Reef Rescue to Allocate $23 Million Within a Few Weeks
The Australian federal government has announced that it will roll out $23 million over the next few weeks in order to help improve the water quality around the Great Barrier Reef.
The money has already been set aside as part of “Reef Rescue”, a $200 million budget allocation set aside to tackle climate change and improve water quality around the Great Barrier Reef, located in Queensland Australia.
“Most of this $23 million will help farmers in the sugar, horticulture, grazing, cropping and dairy industries to continue that good work, which will boost productivity and reduce costs” said Tony Burke Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
The intention with the Reef Rescue package, is for regional and industry organisations to work together with private landholders and land managers in order to help the Great Barrier Reef resist the impacts of global warming.
As part of the allocation:
- Five regional organizations will each receive up to $7 million to work with industry organisations, land managers and landholders to give the Reef a better chance to survive climate change impacts.
- In addition, just over $1 million will support a partnership between five primary production industry organizations, the Queensland Farmers’ Federation and the Regional Groups Collective to raise awareness of the need for land management changes.
The five regional organizations are:
- Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM: to receive $3,546,300
- Burnett Mary Regional Group: to receive $3,063,000
- Fitzroy Basin Association: to receive $3,611,654
- Reef Catchments (Mackay / Whitsunday): to receive $5,808,124
- Terrain Natural Resource Management (Wet Tropics): to receive $6,804,650
The details of the allocation was announced today by Mr Burke and Australian Government Environment Minister Peter Garrett, who will also be attending the Reef Water Quality Summit today in Brisbane.
“I am very pleased that through this program Rudd Labor Government is bringing together farmers, land managers, environmental groups and the industry in an unprecedented way to ensure that the Great Barrier Reef has the best chance of survival, particularly in the face of dangerous climate change,” said Mr Garrett.
Tags: australia, great barrier reef, water quality
