YEARS: 7–8, 9–10
We hear a lot about water use in Australia. What are the real statistics about water use?
What is the breakdown of water use for different groups across Australia?
Watch this clip to find out who uses water and how much, and consider the value of water and the 'return' on this use for the Australian economy.
The figures used are from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Things to think about
- 1.What is the difference between a 'kilolitre' and a 'gigalitre'? Who do you think would be the biggest water users in Australia? The cost of water varies around Australia. Why might the cost of water be higher or lower in some places and/or for some users? Find out the cost (in dollars per litre) of a kilolitre of water for your household.
- 2.In what way does Australia 'punch above its weight' in terms of food production'? According to the ABS statistics quoted, what volume of water did industry and households use in 2010-11? In this time period, what percentage of the total was used by the following sectors: mining, manufacturing, households and agriculture? What was the average cost of this water for households and agriculture? Note the statistics on returns for consumption, and the following points made.
- 3.Why do sheep, beef and grain production require such large volumes of water? Why might water changes to householders be different from those to farmers? How does the economic return per gigalitre of water compare within different sectors of the Australian economy? Why might some of the returns of agriculture be difficult to measure in monetary terms?
- 4.Water doesn't just have economic value. It can be valuable in other ways: cultural, spiritual, aesthetic. Investigate one (or more) of these ways of valuing water. You could investigate it within your own community or do some research on its place in another community in Australia or in the wider Asian region. Present your findings in a highly visual way — eg as an infographic, poster or slideshow, or in another form that interests you.
Date of broadcast: 18 Feb 2013
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