Queensland Reef and Catchment Water Quality Program

The Queensland Government is committed to safeguarding the Great Barrier Reef, which is under increasing pressure from a range of threats, including poor water quality. Sediment, nutrients, and pesticides impact the health of coral and seagrass ecosystems. By addressing these issues, we can strengthen the Reef’s resilience and ensure its long-term health.

A renewed commitment to protecting the Reef

In June 2026, the Queensland Government announced an additional $330.5 million until 2031 for the new Queensland Reef and Catchment Water Quality Program (QRCWQP).

This new investment builds on the achievements of the $289.6 million Queensland Reef Water Quality Program which concludes in June 2026.

It accelerates the significant progress made working in partnership with landholders, industry, communities and Traditional Owners to reduce land-based pollutant run-off, restore landscapes and improve water quality flowing to the Reef.

The new five-year QRCWQP aligns to the Reef 2050 Catchment Water Quality Strategy and includes priority areas such as:

• A Regional On-Ground Program that builds on the highly successful integrated, place-based approach supporting co-designed and catchment-driven on-ground water quality projects across the six Reef regions.
• Funding for initiatives, including the industry-led Best Management Practice (BMP) programs, that provide farmers with resources, guidance and financial assistance.
• Funding for stewardship, capacity building and compliance to continue supporting landholders and a productive and environmentally sustainable agricultural sector.
• Continued investment in research-based initiatives, innovation and water quality science.

Current Queensland Reef Water Quality Program

Supporting the agricultural industry
($123.6 million)

• Voluntary best management practice and incentives programs including Smartcane BMP, Banana BMP, Hort360 BMP and Grazing Resilience and Sustainable Solutions.
• Support for on-ground practice change programs for the sugarcane, grazing, banana and horticultural industries, which includes tailored support from industry agronomic experts through the Sugarcane Practice Change Program and Grazing Practice Change Program.
• Agricultural Extension Work Placement Program.
• Research and science projects across grazing, sugarcane and horticulture such as the Banana nutrient trials.
• Reef protection regulations including compliance.
• Fine Scale Water Quality Monitoring Program providing local and timely water quality data to demonstrate how land management practices influence water quality.
• Other activities that support the delivery of projects supporting the agricultural industry.

Restoring functional landscapes including soil health
($79.3 million)

• Streambank remediation and gully remediation including funding to support gully research work on Spyglass Research Station in the Burdekin region.
• Reef Assist program delivering environmental rehabilitation projects and creating regional jobs and training opportunities across the Reef catchment.
• Place-based integrated projects which includes Reef place-based integrated projects, the Atherton Tablelands Integrated Collaboration and Phase 2 of the Wet Tropics and Burdekin Major Integrated Projects.
• Wetlands management to implement the Queensland Wetlands Program and the Reef 2050 Wetlands Strategy.
• Grain Sediment Reduction Program supporting practice change to reduce sediment loss from dry land broadacre and forage cropping in the Fitzroy.
• Reef Credit Scheme to recruit brokers to support landholders in establishing Reef Credit projects and help kickstart the Reef Credit market.
• Improving threatened species in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area by supporting programs such as the Nest to Ocean Turtle Protection Program which provides active nest protection and predator control for marine turtle hatchlings.
• Other activities that support the delivery of land restoration projects.

Urban and point source innovation
($14.4 million)

• Focuses on point source evaluation and innovative approaches to managing urban run-off
• Queensland and Australian governments’ Great Barrier Reef Urban Technology and Innovation Fund.

Foundational science and translation
($3.8 million)

• Guides program development and support tools including land use mapping, nutrient offsetting and Reef science.

Robust governance
($11.1 million)

• Reef Traditional Owner Taskforce.
• Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan (Reef 2050 Plan) coordination.
• Reef science coordination.
• Other planning, governance and program management activities.

Paddock to Reef program and report cards
($47.4 million)

• Paddock to Reef Integrated Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting Program which provides the framework for evaluating and reporting progress towards the Reef 2050 WQIP targets and Reef water quality report cards to track progress towards these targets.
• Regional report card partnerships.
• Traditional Owner led inshore marine water quality monitoring in the southern Great Barrier Reef.

Reef Traditional Owner Futures Fund
($10 million)

• Recognises Traditional Owners are best placed to design, own and lead holistic projects and programs, providing education, economic and employment opportunities for Traditional Owners caring for Country.

For more information on the Queensland Reef Water Quality Program (QRWQP) including detailed information on investment visit QRWQP annual reports and investment plans and other background documents.

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