Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search

Queensland and NSW floods 2022

Visit recovery.gov.au to see what help is available.

Close
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Ministers
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Climate change
    Climate change Driving climate action, science and innovation so we are ready for the future.
    • Climate science and adaptation
    • Australia's climate change strategies
    • Emissions reduction
    • Emissions reporting
    • International commitments
    • Climate Active
    • Climate change publications and data
    • Australia’s National Greenhouse Accounts (Emissions Data)
    Stronger action on climate change

    Stronger action on climate change

    See how the Australian Government is committed to taking more ambitious action on climate change.

    Find out more

  • Energy
    Energy Building a secure and sustainable energy system for all Australians.
    • Energy policy in Australia
    • Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council
    • Renewable energy
    • Energy publications
    • energy.gov.au
    • Energy Rating
    • Commercial Building Disclosure Program
    • Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS)
    • Your Home
    • Reducing transport emissions
    Photo of commercial laundry focused on a washer and dryer

    Energy Ratings labels

    Helping consumers choose energy-efficient appliances

    Helping consumers choose energy-efficient appliances

  • Environment
    Environment Improving stewardship and sustainable management of Australia’s environment.
    • Bushfire recovery
    • Climate change and the environment
    • Biodiversity
    • EPBC Act
    • Environmental information and data
    • International activities
    • Invasive species
    • Land
    • Marine
    • Partnerships
    • Protection
    • Report a breach of environment law
    • Threatened species & ecological communities
    • Waste and recycling
    • Wildlife trade
    Decorative image

    Read our Nature Positive Plan

    Our plan sets out the Australian Government’s commitment to environmental law reform

    Find out more

  • Water
    Water Improving the sustainable management of Australia’s water supply for industry, the environment and communities.
    • Coal, Coal seam gas (CSG) and water
    • Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
    • Water policy and resources
    • Wetlands
    Water matters

    Water Matters

    Keep up with the latest news on the department's work in managing Australia's water resources.

    Read the latest edition here

  • Parks and heritage
    Parks and heritage Managing Australia’s iconic national parks, historic places and living landscapes.
    • Australian Marine Parks
    • Australian National Botanic Gardens
    • Booderee National Park
    • Kakadu National Park
    • Christmas Island National Park
    • National parks
    • Norfolk Island National Park
    • Heritage
    • Pulu Keeling National Park
    • The Great Barrier Reef
    • Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park
    The reef

    Great Barrier Reef

    Australia is protecting and conserving this World Heritage Area.

    Find out more

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Climate change
    • Australia's biological resources
    • National Environmental Science Program (NESP)
    • Office of the Science Convenor
    • Australian Biological Resource Study (ABRS)
    • State of the Environment (SoE) reporting
    • Bird and bat banding
    • Supervising Scientist
    Our climate is changing

    Our climate is changing

    Find out more about how climate science helps Australians with the impacts of climate change.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us We lead Australia’s response to climate change and sustainable energy use, and protect our environment, heritage and water.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • People and jobs
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    2023-24 May Budget

    2023-24 Budget

    The 2023-24 Budget has been delivered. Find out what's been announced.

    Find out what's been announced

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Climate Change, Energy, Enviroment and Water

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Parks and heritage
  3. The Great Barrier Reef
  4. Great Barrier Reef - Publications and resources
  5. Improving Reef water quality

Sidebar first - EN - Great barrier reef

  • Great Barrier Reef
    • Protecting the Reef
      • Our investments
        • Improving water quality
        • Restoration and adaptation
        • Partnerships and stewardship
        • The Reef Trust
          • Reef Trust Projects
          • Partnership with GBR Foundation
          • Reef Trust Tools and Resources
          • Monitoring, reporting and evaluation
      • Reef 2050 Plan
        • Developing the plan
        • Progress Reports
        • Advisory bodies
        • Science and the Great Barrier Reef
      • Case studies
    • World heritage
      • Comprehensive strategic assessment
    • Governance and partners
      • Our partners
        • Traditional Owners
      • Intergovernmental Agreement and Ministerial Forum
      • GBRMPA Governance Review
        • Consultation
    • Publications and resources

Improving Reef water quality

2022
Australian Government and Queensland Government
Download
Improving Reef water quality (PDF 566.8KB)

Report on the Reactive Monitoring Mission to the Great Barrier Reef

The Report on the Joint World Heritage Centre and International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Reactive Monitoring Mission to the Great Barrier Reef recommends increased investment and accelerated actions to improve Great Barrier Reef (Reef) water quality.

The Report found that poor water quality is compromising the resilience of the Reef to recover from climate change impacts.

The Australian and Queensland governments have had constructive and fruitful dialogue with both the IUCN and World Heritage Centre over the past few months to discuss issues relating to water quality identified in the report.

The report also recognises the significant effort and investment that Australia has devoted to Reef water quality management to date.

Australia’s actions and investments to improve water quality

Improving water quality is one of the most important things we can do to protect the Great Barrier Reef and its ecosystems and help it build resilience against other threats, like climate change.

The recently elected Australian Government has supercharged this work to protect the Reef.

The Report recognises the Australian and Queensland governments’ current efforts to improve Reef water quality. It also recommends increased investment and accelerated actions including upscaling of restoration and remediation activities and continuing to advance and increase the uptake of best practice land management within the agricultural industry.

The Australian and Queensland governments are committed to delivering increased action and investment to improve water quality in the Reef catchment and ocean waters. This includes reducing nutrient and sediment loads in catchment areas by supporting more efficient fertiliser use by farmers, boosting precision agriculture, installing real-time water quality sensors, and creating and advancing on-farm and land restoration jobs and projects.

The Australian and Queensland governments have committed more than A$4.4 billion, from 2014-15 to 2029-30 to build Reef resilience through management, protection, and restoration. Of this, more than A$3.2 billion is from the Australian Government, including, A$579.9 million for projects to improve Reef water quality and accelerate action towards meeting set targets for all Reef catchments. In October this year, the Australian Government also committed an additional A$91.8 million to deliver shovel-ready catchment and reef restoration projects and programs that will improve water quality across the Reef, including through:

  • Ecosystem restoration: to help slow the movement of water across the landscape, which will assist in removing nutrients and sediment from land-based run-off before it enters the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.
  • Upscaling activities focused on catchment-level activities such as the construction of wetlands, naturalisation of water channels and other actions, to reinstate or mimic elements of the natural hydrology including restoring and expanding mangroves and seagrass beds.
  • Supporting seagrass restoration and building on small-scale pilot studies trialling site-specific restoration methods, to be delivered by Traditional Owners, researchers, and community groups.

Progress towards water quality targets

The Australian and Queensland governments’ Reef water quality programs support the best possible outcomes for the Reef. They are regularly reviewed, are adaptive, and are based on the latest science and data – this all contributes to helping ensure the Reef’s Outstanding Universal Value remains intact.

The Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan underpins the Australian and Queensland governments’ actions to improve water quality. It includes:

  • clear and measurable water quality targets
  • a system for prioritising investment
  • a monitoring and evaluation program
  • public reporting through the Reef Water Quality Report Card, and
  • a process to review and update the Plan based on the latest science, with processes underway for the next review.

As outlined in the 2022 State Party Report on the State of Conservation of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia’s approach to water quality improvements is delivering progress towards the 2025 water quality targets in the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan:

  • we are more than halfway towards meeting the 2025 sediment, particulate nitrogen, and particulate phosphorus targets
  • we are almost halfway towards the 2025 dissolved inorganic nitrogen targets.

The Mission Report acknowledges the sheer scale of the challenge, that the trajectory towards the targets is not linear, but we are continuing in the right direction, and that water quality is improving across Reef catchments.

The Australian and Queensland governments are actively investing in improvements to water quality with demonstrated results. These improvements are achieved through advanced science and research, improved land use management, engagement with stakeholders and land users, improved assessment and tracking of water quality, and effective adaptive management. Both governments want to see current water quality parameters meet threshold targets.

Both governments’ increased investments in Reef water quality, and the collective action it supports, will continue to improve water quality and protect the Reef.

For more information please visit: Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan

Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI
Last updated: 05 December 2022

© Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.