Lockyer Valley

Lockyer Valley
Valley
Warrego Highway looking towards Toowoomba
Country	Australia
State	Queensland
Region	South East Queensland
River	Lockyer Creek
Area	2,272 km2 (877 sq mi)
Population	38,312 (2014)
Density	0.17/km2 (0/sq mi)

The Lockyer Valley is an area of rich farmlands that lies to the west of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and east of Toowoomba. The Lockyer Valley is rated among the top ten most fertile farming areas in the world as mentioned in page 13 of the Lockyer Valley Community Recovery Plan 2011. The intensively cultivated area grows the most diverse range of commercial fruit and vegetables of any area in Australia. The valley is referred to as "Australia's Salad Bowl" and has been described as one of Australia's premium food bowls.

The valley is experiencing increasing urbanisation at both its eastern and western extremities. As commuters move into the area, its towns are becoming dormitory suburbs and satellite towns of the Brisbane-Ipswich conurbation in the east and Toowoomba in the west. Urban planning measures have been implemented to preserve the good quality agricultural land and rural feel of the valley. Such measures largely confine future development to non-arable land on the slopes of the hills.

The valley is enclosed on either side by the Great Dividing Range and lies within the Lockyer Valley Region local government area. The largest town in the Lockyer Valley is Gatton. Other centres include Laidley, Forest Hill, Grandchester, Grantham, Helidon, Withcott and Prenzlau.

Lockyer Creek and its tributaries drain the valley and forms a tributary of the Brisbane River that eventually empties into Moreton Bay. Many of the creeks in the valley are ephemeral. The valley has a number of small dams that serve local storage needs, including Atkinson Dam built in 1970, Bill Gunn Dam and Lake Clarendon. 12 different land types have been identified in the valley. The banks of waterways in the Lockyer Valley have been identified as the source of silt which caused problems for the Mount Crosby Pumping Station during the January 2013 Eastern Australia floods. In 2014, $8 million was allocated to prevent soil erosion within the Lockyer Valley.