Funding to provide improved reef water quality
A Mackay organisation will benefit from government investment in a regional initiative.
Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership is one of five organisations in the Regional Report Card Partnerships initiative the Palaszczuk Government will invest in to provide improved reef water quality and job security.
Environment Minister Leanne Linard announced earlier this month the state government will invest $3.75 million over three years to continue the Regional Report Card Partnerships initiative.
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Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership, Wet Tropics Waterways; Dry Tropics Partnership for Healthy Waters; Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership; Fitzroy Partnership for River Health and Gladstone Healthy Harbour Partnership are the five Regional Report Card Partnerships to operate within the Great Barrier Reef catchment.
The Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership is a collaboration between the community, Traditional Owners, farmers and fishers, industry, science, tourism, and government working together for healthy rivers and reef, their website says.
Ms Linard said the work the regional report card partnerships are doing in their respective regions is impressive and is helping to build an understanding in regional communities of the health of waterways and the Great Barrier Reef.
“Water quality is an area that takes the work and investment of many organisations over a sustained period to achieve improvements.
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“The partnerships are examples of a successful collaboration between all levels of government, Traditional Owners, industry, scientists, tourism operators, and conservation groups, in tackling waterway health and bringing the local community along in the journey.
“Some partnerships have been in operation for over a decade and it’s fantastic to know that our long-term investment is achieving results and helping to deliver a healthy Reef, while supporting strong, collaborative community partnerships.”
The Queensland Government states that each partnership creates an annual regional report card that details the condition of waterways in their respective regions. The data collected from these reports is used to inform management decisions on how to improve water quality in local waterways that flow to the reef.
In addition, the partnerships engage with local communities to deliver activities. These activities include working with local governments and industry in reef catchments to improve urban water management practices, which informs the development of urban water management targets as part of the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan, the government says.
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Furthermore, the partnerships serve as a regional stakeholder engagement mechanism for both the Queensland and Australian governments.
The government says the funding commitment ensures that the five regional report card partnerships can continue their important work in understanding and enhancing the health of local waterways in the Great Barrier Reef catchment and provides job security for the 18 staff members based in these regions.
“Our investment is in addition to the Australian Government’s funding of $1 million annually,” Ms Linard said.
To read more, click here.
To view the Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership 2022 Waterway Health Report Card, click here.
