The Release Of The Reef Water Quality Report Card

The latest Reef Water Quality Report Card (2021 and 2022) has been released.

The report shows progress towards targets being made in the Burdekin region to improve Reef water quality, with a 0.5% reduction in sediment recorded for the area.

The Burdekin catchment recorded a three per cent reduction in dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), one of the largest reductions across Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef catchments for the reporting period. 

The region also recorded good overall ground cover with 88 per cent of grazing lands having adequate ground cover in the late dry season in 2022, compared to 71 per cent in 2021 and 56 per cent in 2020. This result was largely due to the higher than long-term average rainfall in the Burdekin region in 2021 and 2022. 

The report card shows overall inshore marine condition was moderate in 2021-2022 with coral conditions remaining moderate, as recovery continues from Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi in 2011.

Inshore seagrass meadow condition improved from poor to moderate, with seagrass meadows showing high resilience, particularly in their capacity to recover from disturbances such as the large flood event in the Burdekin region in 2019.

NQ Dry Tropics Program Manager Sustainable Agriculture Rob Hunt said the report card demonstrated the reduction in sediment and nutrient loads as a result of the on-ground activities NQ Dry Tropics was funded to carry out across the region.

“NQ Dry Tropics and its delivery partners work directly with farmers to trial and validate farm management practices for improved farm production and water quality,” said Rob.

“We support Burdekin farmers to drive change from the ground up to identify, test and validate practices that can reduce their environmental footprint while also enhancing farm production and viability.

“The DIN result is positive - It reflects cane growers’ ongoing commitment to improve water quality through their management planning and practices while also ensuring business viability.

“Although the sediment reduction is small, major water quality programs were in their infancy during the reporting period.

“Greater progress is expected in meeting these targets as multi-year projects funded through the Australian Government’s Reef Trust, as well as projects funded by the Queensland Government, are completed and reported.”

Mr Hunt said the Paddock to Reef Integrated Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting (Paddock to Reef) program provided the framework for evaluating and reporting progress towards Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan targets and objectives through the Reef Water Quality Report Card.

Photo Caption: NQ Dry Tropics Program Manager Sustainable Agriculture Rob Hunt.

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