An innovation fund has been established to improve the water quality of the Great Barrier Reef.
The joint Federal-State $24 million Great Barrier Reef Urban Technology and Innovation Fund aims to tackle urban water pollution from stormwater, wastewater, and industrial runoff.
Queensland Environment and Tourism Minister Andrew Powell said while urban areas covered less than one per cent of the Great Barrier Reef catchment, their impact was still locally significant.
Minister Powell said the Fund would build on previous investments and existing initiatives, as well as support the development of new management approaches and technologies, or technologies applied at scale elsewhere but not tested within the Reef catchment.
He said the Fund would be comprised of $12 million Commonwealth funding and $12 million Queensland Government funding, with co-investment from project proponents, and will be overseen by the Queensland Government’s Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
“We must continue to improve our practices to address Reef-related urban water challenges, including adopting new technologies and approaches in urban water management.
“Runoff from stormwater, industrial land use, and wastewater treatment plants contributes to dissolved inorganic nitrogen loads and fine sediment that reaches the Reef. While these urban loads are small on a Reef-wide scale, they can have significant local effects.”
Minister Powell said the fund would support new and innovative approaches in urban landscapes, reinforcing that Reef water quality was a shared responsibility between different levels of government, industry and communities.
“We’re backing cutting-edge solutions for wastewater management, stormwater treatment, and erosion control.”
Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt said the Fund was part of a $192 million Clearer Water for a Healthy Reef package.
“The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, providing a habitat for thousands of marine species, including those that are endangered,” Minister Watt said.
“Protecting the Reef through initiatives such as the Reef Urban Technology and Innovation Fund ensures that future generations can experience its beauty and benefit from the important ecological services it provides.”
