Burdekin Region Report Card

IN BRIEF:

The presentation provides an overview of the Paddock to Reef Water Quality Report Card and its implications for the Burdekin region. Key points:

• The report card data lags behind actual on-the-ground work by 18-24 months, so the current results may not reflect recent progress.
• Despite some poor grades in the report card (e.g., E for sediment), the region has actually achieved 60-68 per cent of its targets for sediment and dissolved inorganic nitrogen reduction. This suggests the report card may not fully capture the improvements being made.
• There has been significant work and investment in the region to improve water quality, particularly by the grazing and sugarcane industries. This progress is not always evident in the annual report card data.
• The presentation suggests the report card could improve its communication and use of data to better reflect the actual progress being made in the region.