The ABS has for the first time released new information showing changes in land values, use and cover for the entire state of Queensland.
It showed that total land in Queensland covered approximately 173.0 million hectares and had a total unimproved land value of $721.5 billion as at 30 June 2016, up 16% from $621.4 billion as at 30 June 2011, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
"The increase in total unimproved land value was largely driven by a 25% increase in the value of Residential land from $415.0 billion in 2011 to $518.7 billion in 2016," said Mike Booth, Director of Environmental Accounts Development at the ABS.
"Similarly Residential land area also increased 18% between 2011 and 2016. This increase in land area was largely at the expense of primary production land use types, including a net increase of 22,087 hectares to Residential land from Livestock Grazing land."
The area of Waterbodies and Wetlands land cover showed an overall decrease of 191,231 hectares (or 18%) and 512,344 hectares (or 48%) between the two intervals 2010-2011 and 2014-2015 respectively.
"These decreases in Waterbodies and Wetlands land cover are likely related to an overall decrease in total rainfall across these same accounting periods, as reported by the Bureau of Meteorology," said Mr Booth.
Summary data on land use, land cover and land parcels has been produced for Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2s) within Queensland for this publication.
"This data provides users an opportunity to explore stocks and changes in land for small geographical regions," explained Mr Booth.
The publication also presents a Feature Article which accounts for land changes within the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) region. This information will provide a foundation for the ABS Experimental Environmental-Economic Accounts for the Great Barrier Reef due for release in August 2017.
