Reef
Rescue is an innovative program funded by the Australian Government
aimed at farmers, graziers and landholders.
It aims
to improve the health of Australia’s iconic Great Barrier
Reef by giving technical and financial incentives to improve land
management practices.
$5.68
million is available for works during 2009/2010 that improve
practices in the Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM region. This region
includes the local government areas of Townsville, Charters Towers,
Burdekin, Barcaldine, Etheridge, Hinchinbrook, Palm Island, and the
Whitsundays.
The
program forms part of a $200 million initiative, which is a
component of the Australian Government's ‘Caring for our
Country’ program.
Who’s overseeing the
program?
NQ Dry
Tropics is responsible for co-ordinating these funds to assist
sugar cane and horticultural farmers, and graziers to adopt land
management practices aimed at reducing the run-off of pesticides
and sediments leaving their land and entering the reef
lagoon.
NQ Dry
Tropics is working in partnership with Canegrowers, AgForward,
Growcom, BSES Limited, Burdekin Productivity Services Limited, CSR,
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries, and Greening
Australia to deliver the Reef Rescue Program in the Burdekin
Dry Tropics NRM region.
Progress so far
Detailed
reports have been approved by the Australian Government.
Copies of these reports can be found by clicking on the links
below.
Transitional Reef Rescue Final Report - Highlights the
achievements of the transitional Reef Rescue program which was
implemented between January and June 2009.
Performance report with updates of the progress of the second
round of Reef Rescue which was implemented between July and
December 2009.
Reef Rescue Final
Report - Transitional Funding 2008/09
Reef Rescue
Performance Report July - December 2009
Where you come in
If you
have an idea that can improve your land management practices to
reduce runoff of nutrients, pesticides and sediments from
agricultural land, we’d like to hear from you. Technical
support and financial incentives are available.
Grants
will be available to implement changes in many areas. Some examples
of these include:
- using fertilisers and nutrients more
efficiently;
- improving irrigation efficiency and
management;
- improving the health and structure of the soil;
and
- fencing and alternative watering points to improve
grazing practices.
Where to from here?
For further information on sugar, horticulture and grazing
please click on the images to the right.
