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About the Plan

• Reef Water Quality Protection Plan
• Background to the plan
• Strategies and actions
  • Strategy A
  • Strategy B
  • Strategy C
  • Strategy D
  • Strategy E
  • Strategy F
  • Strategy G
  • Strategy H
  • Strategy I

Reef Water Quality Protection Plan

The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Plan) brings together people and projects to help improve the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef (the Reef) lagoon within 10 years. Launched in 2003, it is a joint initiative of the Australian and Queensland Governments.

Download a copy of the Plan (PDF, 1.84 Mb) (TXT, 121 kb)

The goal of the Reef Plan is to halt and reverse the decline in water quality entering the Reef within 10 years. There are two objectives to achieve this goal:

1. Reduce the load of pollutants from diffuse sources in the water entering the Reef; and
2. Rehabilitate and conserve areas of the Reef catchment that have a role in removing water borne pollutants.

The Reef Plan focuses on agricultural land use in catchments adjacent to the Reef.

Reef Plan strategies and actions

The Reef Plan contains nine strategies and 65 supporting actions, which contribute to the Plan's goal and objectives. View Strategies and Actions

The Reef Plan builds on existing government policies, and government, industry and community initiatives that assist in halting and reversing the decline in the quality of water entering the Reef lagoon. It identifies actions to encourage good planning and assist land managers in adopting best management practices (BMPs) that are both profitable and environmentally sustainable.

Many of the strategies and actions are implemented under the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP) and the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) programs.

The Reef Plan is aimed at long-term solutions.

Reef Plan participants

The responsibility for implementing Reef Plan’s strategies and actions is shared by all Reef Plan participants – government agencies, industry groups, regional natural resource management (NRM) bodies, land managers, Indigenous people and community groups. The success of Reef Plan will depend largely on the coordination of activity by these participants. See Who is involved for further information about participants.

The scope of the Reef Plan

The Reef Plan focusses on diffuse sources of pollution from agricultural land use. It does not deal with urban development or urban diffuse sources of pollution, or point sources of pollution such as sewage, waste from ore processing, mining or aquaculture. These are dealt with separately under a range of legislation, regulations and strategies.

The effects of global warming, climate change, shipping accidents, tourism, fishing and natural threats such as crown of thorns starfish infestations may also affect the health of the Reef. These issues are covered under separate regulatory and planning processes managed by the Australian and Queensland Governments and are not addressed by the Reef Plan.

Last reviewed 11 March 2008

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© The State of Queensland (Reef Water Quality Protection Plan) 2007.

Queensland Government | Australian Government