting farmers in managing nutrient, sediment and pesticide runoff to ensure Reef Water Quality regulations are met.

Project Goals

The multifaceted Making Water Work program is best summarised by five key projects:

1. Defining a supply chain and development precincts vision.
2. Visionary land use planning to facilitate development precincts.
3. Mobilising strong water governance arrangements.
4. Integrating nutrient, waste and energy streams in agricultural development.
5. Achieving reef water quality requirements in new agricultural development.