| Reef Rescue - Systems Repair program |
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Reef Rescue funds have been allocated across regional natural resource management groups and industry bodies along the Queensland coast. The program is subsidising land based activities that help to improve the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. Terrain NRM and its industry partners secured $6.8 million for our region over 2008/2009. Through the Wet Tropics Reef Rescue Systems Repair program, Terrain NRM works with key partners in each catchment and local government area to detemine specific landscape rehabiliation priorities. The priorities aim to increase the capacity of the region's drainage, riparian and wetland systems to filter pollutants and to reduce pollutant remobilisation. Round one of the Systems Repair program saw the development of eight contracts with local councils and catchment groups enabling the prioritized spread of project funds. Priorities are based on best available knowledge for each catchment area, including outcomes identified in Water Quality Improvement Planning processes. Planting of native riparian vegetation was completed over 31.65 ha of priority degraded areas with an additional 8.9ha of riparian zone over 10.6 km undergoing enhancement through the combination of weed removal and supplementary seeding and interplanting. Reinstatement of wetland vegetation occurred on 7 ha of land in two catchments and a further 5 ha of wetland fringing zone was enhanced through the maintenance of seedlings. Additional investment was focused on the enhancement of 121 ha of riparian and wetland areas through targeted weed control measures, enhanced by the high seasonal flood flows in 2009. Terrain and its partners are now in the process of implementation of round two of the Systems Repair program, works that are pivotal for the enhancement of GBR water quality with the vital spin-off of enhanced aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity and resilience alike. For further information contact:
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