STUDY INTO FARMING PRACTICES’ EFFECTS ON REEF

An innovative project is studying how the movement of pollutants in waterways in Central Queensland affects the Great Barrier Reef, Natural Resources and Water Minister Craig Wallace said today.

Mr Wallace said the Department of Natural Resources and Water was studying the movement of pollutants originating from broadscale land use as part of the Neighbourhood Catchments project.

Pollutants include elevated levels of sediments, nutrients or pesticides in the water discharged from coastal rivers.

“The project aims to give landholders a better understanding of the relationship between landscape condition and management, and the levels of pollutants delivered to major waterways and ultimately the Great Barrier Reef,” Mr Wallace said.

“The project focuses on the initial stages of the process, where rainfall runs off the landscape into local drainage lines and small, rarely flowing, creeks.

“Landholders will learn how they can conserve soil, maximise water use efficiency and reduce costs on things like fertiliser and fuel, while also increasing yields and profits.

“By improving in these areas farms can become more sustainable in the long term.”

The project focuses on two catchments - Gordonstone Creek, north of Emerald, and Spottswood Creek, west of Moura. Each catchment covers about 300 square kilometres and both ultimately drain into the Fitzroy River.

Mr Wallace said the project helped identify high-risk landscapes.

“Indications are that Gordonstone, with its deep absorbent black cracking clays, constitutes a low risk landscape, while Spottswood, which is characterised by less permeable and somewhat dispersive soils, is likely to deliver a comparatively high level of pollutants to the Fitzroy,” he said.

“Potential projects to minimise the movement of pollutants off-site could include the construction of contour banks and waterways, the provision of additional livestock watering points, uptake of control traffic or minimal till farm machinery and the revegetation of riparian areas.”

The project will be featured at NRW’s stand at the Ag-Grow Field Days in Emerald from July 12-14.

The program is a contribution to the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan, a joint State and Federal government project.

Media contact: Caroline Kaurila, Craig Wallace’s office on 3896 3694.