Dugongs are a keystone species of the Great Barrier Reef and one of Australia's most iconic marine animals. Highly dependent on seagrass, dugongs consume up to 30kg daily. That's why clean water and healthy seagrass meadows are critical to their survival.
Pollutants from farm fertilisers and eroded soil clouds the Reef's inshore waters and can reach far offshore during flood events. This murky water has reduced seagrass coverage in recent decades, leading to a steady decline in dugong numbers in the southern and central Reef regions.
The Great Barrier Reef supports 77,000 jobs and generates $9 billion annually, but it is only as valuable as it is healthy. Reducing water pollution helps seagrass recover, protects dugongs and boosts the Reef's health in the face of climate change.
Yet, the Queensland Government has still not published its promised strategy to cut water pollution by 2030, and has not committed the funding needed to achieve these pollution cuts.
Email the Queensland Government today and demand a commitment to reduce water pollution by 2030.
Water pollution entering the Reef is a solvable problem – the Queensland Government has both the responsibility and the opportunity to fix it.
As a Queensland resident, I care deeply about the Great Barrier Reef. It is one of our most precious natural assets, the fifth largest employer in the country, supporting 77,000 jobs and generating $9 billion a year.
Your government has a responsibility to safeguard the Reef and the communities that rely on it. Australia and Queensland have repeatedly missed their water quality targets. Eroded soil from land clearing, agricultural pesticides and excess nitrogen from fertilisers continue washing into Reef waters, smothering corals and degrading seagrass habitats that turtles, dugongs and fish depend on.
Reducing pollution remains one of the most important local actions we can take to give the Reef a better chance to withstand and recover from the effects of climate change. Public investment to date has been important, but it has not yet been sufficient to meet the Reef's water quality targets. We need a clear plan that shows how the Queensland Government will achieve the 2030 targets to reduce pollution flowing into the Reef. Without an actionable plan and continued investment, there is an ongoing risk that the World Heritage Committee could consider listing the Great Barrier Reef on the World Heritage in Danger list.
That's why we need strong commitments from your government to protect this global icon.
I urge your government to:
-Develop an implementation and investment plan for the Catchment Water Quality Strategy that prioritises effective management action in pollution hotspots to meet the 2030 water quality targets.
-Renew investment for the Queensland Reef Water Quality Program to ensure sufficient funding for the delivery of the Catchment Water Quality Strategy
Without a clear plan and sufficient funding your government risks missing the water quality targets once again, jeopardising tourism and fishing economies, thousands of jobs, and the future of our Reef.
Please respond to confirm your commitment to these actions.
The Reef cannot afford another decade of delay.
