Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan
The Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan 2017–2022 (Reef 2050 WQIP) guides how industry, government and the community will work together to improve the quality of water flowing to the Great Barrier Reef.
The plan builds on 15 years of efforts by governments at all levels working in partnership with landholders, natural resource managers, industry, research and conservation groups through successive Reef Water Quality Protection Plans.
The plan’s scope was broadened to reflect its position as a nested plan under the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan. It:
- addresses all land-based sources of water pollution, including run-off from urban, industrial and public lands
- recognises most of the pollution comes from agricultural activities
- includes social, cultural and economic values for the first time.
The plan sets targets for reducing water pollution at the catchment, regional and whole-of-reef scale, meaning catchments can prioritise actions. The spatial priorities or water quality improvements were identified based on the 2017 Scientific Consensus Statement. The below figure shows the link between the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan outcome, objectives and targets.
