Background to land use mapping
Land use and land management practices have a profound impact on Queensland’s natural resources, the environment and agricultural production. The availability of consistent and reliable spatial information on land uses is critical for sustainable natural resource management. The Queensland Spatial Information Council (QSIC) defines land use as a foundation dataset “vital for the progression and development of Queensland”.
QLUMP data is being used for a broad range of applications in DERM (and externally) and was an essential input for the following:
- Strategic Cropping Land Policy – key input for the Trigger, Protection and Management Areas map.
- Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Protection Plan – identifying sources of nutrients and sediments in Reef catchments. Land use maps are a key layer for the Paddock to Reef Monitoring Program.
- Identification and extent of cane growing and grazing areas included as part of the Reef Protection Package regulatory framework.
- Statutory and non-statutory planning, for example, defining the extent of urban footprints and rural living areas in the South East Queensland Regional Plan.
- South East Queensland coastal management plan – developing Lyngbya vulnerability maps.
- Developing irrigation estimates in groundwater irrigation areas.
- Identifying priorities for investments and extension work across the State and Federal government agencies and NRM Regional Groups.
- Biosecurity – identifying potential locations of Citrus Canker outbreaks; evaluating the risk of disease spread across banana plantations in North Queensland.
- Monitoring and evaluation of natural resource impacts following natural disasters, including the recent tropical cyclones Larry and Yasi.
Land Use Mapping Currency
QLUMP has completed a consistent state-wide land use map for the year 1999, on a catchment basis with the State divided into 79 catchments. 28 of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchments, covering 22% of the State, have been updated to 2009 in support of the Reef Protection Package and Reef Plan.
Fig 1: Land use mapping currency in Queensland by Catchment.
Through the Remote Sensing Centre, the department provides maps of both land use and land cover. Land use describes what the land is used for; for example: grazing, irrigated cropping, mining, residential or conservation. Land cover describes the physical surface of the earth, for example: forest, pasture, water or urban.
QLUMP provides spatial data on land use. The Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) provides spatial data on land cover including annual change to the extent of Queensland’s forests and woodlands. More information can be found on the SLATS page.
Last updated 14 August 2012
