The Queensland Government will invest $20.75 million in the next three years to help farmers reduce harmful run-off, improve productivity and protect the Great Barrier Reef.
The multi-million-dollar injection into the agricultural industry will enable the continuation of the Grazing Resilience and Sustainable Solutions (GRASS) program and the agricultural industry’s Best Management Practice (BMP).
In addition to the GRASS program, the Government has finalised funding arrangements until 2026 for the continuation of the Smartcane BMP, Hort360 GBR BMP, and Banana BMP initiatives.
Environment and Great Barrier Reef Minister Meaghan Scanlon said farmers would continue to play a critical role in protecting the Great Barrier Reef.
“Both programs are aimed at helping our agriculture industry improve land condition, enhance production and, ultimately, reduce pollutants in reef catchments”, Ms Scanlon said.
“This funding forms part of our five-year $270.1 million Queensland Reef Water Quality Program to address water pollution, taking our total spend on water quality since 2015 to over $1 billion.“
Ms Scanlon said the government had allocated $8.68 million to Fitzroy Basin Assosciation, the Burnett Mary Regional Group, NQ Dry Tropics and the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to continue the GRASS program until 2026.
“GRASS is aimed at improving land condition with a focus on increasing ground cover to reduce harmful run-off impacting the Great Barrier Reef,“ she said.
“The program assists graziers to improve their land condition and enhance their production – a perfect example of achieving economic benefits and positive environmental outcomes together.
“GRASS program funding also provides graziers and producers with support to better understand their obligations to meet the government’s Reef protection regulations.
The Environment Minister said the new investment in the GRASS and BMP programs was just part of the Queensland Government’s $125.1 million investment to support the agricultural industry in its efforts to protect the reef, with funding allocated from the Queensland Reef Water Quality Program.
“This funding supports reef regulations compliance and builds on the success of a range of voluntary programs and projects which also includes practice change projects, growing regional agricultural extension capacity, and water quality monitoring,“ she said.
“We are scaling up land restoration, supporting farmers to improve runoff, banning more single-use plastics, and driving sustainability with a $1.1 billion Recycling and Jobs Fund.
“We will continue to build on these actions, while supporting the unparalleled science and management frameworks underpinning our conservation efforts.”
Burnett Mary Regional Group chief executive officer Sheila Charlesworth said GRASS was an important program that delivered significant environmental benefits.
“The Burnett Mary Regional Group has been developing action plans for land management in consultation with farmers to improve paddock management and pasture cover to enhance production, provide economic benefits and deliver environmental outcomes,” Ms Charlesworth said.
“The program has been very successful in achieving these objectives.”
CANEGROWERS chief executive officer Dan Galligan said the program would provide growers with a practical and credible way to communicate their environmental credentials to the community, Reef stakeholders, and sugar markets, while continuing to maintain productivity and profits.
“With over 40 per cent of Queensland’s sugarcane-growing area now independently accredited in the Smartcane BMP program, the sugar industry is well and truly ahead of the targets agreed with the government,” Mr Galligan said.
“But we are not resting on our laurels. More and more growers are signing up to be part of the industry-led program every month and Smartcane BMP has become a central pillar of the industry’s sustainable future strategy.”
