Forums for policy discussions bring a wide range of perspectives
NQ Dry Tropics hosted two forums that brought together a wide range of perspectives from landholders and Traditional Owners to government representatives and the Landholders Driving Change project panel to discuss Reef protection regulations and water quality issues.
• Talking roads and runoff with local government representatives
The Landholders Driving Change (LDC) panel recently caught up with representatives from the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ), Whitsunday Regional Council, and State government representatives in Bowen and online to discuss LGAQ’s Cleaner Road Runoff project.
If you’ve ever driven a back road after rain, you’ll know — runoff from gravel roads can be a real issue, especially for water quality in rural catchments.
The LDC crew teamed up with Whitsunday Regional Council (2018-2021) to monitor how road runoff and erosion were playing out on the ground.
After that round of monitoring, the Local Government Association — Queensland (LGAQ) kicked off the Reef Councils’ Rescue Plan — five practical initiatives designed to help reef councils and their communities work smarter for the benefit of the Reef. One of those is the Cleaner Road Runoff project, which got the green light and has wrapped up.
LGAQ’s been working on a best practice framework to help councils manage rural roads better, and this meeting was all about bringing everyone up to speed.
The session included:
- a look back at what LDC achieved on this front;
- an overview of the Cleaner Road Runoff project and where it’s heading;
- a walk-through of the recommended management guidelines; and
- and a good old Q&A to hash out ideas and feedback.
It’s all part of the bigger picture to improve water quality and land condition across the Burdekin region.
The panel backed the initiative wholeheartedly and said they would like to see the best practice framework rolled out across councils right across Queensland.
Once the final report is completed, the panel plans to provide a formal response to the LGAQ and councils in the Burdekin.
• Reef protection and water quality: policy updates and discussions
The LDC project panel will consider whether to submit feedback to the Queensland Government’s statutory review of the Reef Protection regulated standards at an upcoming meeting.
The regulations were passed into law in 2019 under the Environmental Protection (Great Barrier Reef Protection Measures) Amendment Bill. Before these regulations became law, Bowen, Broken, and Bogie landholders played a significant role in shaping them.
Through LDC, landholders expressed concerns about the 12-month implementation timeframe, leading the government to stage the regulations over three years, starting with grazing minimum standards in December 2020.
Further workshops helped refine the standards, with an emphasis on maintaining good land condition and improving degraded areas.
This collaboration ensured that landholders’ perspectives were integrated into the regulatory process, supporting ongoing engagement between landholders and the state government.
Regulated standards under review
A statutory review of the Queensland Government’s Reef Protection Regulations’ regulated standards is now underway.
It will look at whether updates are needed to make the regulated standards easier to understand, while ensuring they remain fit for purpose and evidence-based.
This will make compliance clearer for landholders.
There are ongoing opportunities for stakeholders to provide input into the review:
- through workshops;
- a survey that is open now;
- written submissions; and
- individual discussions with members of the review team.
People can make a submission via email [insert link] or by visiting the DETSI In the Loop engagement hub.
Public consultation closes on 8 August, 2025.
• Water quality was also
on the agenda
The second topic focused on the review of the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan (WQIP), which sets the targets for improving water quality to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
This review aims to assess what’s working, identify areas for improvement, and ensure the plan responds to evolving conditions and new science.
Landholders, especially those from the Bowen, Broken, and Bogie (BBB) catchments, were key contributors, sharing their experiences on erosion control, nutrient management, and the importance of data collection.
Their input will help shape a more practical and flexible WQIP, ensuring that available funding has a meaningful impact on local water quality efforts.
The LDC Community Water Quality Monitoring Group continues to play a vital role, providing local data to improve confidence in water quality modelling through the joint Australian and Queensland governments’ Paddock to Reef Integrated Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting Program.
This forum was part of the Landholders Driving Change (LDC2) project funded by the Queensland Government through the Queensland Reef Water Quality Program.
