Caring for our Country Business Plan 2010-11
Priorities for investment: Coastal environments and critical aquatic habitats
Protecting the Reef
Key information for this target
The Expression of Interest process for the Caring for our Country Reef Rescue Research and Development Program has now closed.
Why the Great Barrier Reef is a priority
Australia's Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage Area and is of critical value to the nation because of its ecological and biological processes, significant habitats for biodiversity and its exceptional natural beauty.
Reef related tourism and primary production in reef catchments also make significant contributions to the Australian and Queensland economies.
However, the future health of the Reef is under threat from the impacts of climate change and declining water quality.
Corals and other reef organisms can tolerate small variations in water quality. However, nutrients, sediments and chemicals from river discharge impacts on these organisms in the following ways:
- high nutrient levels can result in corals being more susceptible to coral bleaching and being overgrown by seaweed
- excessive sediment entering the Reef smothers seagrass beds and coral and reduces light availability which limits their ability to manufacture food
- high nutrient and sediment levels combine with agricultural chemicals and other stressors to reduce the health and resilience of the Reef.
Improving the quality of water from land-based activities will improve the resilience of the Reef and its ability to cope with the impact of climate change.
What is Reef Rescue?
The Australian Government has committed $200 million over five years to improve the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. This will assist agricultural land managers in the Reef catchments to accelerate the uptake of improved land management practices. Through the Indigenous Land and Sea Country Partnerships Program, Reef Rescue will also assist the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) to engage Indigenous communities in the management and protection of the Reef's resources and cultural diversity.
The Reef catchment comprises 35 major drainage basins totalling 424 000 km2. Approximately 80 per cent of this area is used for a wide range of agricultural activities. Efficient targeting of Caring for our Country investments under Reef Rescue to priority areas and actions is therefore essential to achieve the required water quality outcomes for the Reef.
Targets
Protecting the Reef
- To increase by 1300 the number of farmers who have adopted land management practices that will improve the quality of water reaching the Reef lagoon by 2013.
- To increase by 650 the number of pastoralists over an area of 3.8 million hectares, who have improved ground cover monitoring and management in areas where run-off from grazing is contributing significantly to sediment loads and a decline in the quality of water reaching the Reef lagoon by 2013.
Investment approach
The Reef water quality research and development (R&D) program will be delivered through an expression of interest call. Expressions of interest have now closed.
For other activities under Reef Rescue, work will continue with existing delivery agents and there will be no open call for new proponents.
Investment scope
Reef water quality R&D
Expressions of interest are invited from organisations interested in undertaking water quality research that aligns with Reef water quality research priorities.
Caring for our Country will invest up to $9 million over four years (2009-13) in Reef water quality R&D, subject to the quality and nature of proposals received.
The Reef water quality R&D component will improve our understanding of the link between land management practices and environmental impacts. A strong end user focus will ensure that investments in research support the adaptive delivery of other components of Reef Rescue.
Research priorities are described in the Reef Rescue R&D Plan which is available to download at the top of this page.
Guidelines and application form are available on the Caring for our Country website. Expressions of interest have now closed.
Detailed project proposals will be sought from selected providers following consideration of expressions of interest received.
Current Reef Rescue activities
Water quality grants and partnerships
In 2010-11, Caring for our Country will build on the work already undertaken and will negotiate Reef Rescue water quality and partnership outcomes and delivery with existing delivery agents. Proposals from these current delivery agents will be sought at a later stage. There will be no open call for new proponents.
This is because significant capacity has already been generated through existing delivery arrangements and there are efficiencies of continuing to build on these arrangements.
Land management practice changes are being targeted within specified production systems to improve the quality of water leaving farms.
An ongoing multiple criteria analysis (MCA) process has assisted in the establishment of funding allocations. It has identified priority industries for funding in each geographic region based on their extent, water quality impact and potential for management intervention.
The MCA process for 2010-11 will further refine this approach to identify gaps for investment in future years.
Water quality monitoring and reporting
Reef water quality monitoring and reporting investments will be undertaken with existing delivery agents. There will be no open call for new proponents.
The Reef water quality monitoring and reporting component includes a combination of:
- paddock-scale monitoring which will monitor the quality of water leaving the land and will focus on priority industries and regions
- marine monitoring through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
This provides a coordinated catchment-wide water quality monitoring and measurement program with established criteria and targets. It includes monitoring and reporting of land use, land condition and uptake of best management practices, to effectively monitor (and model) the difference we are making.
Indigenous Land and Sea Country Partnerships Program
This program will be delivered through the GBRMPA. The program will engage Indigenous communities in the management and protection of the Reef's marine resources and cultural diversity.
It is designed to:
- expand the Traditional Use of Marine Resource Agreement program across the Reef catchment
- develop sea country management plans » strengthen communication between local communities, managers and Reef stakeholders and build better understanding of traditional owner issues about the management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
During 2009-10, a small grants program will be delivered as a component of the Indigenous Land and Sea Country Partnerships Program. The grants will provide assistance to Indigenous communities, on a competitive basis, for activities outlined in the guidelines and supporting documentation.
More details on the Reef Rescue Indigenous Land and Sea Country Partnerships Grants Program can be found at www.gbrmpa.gov.au .
Other funding opportunities for land and sea country planning
Other funding opportunities are available for the implementation of existing land and sea country plans. The investment scope and requirements are detailed under Indigenous participation.
Further information
More information, including details of how to access funding, is available on the GBRMPA website
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