The Project

Title: DESI – Enhancing Grazing Land Management for Reef Water Quality Improvement in the O’Connell Basin (DESI – Enhancing Grazing Land Management)
Duration: 2024 – 2027
Funding: Queensland Government – Queensland Reef Water Quality Program

Summary:

This program aims to accelerate the adoption of best land management practices and systems that improve the condition of beef cattle grazing lands under the Grazing Practice Change Program funded through the Queensland Reef Water Quality Program (QRWQP).  

Objective:

The DESI – Enhancing Grazing Land Management project will reduce the risk of soil (fine sediment and particulate nutrients) being lost through waterways and contribute to Reef water quality targets in the O’Connell Basin of the Mackay Whitsundays region. The project will engage 20 grazing properties across the O’Connell Basin to implement improvements in management practices across approximately 3,750 hectares. 

The Project includes the development of: 

• Farm management plans 
• Incentive funding to landholders (with a co contribution from landholders)
• Training workshops
• The setting up of a peer-to-peer working group
• Engagement with the wider community 

The resultant improvements in land stewardship also create capacity for future exploration in environmental markets, such as reef credits, carbon, natural capital and biodiversity initiatives. 

Priorities

The DESI – Enhancing Grazing Land Management Program is part of the $125.1 million Supporting Agricultural Industries component of the Queensland Reef Water Quality Program (QRWQP). The program’s priority is to support:  

• Delivery of practice change projects for beef cattle producers that will accelerate progress towards Reef water quality targets under the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan.  

• Land managers to increase capacity to adopt improved management practices, e.g. through coordinated extension, education and awareness programs (Action 2.1 of Reef 2050 WQIP) and exceed minimum practice standards under the Reef protection regulations to improve the land condition of grazing lands. Hence, improve the capacity of grazing land to respond to rain and produce useful forage, increasing ground cover and landscape stability.  

• Activities and on-ground services using agronomic principles of grazing land management to improve practices and systems that minimise the risk of soil loss (and subsequent sediment and particulate nutrients) entering waterways flowing to the GBR and benefit productivity, profitability and sustainability of grazing enterprises.  

• Monitoring and reporting on adoption of improved management practices, number of graziers engaged, hectares where changes have been implemented, sediment savings, improvements in land condition and other investment outcomes. 

Project Strategy

The DESI – Enhancing Grazing Land Management Program will deliver four main strategies:

1. Enable and support O’Connell River grazing businesses to identify and implement practice change at the paddock scale to improve land condition and hence contribute to achieving water quality targets as well as maintain business viability and profitability over time.
2. Support graziers in implementing best management practices and systems designed to exceed minimum practice standards under the Reef protection regulations, recognising that for some properties or parts of properties, the pathway to exceeding these standards may require services to first meet regulatory requirements.  
3. Support grazing businesses by providing agronomic services and provide incentive funds to improve grazing land management, and improve regional economic activity, sustainability and viability of the industry. This is achieved through the provision of advice, knowledge and support in new and emerging complementary industries, including carbon/ natural capital/ biodiversity certification/ Environmental Social and Governance standards (ESG) and accreditation.  
4. Measure, monitor and report on the number of graziers involved, the practice changes adopted, the immediate impact on their grazing land holdings as well as changes in graziers’ perceptions of practice. 

Get Involved 

Are you a grazier whose property is situated in the O’Connell Basin wanting to implement grazing land management practices and systems that improve the condition of beef cattle grazing lands? We’re inviting 20 local graziers to take part in this project, with support tailored to your property and goals. 

Participating graziers will receive access to the following: 

• Funding incentives up to 40 per cent 
• Farm management plans 
• Field days and workshops in the O’Connell Basin 
• Access to a peer-to-peer based working group 
• Access to expert insights into on-ground grazing land management via workshops 

For more information, please contact the Waterways team at team.waterways@reefcatchments.com.