Funded By:
Queensland Government’s Queensland Reef Water Quality Program and delivered by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), Burnett Mary Regional Group, Fitzroy Basin Association and NQ Dry Tropics
Partners:
* Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF)
* Fitzroy Basin Association
* NQ Dry Topics
Background:
The Grazing Resilience and Sustainable Solutions (GRASS) program supports graziers in the Reef catchments of the Burdekin, Fitzroy and Burnett Mary regions. The program works with graziers, delivering one-on-one support to assist in managing and improving land conditions to minimise sediment delivery from the paddock to the Reef.
Through participation in the GRASS program, landholders recognise less productive areas of their property (via Land Condition Assessments, or LCATs) then develop improvement strategies, resulting in an Action Plan for Land Management (APLM) to improve paddock conditions. GRASS also supports graziers to understand requirements under the new Queensland Government Reef Protection Regulations and the associated minimum standards for grazing. BMRG also has the option to fund a project on the landowner’s property if it will reduce sediment losses enough.
Issue:
The GRASS program addresses land degradation and sediment delivery from paddocks out to the Reef.
Solution:
BMRG supports and educates landowners regarding where their paddocks are in poor or very poor condition, then helps them develop solutions to improve these paddock conditions. This will reduce the amount of sediment flowing onto the Reef.
Project Scope:
BMRG, together with their partner DAF, is responsible for completing APLMs for the region. The GRASS team also engages with landowners and their preferred contractors to complete projects.
Work Done to Date:
This financial year, twelve APLMs have been completed and a further eight incentive projects have been undertaken with landholders to reduce sediment runoff and delivery to the Reef.
Future Work:
GRASS 2.0 is currently underway, with new landowners taking part in the program. BMRG will work closely with these new landholders to create Action Plans for Land Management, and deliver incentive projects to help improve land condition and pasture cover.