The Hon Sussan Ley MP
Minister for the Environment
The Morrison Government has detailed $30 million in on the ground projects to prevent more than 36,699 tonnes of fine sediment runoff and 175 tonnes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen from entering Australia’s World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef each year.
Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said that reef water quality showed a clear link between government partnerships with landholders and significant improvements to the quality of water entering the reef.
“We are detailing six initiatives that work with local land managers and farmers to deliver on ground action repairing gulley erosion, addressing feral species to protect agricultural land from degradation and improving farm productivity and sustainable farming practices,” Minister Ley said.
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Subscriber only Turtle conservationists have unearthed key information about local nesting hot spots which will help in prioritising and protecting these environments into the future. Reef Catchments staff have conducted survey flights over islands and beaches in the Whitsundays. They also went as far south as Stanage Bay, which 75km north-east of Rockhampton, and as far east as Bushy Island, 70km east of Mackay. The surveys identified both the number and species of nesting turtle tracks that had been made the previous night as green turtles and flatback turtles moved through. The team also recorded the number of old nesting turtle tracks.