1.10 Australia’s Natural Resources

1. Resources are any material that can be used by humans.

2. Renewable Resources: A material which can be reproduced within a human lifetime.

Non-Renewable Resources: A material which takes thousands or even millions of years to form.

3. Renewable Resources can become Non-Renewable from over-exploitation.

4. Soil is a very valuable resource as it is very old and fragile. Soil provides nutrients to organisms and allows successful agriculture industries.

5. Silviculture is the practice of controlling the growth of forests to reach people’s needs.

6. The area of forest in Australia is 164.4 million hectares, 21%.

7. Australia’s fishing and agricultural industries are highly important. The fishing industries are worth more than $2 billion as we have high-value species like tuna and lobsters. We have the 3^rd largest fishing zone. The agricultural industries supply many types of wood to the country as well as the rest of the world. We also supply some of the best vegetables and beef in the world.

8. To protect the fish species, The Australian Fisheries Management Authority set a limit of 5265 tonnes for the southern blue fin tuna catch in 2006.

9. The mineral Black Coal is Australia’s largest reserve.

10. Australia’s mineral reserves are increasing due to improved prospecting and extraction technologies.

11. Australia has a forest area of 164.4 million hectares, 21% of the land area and if split up, every person would receive 8.2 hectares. This land is divided equally between national parks and farms. The Native Forest area is 162.7 hectares, the Plantation Forest area is 1.7 million hectares and the Forest area in Nature Conservation Reserves is 21.5 million hectares.

12. Uranium is a valuable resource as it holds a lot of energy. Uranium has the potential to create weapons and power in small doses.

13. World Heritage sites are highly valuable as they attract tourists. Because of this, countries receive economic benefits.

14. Uranium mining impacts the landscape as it requires digging up the ground. Because of this, animals, plants and other life will be killed or moved.

15. Australia has a wide spread fishing zone expanding around the coasts and Islands. Around Australia, the fishing zones expand from 400-800km around the coast most of this being around the east coast. The fishing zone is also spread around Islands off Australia. These include Molfolk Island, Macquarie Island, Heard Island, the McDonald Islands, the Cocos Islands and Christmas Island.

16. a.) The Mine’s and Concentrator’s are found in the Northern Australia and South Australia. The Prospective Mines are found in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia. The Former Mines are found in Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia.

b.) The Former Uranium mine found in South Australia is called Radium Hill.

c.) The Uranium mine in the Northern Territory is called Ranger.

17.

As shown, Australia has the world’s most Uranium at 1, 074, 000 tonnes. Kazakhstan, Canada and South Africa are the next three ranging from 158,000t to 298,000t. The last countries are found in the Americas, Russia and parts of Asia ranging from 93, 000t to 213, 000t.

18. a.) i. AU $300,000,000 approx.

          ii. AU $240,000,000 approx.

          iii. AU $550,000,000 approx.

b.) AU $350,000,000 approx.

c.) From 1986-92, the exports of uranium were doing fairly well averaging AU $300,000 approx. From 1993-06, the exports increased each year reaching an amazing AU $530,000,000 approx.