Farmers, scientists and community members came together at workshops last week to help finalise the project design of a major project which aims to improve water quality and contribute to the health of the Great Barrier Reef.
More than 550 reef water quality ideas offered at previous workshops were grouped under six themes as part of the Wet Tropics Major Integrated Project, which is funded by the state government and will be delivered over three years.
Of special interest were the four areas of farm scale-real time water quality monitoring, catchment repair and treatment systems, innovative financing and whole-farm extension.
These activities have never been delivered in a whole of catchment approach before.
The workshops heard about a new finance system that could provide farmers with ongoing income for environmental results, the best options for catchment improvements or new treatment systems that will reduce pollution to the reef and new approaches to extension that will cover all aspects of farming.
Cane grower George Henry said it was important that progressive farmers doing the right thing get their share of the funding.
“Being here today, I see it as being like a trim tab on the rudder of a big ship, and helping to guide progress in a certain way,” Mr Henry said
Terrain NRM Wet Tropics Major Integrated Project manager Tania Simmons said there had been huge amounts of work in wrapping up the design phase.
“We asked participants to also help us understand the geographic priorities in the Johnstone and Tully, as well as the arrangements for delivering the project,” Ms Simmons said.
“We were really interested to hear that everyone wants to make the most of existing skills and leadership in a way that works together.
“It’s exciting to see all these amazing ideas being converted to action, and being underpinned by enablers that help us to move away from cycles of government funding to ensure long term project sustainability.”
Feedback on the draft design is open to the community until Friday, afterwhich the project panel will seek input from sectors and submit the draft design to the state government on 5 June.
