Industry organisations play a critical role in encouraging their members to implement best management practices. These practices usually result in more efficient farming, which results in cost savings as well as good water quality outcomes.
The industry sectors contributing to Reef Plan are:
Intensive industries in Reef catchments occur in high rainfall areas and include horticulture, sugar, and dairy production. The peak industry group representing all of these sectors is the Queenslands Farmers Federation (QFF) (non-government site).
QFF and the Queensland Government are responsible for delivering Farm Management Systems (FMS) (non-government site). FMS is a voluntary property and business level management process producers use to identify and manage risks, particularly environmental risk, that may occur as part of their farming operation.
The key water quality issues for intensive industries relate to nutrient, pesticide and sediment management. Risks vary across catchments and industries, and are managed in various ways.
Sugar
Best Management Practices for sugarcane cropping are supported by CANEGROWERS (non-government site), the peak industry body for sugarcane growers.
Horticulture
More than 100 commodities make up the horticulture industry in Queensland. The peak industry body for horticulture is Growcom (non-government site). A series of fact sheets (non-government site) have been developed by Growcom to assist horticulturists in managing nutrients and pesticides on their farms.
Dairy
The Queensland Dairyfarmers' Organisation (non-government site) is the peak body representing dairyfarmers in Queensland. Dairying Better ‘n Better for Tomorrow is the industry managed approach to deliver improved natural resource management on dairyfarms in Queensland.
AgForce (non-government site) is the peak industry body representing graziers in Queensland. Together with the Department of Natural Resources and Water, they are delivering AgForward, a series of workshops held throughout Queensland to improve vegetation and pasture management, and the condition of grazing lands generally.
The Department of Primary Industries also delivers workshops through the Grazing Land Management program. Workshops have been customised for specific regions, for example a wetlands module has been developed for the Wet Tropics region with funding from the Queensland Wetlands Program.
Improved grazing land management will reduce sediment loss to waterways flowing to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.
Due to their location within the Reef catchment, crops such as cotton and grains are not major contributors to water quality issues for the Great Barrier Reef. However, it is important to note the work undertaken within these industries in terms of managing nutrient, chemicals and sediment.
Cotton Australia has developed a Cotton BMP (non-government site). The BMP also provides accreditation for Land and Water Management Plans.
The grains industry, represented by AgForce (non-government site) is developing a joint grains industry manual of current recommended practice.
The Fertilier Industry Federation of Australia (FIFA) (non-government site) is responsible for delivering Fertcare (non-government site), the fertiliser industry product stewardship program. Fertcare is a national training, quality assurance and certification program that focuses on managing the environmental risks associated with fertiliser use.
QFF (and its member organisations) and AgForce compiled a report in July 2005 to highlight industry initiatives that are seeking to improve natural resource management and minimise environmental impacts.
Last reviewed 31 August 2009
Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy | Access keys | 
Other languages
© The State of Queensland (Reef Water Quality Protection Plan) 2007.
Print-friendly version