Decision support tools

The NRM & Local Government Planning Support Tool focuses on providing locally relevant best planning practices for land use and development types in the Southern Region of Western Australia, and links to resources to support implementation of the best practices. Initially the focus is on rural residential/smallholding development and vineyards but will be expanded to other uses and development types over time. The support tool is based on a wiki or collaborative website which has been "seeded" with content through the a register or database of support material, together with hot links to live website with additional / current information and spatial products. This means that the content is easily updated and expanded. As it is a wiki, registered users can easily comment on the content and add suitable material where gaps may exist.

AgET is a simple water balance calculator. AgET helps farmers and their advisors to understand how differing climates, plants, soils and rotations influence components of the water balance (i.e. evapotranspiration, runoff and deep flow). AGETwas developed for Western Australian conditions but able to be customized for other areas. AgET will indicate likely outcomes to commonly asked questions such as "What components of the water balance have changed since clearning?" and "What do I need to change in my current rotation to reduce deep flow?"

A site scale knowledge base and decision support tool for diagnosing soil management issues and identifying potential management solutions. Includes links to resources supporting implementation of the management options. Produced on DVD.

APSIM is a base model with several offshoots - Farmscape, HowWet, Whopper Cropper. APSIM is a detailed soil-crop, point, bio-physical model. It simulates crop growth, the water balance and soil nitrogen dynamics on a point basis for a range of crops. APSIM is suitable for detailed evaluation of point issues related to crop growth and available for application by partner organisations.

This report describes a framework and toolkit designed to provide a consistent approach to conjunctive water management in Australia. The framework consists of six steps in an adaptive management cycle and provides information and resources to enable water managers and other stakeholders to take a more coordinated approach.

Aquacycle is a daily urban water balance model which has been developed to simulate the total urban water cycle as an integrated whole and provide a tool for investigating the use of locally generated stormwater and wastewater as a substitute for imported water alongside water use efficiency. The model is intended as a gaming tool rather than a design tool, giving an overall impression on the feasibility for using stormwater and wastewater at a particular site.

Queensland Aquatic Conservation Assessments (ACA) using the AquaBAMM provide decision support that allows informed decision making with respect to conservation or ecological values of natural aquatic ecosystems from a non-social and non-economic perspective.

The Aquatic Real-time Management System (ARMS) is a software decision support system designed to aid in the optimal management of aquatic systems such as lakes and reservoirs. The availability of real-time datasets, scenario modelling, broad database integration and advanced visualisation allows managers of water resources to make decisions proactively rather than reactively.

To identify the relative suitability of land for the required use according to user defined parameters. ASSESS is an Arc Info based decision support system that uses computer based geographic information to assess landscape suitability for a particular use. ASSESS allows users to interactively select, classify and integrate layers of geographic data to explore land suitability and landuse options. This is achieved by reviewing information relevant to the landuse and assigning suitability classes to the characteristic.

The AussieGRASS project uses advanced spatial simulation techniques and supercomputing facilities to build on the research and experience of many of Australia's leading agronomists in developing a system for assessing and monitoring the condition of Australia's extensive grazing lands. AussieGRASS is an operational system run by Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water. AussieGRASS outputs are used for informing policy developers, including through drought analysis and Exceptional Circumstance assessment, for research, and to support decisions by land managers. Outputs are mainly targeted to the grazing industries although water managers, fire management agencies and environmental and economic agencies also use model outputs. Model outputs for landholders are generally designed for medium term tactical operations i.e. planning de-stocking or re-stocking operations to support environmental sustainability and avoid land degradation.