Balancing Consumptive and Environmental Water Use –An Australian Perspective - Water and Agriculture: Sustainability, Markets and Policies - page 187

wetlands and estuaries as breeding and nursery areas. Over the past 150 years, extensive
land development in the catchments adjacent to the Reef (for urban centres, agricultural
production, tourism and mining) has led to increased pollution, leading to a decline in the
water quality in the catchments draining into the reef lagoon. Quantities of sediment and
nutrient washing into the Reef have quadrupled since European settlement (Australian
Government, 2003). This trend is consistent with the findings of the United Nations'
Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-
based Activities, which estimates that 80 per cent of marine pollution is the result of land-
based sources (Reef Water Quality Protection Plan Annual Report 2004-05, 2005).
In addressing the environmental challenges facing the Reef, it was recognised that
single issue-based actions or policies by individual organisations are no longer an
effective way to protect the Reef from this threat. The challenge was to change behaviour
in order to reduce risks to the Reef's ecological health, calling for a societal-based
involvement for policy-making.
The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan
In response to this challenge, the Australian and Queensland governments, in
partnership with a wide range of industry and community groups, developed the Reef
Water Quality Protection Plan (the Reef Plan). Launched in December 2003, it aims to
halt and reverse the decline in water quality entering the Great Barrier Reef by 2013
through focusing on actions to address pollutants from diffuse sources via an integrated
natural resource management approach. Implementation and financial responsibilities are
shared between the Australian and Queensland governments and the community.
Activities under the plan are funded from existing government programmes, such as the
National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality, the Natural Heritage Trust and the
Queensland Wetlands Programme.
Strategic and policy direction for the Reef Plan is provided by an Intergovernmental
Steering Committee, representing a wide array of interests and organisations. From the
Australian Government, it comprises the heads of agencies from the Department of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Department of the Environment and Heritage, and the
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. From the State Government of Queensland,
the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Department of Premier and Cabinet,
Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, and the Environmental Protection
Agency.
The Reef Plan encompasses two objectives: to reduce the load of pollutants from
diffuse sources in the water entering the Reef and to rehabilitate and conserve areas of the
Reef catchment that have a role in removing water-borne pollutants. It was anticipated
that the realisation of the objectives relied on a co-operative partnership approach by all
stakeholders (all levels of government, industry and community groups) and a
commitment to align resources to the Reef Plan's objectives. Catchments were prioritised
according to the most at-risk. A broad range of strategies and actions was compiled to
achieve the objectives of the Reef Plan. Progress is measured against milestones set for
each action, and the identification of responsibility for an action to a particular group(s)
ensured a demarcation of accountability. Monitoring and evaluation activities are also
included in the Reef Plan to assess its impact and effectiveness.