The Great Barrier Reef
Fertiliser, pesticides and sediment from cattle grazing and sugarcane production entering the Great Barrier Reef lagoon are putting the reef’s long-term health at risk and decreasing its resilience to pressures such as climate change and ocean acidification… [read more]
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Latest updates
'Smart Sugar' guide helps cane farmers optimise production
A new 100-page industry guide combines the best most proven management options to help cane growers optimise production and reef water quality outcomes.
The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection's Reef Water Quality program funded a team of cane researchers and extension officers, to compile the best available knowledge on producing cane. The guide examines the latest best management solutions and includes practical and proven techniques for growers.
These are delivering good results Wet Tropics, Burdekin and Mackay-Whitsunday regions.
The 'Smart Sugar' guide, authored by respected cane farmer Col Creighton and team, complements Cane Best Management Practice modules developed for nutrient chemical and sediment management, and management and planning...[more]
Cane BMP contract signed
Environment Minister Andrew Powell has signed a Best Management Practice (BMP) agreement with the sugarcane industry as part of the Queensland Government's strategy to boost agricultural productivity and help protect the Great Barrier Reef. The agreement underpins the government's plan to harness industry know-how with government-funded scientific research and education to protect the reef and build a sustainable and profitable agricultural industry...[more]
Call for applications
Grower organisations, industry advisory and extension services are invited to submit funding applications for regional and local projects. These projects will directly engage with canegrower communities to improve understanding of potential fertiliser and herbicide losses, and management practices, and improve extension services to reduce impacts on the reef. The adaptive management call is now closed.
Reef Impact Statement released
The $50 million, five-year Reef Protection Package of regulation and research commenced 1 January 2010 affecting more than 4000 cane farmers and 500 cattle graziers in the Wet Tropics, Burdekin and Mackay regions. Read an Impact Statement outlining benefits achieved by the package in the past two years.
Research funding
$7.6 million has been allocated to 32 new research and support projects that aim to help graziers and cane farmers improve land management activities to reduce pollutant loss from their properties… [more]
Burdekin nutrient trials extended
Burdekin canegrowers registered as nutrient trial participants can apply up to 240 kg/N/ha to the end of 2011. Participants will be advised that this will be extended to the end of 2014… [more]
Mill mud
Farmers who use mill mud will not have to account for its nitrogen and phosphorus content in calculating their optimum amount of fertiliser in this financial year – that is, until 30 June 2012… [more]
- Record keeping
- Record keeping is necessary to understand the effectiveness of management practices… [read more]
- ERMPs
- An Environmental Risk Management Plan is an accredited set of actions to be undertaken to reduce the risk of sediment, fertiliser and chemicals leaving the property and entering the waters of the Great Barrier Reef… [read more]
- Fertiliser and soil testing
- A key requirement of the new legislation is to calculate and apply no more than the optimum amount of fertiliser on sugarcane crops to reduce the risk of over-fertilisation and nutrient run-off to the reef… [read more]