Burdekin Region Water Quality Science Forum, 2024
Paddock to Reef Overview
Shaneel Chandra
Chief Scientific Officer – Environment and Heritage Policy and Programs
(Department of Environment, Science and Innovation)
Click on the image to download the presentation slides.
Reef catchments
The Great Barrier Reef receives runoff from six natural resource management regions and 35 catchments draining 424,000 square kilometres of coastal Queensland:
- Cape York region;
- Wet Tropics region;
- Burdekin region;
- Mackay Whitsunday region;
- Fitzroy region; and
- Burnett Mary region.
IN BRIEF:
The presentation covers the efforts to track and improve reef water quality in the Great Barrier Reef region. Key points include:
- The reef faces threats from climate change, land-based runoff, and coastal land use change. The focus is on managing nutrients, sediments, and pesticides to improve water quality and coral resilience.
- The Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan sets targets for 2025 to reduce pollutant runoff and improve marine and wetland conditions. The Paddock to Reef Integrated Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting Program (Paddock to Reef Program) monitors and reports on progress towards these targets.
- The interactive Reef Water Quality Report Card shows that progress has been made in some areas like reducing particulate phosphorus and meeting ground cover targets, but more work is needed to reduce nitrogen and sediment levels across the reef region.