Sugarcane is the dominant crop in the Mulgrave-Russell region. Located just south of Cairns, it holds around 20,000 hectares of cane. While abundant rainfall provides a reliable water source for farms, growers face challenges in managing water flow. Many growers are trialling innovative practices in response.

The Tully-Johnstone catchment, one of the wettest regions in Australia, is renowned for its thriving banana industry and sugarcane cultivation. Grower’s benefit from consistent high rainfall and rich volcanic soils. Yet, the region's intense rainfall brings challenges in managing water flow and nutrient runoff from paddocks.

The lower Herbert hosts around 67,000 ha of sugarcane on the lower coastal floodplain and is one of the largest of the 35 river basins in the Great Barrier Reef catchment area. This significant water flow, combined with its extensive sugarcane cultivation, makes this basin a priority for better management of fine sediment, nutrient and pesticide runoff.

The Lower Burdekin, Australia’s most productive sugarcane region, yields 7.5 million tonnes annually. Supported by Queensland’s largest reservoir, growers face unique water management challenges with irrigation, including rising groundwater, runoff, and increasing costs. There are solutions to manage these challenges.

More than 90% of Mackay-Whitsunday agriculture is dedicated to sugarcane farming, making it a major sugarcane region of over 100,000 hectares condensed within a relatively small area. The region's iconic natural environment attracts global tourists to its coral reefs, national parks and islands. This ties the sugarcane industry to both tourism and environmental needs.