An evaluation of the Australian Government Reef Trust water quality investments and prioritisation to inform future water quality investment

Project outline:

The Australian Government have engaged Alluvium Consulting Australia to undertake an independent evaluation of the previous seven (7) Reef Trust phases. This work will help to inform the water quality component of the recently announced $1.2 billion Reef Protection and Restoration Package.

Listening to current and previous delivery partners as well as key stakeholders in the evaluation will be a key element of the project.

This evaluation focusses solely on Reef Trust Outcome 1 - improving the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef from broadscale land use.

A two-part independent review has been commissioned, specifically focussed on:

• evaluating the Australian Government Reef Trust water quality investments in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, impact and appropriateness

• prioritising future water quality investment including recommendations, strategies and options to strengthen and improve future Reef Trust water quality investments.

About the Reef Trust

The Reef Trust is the Australian Government’s flagship investment program to support the delivery of the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan (Reef 2050 Plan) and the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan 2017 - 2022 – the Australian and Queensland Government’s long-term framework for protecting and managing the Great Barrier Reef.

The Reef Trust’s objective is to ‘provide cost effective, strategic investment which goes above and beyond existing programs to address key threats to the Great Barrier Reef and catchments for the long-term protection and conservation of the outstanding universal value of the Great Barrier Reef’.

What is the purpose of this project?

The Reef Trust is designed to direct funding in a targeted and strategic way to deliver against four outcomes.

Outcome 1: Improve the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef from broad-scale land use to increase the health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef.

Outcome 2: Improve the health and resilience of coastal habitats.

Outcome 3: Improve and protect marine biodiversity.

Outcome 4: Any new development maintains or improves the condition of matters of national and state environmental significance through the strategic delivery of offsets through the Reef Trust.

Of the seven phases of investment most have been completed or are in the final phases of delivery. The types of projects delivered largely focus on land and management practice change including gully restoration, erosion control and on-farm nutrient management activities.

Who is funding the independent review?

The evaluation of the Australian Government Reef Trust water quality investments and prioritisation to inform future water quality investment project is funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust. The evaluation is in line with the Reef Trust Monitoring and Reporting Plan 2021.

Discussion Paper now available for review and comment

The Discussion Paper from the Part B Roundtable #1 is now available for download.

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If you wish to provide additional feedback to the questions asked during the Roundtable, please click on the link below:

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Reef Trust evaluation stakeholder briefing

View a copy of the stakeholder briefing held in May 2022. The briefing provides an introduction to the project, scope of evaluation and how stakeholders can participate.

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Documents

Evaluation Plan

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Project Flyer

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Part B Roundtable #1 Discussion Paper

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