RCS

Monitoring the breeding patterns of low-flow spawning fish in Cattle Creek

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Reef Catchments’ Land and Water Coordinator for Healthy Waterways, Melanie McSwiney, is undertaking an Honours research project through CQUniversity that is investigating species composition and abundance patterns of low-flow spawning fish larvae in upper Cattle Creek.

Why do this Research?

The research will collect accurate data that may be used to enhance water quality management strategies. In particular it will improve our understanding of the requirements of ecological assets critically linked to water flow.

Project Aims

The project will seek to:

  • confirm which low-flow spawning fish species are present in upper Cattle Creek
  • improve understanding and certainty of critical water requirements and spawning periods of low-flow spawning fish , and
  • produce data that can be used in models to assess potential risks to the guild.

Melanie said the project is a great opportunity to incorporate her university research work with her Reef Catchments work.

“I really love being able to incorporate my research with my work at Reef Catchments and feel very lucky to have the support of Reef Catchments in undertaking this project,” she said.

“Being part of CQUniversity’s Centre for Environmental Management also allows me to access a fantastic level of support, both financially through the provision of necessary equipment and consumables, and through the invaluable direction of my supervisors, Dr Judith Wake and Dr Leo Duivenvoorden.

“The Department of Natural Resources and Mines Water Services Natural Resource Operations Group—Central Region is also providing support for the project, allowing me use of their larval fish traps and providing expert advice and assistance, for example with species identification.”

Melanie McSwiney from Reef Catchments
Melanie with a larval fish trap, Cattle Creek, Pioneer Valley.

 

Healthy Waterways team expands to Proserpine office

The Healthy Waterways team is now represented locally in the Whitsundays region, with Melanie moving to Prossy to take up residence in the new Reef Catchments office at 45 Main Street, Proserpine.

Mel says she is keen to become familiar with the region, particularly local waterways, and encourages locals to get in contact with her on 0407 171 046 or melanie.mcswiney@reefcatchments.com.

Keep it in the paddock

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According to local Paddock to Reef sugar cane water quality monitoring trials, cane farmers can greatly reduce herbicide loss if there is a significant gap of at least three weeks between herbicide application and substantial rainfall. The trials also found that applying herbicide before an infiltrating rainfall helps to incorporate herbicide into the soil and further reduces the risk of loss. Overhead irrigation has the same effect.

How it works

The trials show two complimentary strategies for keeping herbicides in the paddock where you need them.

1. Keep an eye on short term rainfall predictions

The wet season came early in 2010/11. Herbicides were applied and within seven days there was a runoff event. Enough rain fell to saturate the soil and flow off the property. The herbicide was still fresh on the surface of the cane trash blanket; therefore a relatively large amount was lost in this early runoff event.

The wet season data for the season showed that the majority of herbicide loss occurred within twenty days of application. In fact, within one month of herbicide application, approximately 92% of the total wet season runoff loss of the regulated herbicides had occurred although only 6% of the season’s rainfall runoff had occurred.

During this period the trials experienced heavy rains. A total of 3300 mm of rainfall was recorded between 1 September 2010 and 30 April 2011, well above the long-term average of 1468 mm. This resulted in 1751 mm of runoff.  The regulated residual herbicides applied were found in high concentrations in the first runoff event and then rapidly declined.

2. Time herbicide application to coincide with infiltrating rain or follow with overhead irrigation

Applying herbicide prior to an infiltrating rainfall event—one that does not runoff —or following herbicide application with overhead irrigation moves herbicide through the trash blanket and into the surface soil, making it less available for runoff.   This was demonstrated at the Paddock to Reef trial sites in the 2009/10 wet season when there was very little herbicide detected in the runoff collected with a much longer time between application and a runoff event and a beneficial 8 mms of rainfall seven days after application.

Herbicide application should not be taken lightly. John Agnew, MAPS Senior Productivity Officer and Paddock to Reef Agronomist, recommends that as growers prepare their cane for the new season they carefully follow recommendations on the product label and any associated regulations. These may include waiting at least two days after herbicide application on bare soil before watering in, not applying herbicides to water logged soil or delaying application if runoff-causing rainfall is predicted within 48 hours of the planned application.

About Paddock to Reef

The Paddock to Reef sugar cane water quality monitoring trials aim to show that industry-promoted best practices can improve grower’s profitability and have water quality benefits.

Paddock to Reef uses water quality monitoring and modelling tools across paddock, catchment and marine scales to measure and report on improvements in agricultural runoff entering the Great Barrier Reef catchments. In the Mackay Whitsunday region, Paddock to Reef is coordinated by Reef Catchments and conducted by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines (DNRM), Mackay Area Productivity Services (MAPS) and two local sugarcane farmers.

The water quality monitoring sites are on two local farms with different soil types—loam over clay and black cracking clay—that represent 44% of soils in the Mackay Whitsunday area. Both sites are looking at the effect of row spacing (controlled traffic versus conventional), nutrient (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) and herbicide management (knockdowns and residuals) on productivity, profitability and water quality.

For more information on the Paddock to Reef trials in Mackay contact Belinda Billing at Reef Catchments on 4968 4208 or belinda.billing@rc2019.thedma.com.au.

Land managers got lowdown on pest management

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Whitsunday land managers attended an information session on wild dog and feral pig control last week.

Regional Landcare Facilitator, Christine Peterson, said that pest animals such as wild dogs and feral pigs cause an estimated $720m impact annually state-wide. Control is a necessary and often expensive part of most agricultural enterprises.

Mr Duncan Swan, Principal Biosecurity Officer from Biosecurity Queensland, was available on the day to give a presentation and answer specific questions from land managers.

One of the key messages of the session was that control methods need to match the problem at hand. Options include trapping, shooting, baiting, fencing, and increasingly in some areas or for some stock types, using guardian animals.  Land managers often need to use more than one control method.

In terms of baiting, Mr Swan said that while the use of sodium fluoroacetate (1080) and strychnine are coordinated by Biosecurity Queensland and local government on-ground, they are actually administered by Queensland Health under the Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation 1996. Very stringent guidelines are in place to ensure their safe use.

During discussion between graziers, local government officers and Mr Swan, it became clear that local government pest officers, across the state, provide a great deal of support to land managers participating in baiting events, assisting with both technical advice at odd hours of the day and with the vital process of notifying neighbours of planned baiting campaigns.

Land managers with pest animal problems in the Whitsunday Catchment should contact Bren Fuller, Pest and Vector Control Officer, Whitsunday Regional Council on 4945 0237.

The information morning was hosted by Whitsunday Regional Council and Whitsunday Catchment Landcare. For more information contact Christine Peterson: 4945 1017 or christine.peterson@rc2019.thedma.com.au

Great Barrier Reef Ports Strategy | Update from CEO Rob Cocco

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The Great Barrier Reef Ports Strategy presents the vision and principles guiding future port development and planning in the Great Barrier Reef coastal region to 2022. The Queensland Government’s aim is to ensure that port development in the region occurs in a balanced and incremental way to support economic development while maintaining the outstanding environmental value of the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef Ports Strategy includes a number of questions about the future operation of Queensland’s port network. Issues for consideration and response include:

  • Best use of each port
  • Assessment and management of environmental impacts
  • Strategic use of port land
  • Improvements to port planning including master planning
  • Commercial funding models and barriers to investment
  • Opportunities to improve efficiency and limit environmental impacts.

Results of consultation will inform a Queensland Ports Strategy. Have your say by 14 December 2012.

Strategic Assessment of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area | Update from CEO Rob Cocco

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The Australian and Queensland governments are working together to undertake a comprehensive strategic assessment of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and the adjacent coastal zone under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The strategic assessment will ensure that we continue to achieve best practice in managing a balance between growth and environment protection.

In accordance with the EPBC Act, the assessment will address impacts on Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES), including world heritage properties, nationally threatened species and ecological communities.

The comprehensive strategic assessment will, in part, respond to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee’s decision of July 2012 that the Australian Government undertake a comprehensive strategic assessment of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

There are two key components of the strategic assessment – a marine component and a coastal zone component. The marine component, led by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), will look at the arrangements in place to manage and protect the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area. The coastal zone component, led by the Queensland Government, will assess how Queensland’s coastal management, planning and development framework manages environmental protection within the Great Barrier Reef region.

The coastal zone strategic assessment requires the preparation of two reports:

  • A program report which describes in detail the Queensland management, planning and development framework (the Program) being assessed
  • A strategic assessment report which assesses the potential impacts on MNES from the implementation of the Program.

The Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities it expected to release the draft program and strategic assessment reports for public consultation in early 2013. It is also expected that the draft program and strategic assessment reports will be available for consideration by the Australian Government by the end of 2012.

Working strategically to manage Mackay’s pests

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Over 2700 exotic plants and 73 exotic animals have been introduced into Australia, severely impacting agriculture systems, urban areas and the natural environment. To combat the invasion and prevent new pest incursions in the Mackay Whitsunday Isaac Region, Reef Catchments works closely with the Mackay Regional Pest Management Group (MRPMG).

Together, we implement strategic pest management projects across the region.
Established in 2002, the MRPMG consists of organisations whose core business involves the provision of pest management information and expertise.

To articulate and promote best practices, the Regional Pest Management Strategy Mackay Whitsunday Isaac 2011-2014 was written for the MRPMG by Reef Catchments and published in January 2012. The aim of the strategy is to coordinate pest management across the Mackay Whitsunday Isaac Region and to ensure that best practice principles are carried out in a consistent and efficient manner.
The Strategy breaks the region into 4 landuse types: Grazing; Intensive Agriculture; Urban, Transport Corridors; and Disturbed Verges.

Within these landuses, pests—either plant or animal—were selected out of a regional pest list compiled by technical working groups. The selected pests were evaluated by a landuse-prioritisation tool to determine their level of impact on the landuse. For example, the top pests for the Grazing landuse were Giant Rats Tail Grass, Mimosa pigra, Lantana, Parkinsonia and Sicklepods.

Based on the Strategy and the organisational aim, the MRPMG will be exchanging a series of letters with current and future organisations to:

  • Confirm continual participation of a representative in pest management meetings and relevant activities.
  • Identify the key pest management actions undertaken that align with the Strategy.
  • Confirm stakeholder pest management actions and commitments each year.
  • Seek stakeholder reports on the progress of the actions each year.
  • MRPMG will compile an annual report that showcases combined efforts towards strategic pest management.

Through these communications, MRPMG co-ordinates the flow of information between organisations involved in pest management, enables organisational representatives to discuss pest management issues, identifies and promotes the achievements of organisations through an annual MRPMG reporting process, and provides evidence of a strategic pest management approach to support future funding applications.

 

Weed of the month: Parthenium

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Each month the Mackay Regional Pest Management Group will help you to identify weeds that degrade pasture, poison animals or outcompete native species. October’s weed is Parthenium.

Features of Parthenium Weed (Parthenium hysterophorus)  

  • An erect, much-branched, vigorous growing annual herb
  • Height: up to 2 metres
  • Stems: woody with age.
  • Leaves: Pale green, deeply lobed and covered with fine soft hairs
  • Flowers: tiny, creamy white and in numerous distinctly 5-cornered heads about 4mm across adorn the tips of the many stems in other words the large open branched terminal sprays
  • Seeds: black, wedge shaped and approximately 2mm long, attached are 2 white spoon like appendages

Flowering period

Parthenium Weed generally flowers in spring and early summer.  It produces flowers and seeds through its life and then dies in late autumn. During summer, Parthenium can flower within four weeks and if the conditions are right, it can flower and seed all year long. Seed can be spread by wind, water, contaminated soil and stock feed and harvested material, vehicles, machinery, stock and other animals.

The damage of the weed

Parthenium will invade:

  • degraded and over gazed land
  • land that has weak pastures or sparse ground cover along with heavily stoked areas around water points and yard
  • disturbed areas
  • roadsides

Parthenium not only reduces pasture quality, it also can cause dermatitis and hay fever in humans.

How to manage Parthenium

If your property is free of Parthenium:

  1. Ensure that all machinery has been adequately washed down
  2. Do not allow people to drive their vehicles over your property
  3. Prior to moving new stock into your pastures place them in withholding yards to ensure any weed seed drops off them
  4. Pay particular attention to these areas for weed emergent (weed seedlings) and check pastures and paddocks regularly

If your property is infested with Parthenium:

  1. Ensure that it will not spread to road corridors, neighbouring properties.
  2. An active weed management plan will be need and it is best to get in touch with your local landcare or local council for assistants with desgining one.
  3. Control options include; Herbicide control, Biological control and a limited amount of burning providing pasture cover is established very soon after fire.

Parthenium_hysterophorus_flower

Image: Parthenium hysterophorus flower by Nesnad

Collecting field data on local rivers

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Reef Catchments has been working with Australian Rivers Institute Geomorphologists collecting field data from areas of streambank failure along the O’Connell and Andromache Rivers as part of the Reducing Sediment Pollution in Queensland Project, which is being undertaken across three Queensland Catchments.

The aim of this research is to develop an integrated channel and catchment erosion model, tailored to Queensland conditions, which can be used to efficiently target rehabilitation actions throughout the state.

Researchers, with the assistance of Reef Catchments staff and volunteers from our regional Landcare Groups and CQUniversity, conducted Rapid Geomorphic Assessments (RGAs), Jet Testing, and Borehole Shear Tests, collecting data that will be input into the erosion model.

What’s an RGA?

A Rapid Geomorphic Assessment involves:

  • Determining the relative stability index of the bank by completing a channel-stability ranking scheme assessment.
  • Recording the species of vegetation present (including location, height, structural form, percentage cover and root information).
  • Collecting streambank/terrace information such as bank heights, slope length and angle, the type of material present, moisture content, the compressive strength of the soil, shear strength of the bank, root density, and maximum depth of exposed roots.

These assessments are a quick geotechnical investigation which gives an idea of soil strength and the point at which shear resistance will be exceeded and streambank failure will occur.

Thanks to O’Connell River and Andromache River land managers

Reef Catchments and the Australian Rivers Institute researchers would like to extend a big ‘thank you’ to the wonderful land managers who have made the project possible by providing access to the rivers through their land, which has been very much appreciated.

The next steps

The research team have moved north to the Normanby Catchment but will be returning around the end of November to complete the project in our region.

Rehabilitating the O’Connell River with engineered log jams

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The O’Connell River drains one of the largest catchments in the Mackay Whitsunday region flowing from high in the Clarke Connors range to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. It has an expansive catchment area of more than 83,000 hectares.

As one of 10 priority catchments under the federal government Reef Water Quality Protection Plan, the O’Connell River is an important area for the Mackay Whitsunday community. In an effort to promote river health, Reef Catchments has been coordinating the development of the O’Connell River Streambank Stabilisation Demonstration Reach that includes the construction of three engineered log jams (ELJs) designed to reduce bank instability and erosion.

Reef Catchments has been working in close partnership with the Australian Rivers Institute of Griffith University, Pioneer River Improvement Trust and a team of O’Connell River land managers on the project. The demonstration reach is located on a 300 hectare grazing property in one of the upper reaches of the river.

Construction of the ELJ structures has just been completed on the wide section of the river where the high unstable outside bank was taking the full sheer force of the river flow, causing soil erosion and sediment run-off. Over time, the structures should change the behaviour of the river, helping to re-align the channel, while also creating pools and in-stream habitat.

Constructing the ELJs has not been light work. The three structures required around 90 logs each up to 8 metres in length, most with intact root balls. The root balls are critical in stabilising and anchoring the structures into the river bed and bank.

The O’Connell River Streambank Stabilisation Demonstration Reach is funded through Australian Government Caring for our Country and Queensland Government with assistance from the Rio Tinto Hail Creek Mine Community Development Fund.

Collaborating to protect the rare Proserpine rock-wallaby

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The sailing catamaran ‘Wild Cat’ left Mackay Marina before dawn. Crewed by Wild Mob and Reef Catchments staff, the catamaran was on a passage through rough seas and overcast conditions to Gloucester Island. After picking up a team of volunteers from Griffith University at Airlie Beach, the ‘Wild Cat’ reached Gloucester Island late afternoon in time for us to establish our base camp for the next 9 days.

That evening a team briefing was conducted by staff of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Our task: a comprehensive survey of the endangered Proserpine rock-wallaby with the goal of improving our understanding of the biology and ecology of the rare unique species.

In much improved weather, calm seas, and blue skies, morning routines were quickly established with captured wallabies being safely and carefully examined. Wallaby health was ascertained under expert veterinarian supervision before they were released back into their natural habitat. In the afternoons, volunteers and staff made major efforts in removing weeds toxic to the wallabies, such as pink periwinkle, and habitat altering weeds, such as rubber vine.

60 Proserpine rock-wallabies were examined. The data collected will provide invaluable information that will guide conservation of the species. Weeds within four areas of habitat, critical for wallaby survival, were removed as part of ongoing management strategies by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and hundreds of kilograms of marine debris removed from the island.

As our only way to access remote wallaby habitat areas was by small boats, opportunity arose to remove marine debris from turtle-nesting beaches and in areas where seabirds might suffer entanglement from rope, nets and other plastics. Libby and Dave Edge of EcoBarge Clean Seas transported the marine rubbish to the mainland after first collecting data describing the type and amounts of debris as part of a nationwide research project designed to find ways of reducing this threat to the marine environment.

Working together, Reef Catchments, Wild Mob, Queensland Parks and Wildlife, and Eco Barge Clean Seas helped to protect and preserve the wallabies.

During the survey, it seemed that the natural environment rewarded the team for its efforts. Humpback whales made regular morning transits around our workboats and flotillas of manta rays provided a spectacular backdrop in the afternoons.

The collaboration continued when Reef Catchments and the Office of National Parks Minister Steve Dickson issued a joint media release about the survey of the Proserpine rock-wallabies on Gloucester Island. Featured in newspapers Courier Mail, Daily Mercury, Whitsunday Coast Guardian and Whitsunday Times as well as radio station ABC Tropical North, the survey was well-received by local and state-wide press in September.

Watch The Cane Tube Round two winning films!

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First prize – Cane-mation

A big congratulations to Lachlan Hughes and his team, who created the awesome multi-plane, stop-motion animated short film Cane-mation. Lachlan and his team have won $8,500 for their efforts on the creative clip, which took them longer than five weeks to create. The film is comprised of 3000 digital photographs played back at 25 frames per second. All the elements were hand crafted from felt, paper, cardboard, balsa wood and an array of other materials including refined cane sugar and coffee beans. It also features an original composition on the electric guitar.

Written by: Lachlan Erle Hughes, Kerryanne Hughes
Animated by: Emily Howard, Lachlan Hughes
Narration by: Kerryanne Hughes
Original Composition by: Joshua Howard
Sound Design by: Daniel Van Werkhoven

Second prize – Sweet Aussie Cane grower Rap

Congratulations to James-Anthony Callea who composed a quirky rap about Australia’s sugarcane industry. James’ imaginative and creative clip was given points for the judges for also including many of the innovative changes sugarcane growers have made on farm, resulting in environmental wins. In addition to winning second prize, James has also won the most viewed prize, for gaining more than 4000 views! Congrats James!

Weed Watch: Giant Rat’s Tail grass

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G, R and T: three innocent letters that make up the acronym for one of the worst weeds in the State, Giant Rat’s Tail. GRT (Sporobolus natalensis) is currently a Class 2 declared weed in Queensland that causes significant amounts of damage to grazing lands and natural areas.

Originally from Africa, GRT was introduced to Australia for pasture evaluation. GRT spread through the contamination of pasture seed. Mature GRT leaf blades are tough, making it difficult and unpalatable for cattle to graze. In turn, this reduces animal feed intake and production. It also increases the pressure on other pasture species which in turn reduces competition which promotes further spread of GRT that degrades pastures.

In botanical terms, GRT is an erect, clumping and robust perennial grass that grows to a height of 1.7 metres. The leaf blades are flat or folded and linear from 25 to 50 cm long, whilst the width of the blade is approximately 2 to 4 mm wide. Basal leaf sheath margins are hairless. Seed heads are located on a spike that is 25-80 cm long and young seed heads are ‘rat tail’ shaped (hence the name), opening into a pyramid shape when mature with spikelets loosely spaced and fairly even. The seeds themselves are brown and incredibly tiny, 0.7 -0.8 x 0.4mm in size.

There are a range of GRT control options. Often the best results are obtained by combining a number of techniques including burning, chemical control (currently flupropanate or Glyphosate) and developing or maintaining vigorous, dense pastures. However management will depend on the size and density of the infestation, cost of control, access to the infestation, soil type and weather.

Reef Catchments encourages land managers to discuss with their neighbours best practices for GRT control. Any questions or comments? Head to the Reef Catchments Pest Management Forum and put up a post.

Collaborating across boundaries: the Role of Ecological Knowledge, Landscape Values and Ecosystem Services in the Riverine River Restoration Programs

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In 2011, twenty-one land managers from the Gregory River catchment participated in a survey conducted by Reef Catchments to determine community perception of river condition and conservation priorities for their own properties. The program also sought to find preferred methods of improved conservation practices.

During 2012 the project has been expanded to the O’Connell River Restoration Program. Reef Catchments Healthy Waterways Project Officer, Melanie McSwiney and conservation planning consultant Dr Stephanie Januchowski-Hartley recently completed interviews with more than forty land managers directly adjacent to the O’Connell River. The surveys are designed to establish landholders willingness to participate in riverine restoration programs, priority restoration activities and establishment of spatially explicit conservation planning scenarios.

The survey provided land managers with a list of possible riverine restoration actions and asked them to rank the priority of each action on their own property. The actions included stream bank stabilisation, invasive species management, riparian revegetation, riparian vegetation maintenance, water quality and waterhole monitoring, improving fish access and fencing the waterway from cattle.

They were then asked to identify what public and private benefits, if any, they would expect to achieve after undertaking the actions. Lastly, participants identified incentives they would expect/require in order to undertake each of the seven riverine restoration actions on their property.

Such conservation planning programs can have excellent on-ground benefits including:

  • Identifying property scale priorities for riverine restoration to maximise the delivery of ecosystem services including water management strategies
  • Collecting and assimilating ecological and socio-economic data that will inform property scale prioritisation
  • Developing frameworks that are transferable and may be used in resource management to identify priorities with consideration to conservation value and socio-economic constraints that influence the success of restoration actions
  • Provide data analysis (spatial, social, cost)  for spatial prioritisation across land manager units to contribute to catchment and region scale knowledge improvement in natural resource management for improved biodiversity condition, connectivity and habitat resilience

The overarching aim of these types of spatial prioritisation scenarios is to maximise the number of ecosystem services per length of river requiring action, and to minimise the cost by considering both implementation actions as well as the willingness of landholders to implement proposed actions on their land.  Read more about the River Restoration Program.

Rainfall simulation tests runoff in coastal grazing

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Infiltration and runoff rates in coastal grazing land were tested through a rainfall simulation arranged by the Reef Catchments Paddock to Reef program in Proserpine this past April. This is the first trial to examine infiltration and runoff on the Mackay Whitsunday coastal grazing land.

The trial was designed by Michael Boyd and Belinda Billing from Reef Catchments along with DERM rainfall simulation lead, Bruce Cowie, to measure infiltration rates on alluvial flats and plains as well as eucalypt hills and ranges. Trials were carried out at the end of the wet season on both A/B class and C condition pastures within both land types. The trials also looked at nutrient loads in runoff. Fertiliser (DAP) was applied three weeks prior to the simulation, which replicated very heavy rain over a prolonged period of time.

Initial results showed that infiltration on alluvial flats and plains (cane soils) was rapid, with very slow to almost zero runoff. Conversely the hills and ranges run-off almost immediately showing poor infiltration, despite high levels of ground cover. Further information will come following analysis of the samples collected, including nutrient loads in runoff. The results will be used to better inform models that represent our coastal grazing land, which has seen very little research to date. “I think we will get a lot of good information out of these trials,” said Michael.

The Paddock to Reef Program has commissioned numerous rainfall simulation trials, on cane, grazing, grains and horticultural production systems across the Great Barrier Reef catchments. The trials look at various herbicide, soil and nutrient management practices across a variety of soil, climate and land types. Rainfall simulation imitates a heavy rainfall event giving an indication of how much runoff will leave a property, how quickly the runoff event will be generated and what loads (herbicide, nutrient and/or soil) will be carried away in the runoff.

Reef Rescue MERI Summit

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The annual Reef Rescue MERI Summit was held at the Eimeo Hotel with around 35 cane growers, graziers and industry representatives from the cane, beef and horticulture industries present.

The MERI (Monitor, Evaluate, Review and Implement) Summit is held each year to allow Reef Rescue participants to provide feedback on their own experiences with the Reef Rescue program. Participants were both Reef Rescue Water Quality Improvement grant recipients and industry partners involved in rolling out the program.

The day was a positive and constructive experience with all participants reporting that they are impressed with the way the program is run and the impact it has had on creating change in the region’s major agricultural industries to not only improve water quality entering the Great Barrier Reef but also move towards more profitable farm practices. We also received some helpful feedback on how we can improve the delivery and communication of the program which will be reviewed and where possible incorporated into our 2012/13 Reef Rescue delivery strategy.

Reef Rescue Year 5 grants will be available from July 1st but with interest still strong, we encourage people to register their interest with their Key Contact Officer now.