Mackay Whitsunday Water Quality Program

Current Project, Great Barrier Reef, Waterways

The Mackay Whitsunday Water Quality Program (MWWQP) is part of the larger Reef Trust Partnership Water Quality Program involving the Australian Government and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Funding of $22.7 million has been allocated under the Reef Trust Partnership for this four-year program.

Family in front of farm tractor and cane.

MACKAY WHITSUNDAY WATER QUALITY PROGRAM

Reef Catchments has been engaged by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to manage the program delivery of the MWWQP. The MWWQP includes ten individual water quality projects which are currently being delivered by delivery providers in the region.

The program is focused on working with landholders in the cane industry to improve nutrient management, pesticide management, and irrigation practices on farm while maintaining or improving productivity and profitability. Growers will receive agronomic and technical support, as well as financial incentives, to address barriers to change. The program focusses on greater retention of chemicals and nutrients in the paddock and aims to establish enduring economic drivers to maintain best practice that will lead to ongoing water quality improvement.

The MWWQP focusses on sugar industry practice change in two priority catchments, the Plane and Pioneer, to reduce pesticide and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) loads. Target load reductions for pesticide and DIN are 215kg and 26 tonnes respectively.

Delivery providers in the region are delivering projects which will assist growers moving to practice changes that will have positive water quality outcomes. Small incentives to assist growers making the practice change are being offered within most projects and a larger major incentive, requiring a 50% cash co-contribution from growers, is also available but will be limited to a smaller number of participating growers.

Growers who would like to participate in the program can click on their area of interest below to view projects available in their area. Contact details for the relevant delivery providers can also be found in this section.