Emerald, Queensland
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Emerald is a town and Local Government Area located in the Central Highlands district of Queensland, Australia. The town is the administrative centre for the Emerald Shire, which covers an area of approximately 10,000 square kilometres. An estimated total of 13,358 people live in the Emerald Shire (2003 ABS estimate). Emerald lies on the Nogoa River, a tributary of the Fitzroy River. The town lies almost 300 kilometres from the coast, west of the city of Rockhampton on the junction of the Capricorn and Gregory highways..
Emerald is a service town for a large number of industries in the area. Extensive coal mining operations are carried out in the district. Cotton is grown in the area, and is processed at the Yamala Cotton Gin, while other agricultural activities include grape and grain growing. Extensive grazing holdings are also prevalent in the district.
To the west of the town is an area known as The Gemfields, with small towns such as Sapphire and Rubyvale indicating the type of gems found there.
The Fairbairn Dam, a short drive to the south of the town, was opened in 1972, and holds back the waters of Lake Maraboon. The lake covers an area of up to 150 km², and is one of the largest man made lakes in the country. The extensive water supply has allowed the cotton industry to flourish here, as well as being a boon to local water sports.