Improving quality of water inflow to GBR
Sugarcane growers in the Wet Tropics region of the Great Barrier Reef will receive $420,000 funding from the Federal Government to improve the quality of water flowing from their farms into the reef.
So far this year, 82 farmers in the Wet tropics have received water quality grants under the Caring for Our Country program and the additional $420,000 will allow a further 16 projects to go ahead.
The program aims to reduce the amount of nutrients, pesticides and sediments impacting on the reef. The Wet tropics region has a significant influence on overall reef water quality, with improvements in quality critical to building the resilience of corals to rising sea temperatures and other climate change effects.
Sugarcane farmers in the region have been proactive in adopting new techniques to increase sustainability and profitability. They are using global positioning systems in tractors to allow more precise planting and application of fertilisers and pesticides. Hooded sprayers are enabling more controlled herbicide application and zonal tillage is reducing sediment runoff by minimising soil disturbance.
Further information on sustainable land management in the Wet tropics is available here.
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