The Miles Government is committing up to $5.5 million to improve water quality in reef catchments, supporting local projects that aim to protect the Great Barrier Reef while driving economic and environmental benefits across regional Queensland.
The funding, provided through the Queensland Reef Water Quality Program, will back initiatives that bring together communities, industries, and experts to develop practical, place-based solutions. Projects could focus on anything from improving agricultural land and catchment management to landscape remediation, circular economy initiatives, and strengthening natural capital.
This latest investment builds on the success of previous place-based programs such as the Burdekin and Wet Tropics Major Integrated Projects. These locally driven initiatives worked with landholders to improve water quality through water monitoring, gully remediation, and more sustainable farming practices.
The government says the new projects will not only benefit the environment but also support job creation, regional economic growth, and long-term sustainability in reef catchments.
In addition to the $5.5 million, an extra $750,000 is being made available to help further develop Queensland’s natural capital market, which aims to integrate environmental investments into reef catchments and deliver long-term economic and ecological benefits.
Since 2015, Queensland Labor Governments have invested $1 billion in reef protection, including nearly $290 million over five years for the Queensland Reef Water Quality Program. The government says these locally driven projects will play a key role in addressing water quality issues—one of the major threats to the reef—while ensuring regional communities have a direct role in shaping solutions.
Past projects, such as those in the Wet Tropics and Burdekin regions, have demonstrated how place-based initiatives can successfully bring landholders, experts, and communities together to co-design and implement sustainable land and catchment management strategies.
Funding applications will open soon, with more details available through the Queensland Government’s reef protection programs.
