New Water Quality Strategy

After hearing from more than 140 people through 11 consultation workshops, the updated Regional Water Quality Strategy for the Wet Tropics has been released.

The strategy captures current community priorities by each catchment and is designed to guide future government investment. It includes knowledge gained after nearly 20 years of reef water quality programs, and the latest science.

Project Leader Fiona Barron said one of the key messages emerging from the strategy is that good water quality can’t be taken for granted. “Even those catchments that are in better condition require active management and investment to maintain their current condition,” she said.

The strategy identifies priority actions to reduce pollutant loads, strengthen catchment resilience, support sustainable land management, and improve the effectiveness of water quality investment and reporting.

Ms Barron thanked all the partners and stakeholders who volunteered their time and knowledge to ensure that the strategy captured the best available knowledge and science. “A lot of work has been done over the past couple of decades and we are making progress. But there’s still a way to go to meet Australia’s reef water quality targets. This strategy builds on that work and provides a shared direction for the next phase of programs.”

This project is funded through the Australian Government’s Reef Trust program.