Lower Burdekin Water Quality Grants to help growers

Improve Nitrogen Use Efficiency

to open the door to rebate grants

Grants of up to a cap of $30,000 are available to Lower Burdekin cane growers as a 50 per cent rebate on equipment or agronomic services, or both.

While there are qualifying conditions, the primary requirement for any application is that there is a demonstrable reduction in Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN) leaving the farm as a result of that project.

Applications will be assessed using the Reef Water Quality Calculator to determine the predicted reduction in DIN and ranked according to potential environmental benefit.

NQ Dry Tropics Sugar Team Leader Luke Clark said a modest modelled reduction in DIN could help a grower take a forward step in their plan for farm infrastructure or enable them to get agronomic support. Equipment, other than vehicles, directly associated with the improvements would be considered for the rebate.

The grants do not apply to prior work, or work underway and vehicles, land and ancillary costs such as insurance.

Growers had until the end of March 2024 to complete the DIN reduction and would be reimbursed after the project had been completed and verified.

Contact Project Officer Sarah-Jane Willis (m: 0411 894 673, e: sarah.willis@nqdrytropics.com.au) or Sugar Team Leader Luke Clark (m: 0455 236 176, e: luke.clark@nqdrytropics.com.au) for help making a submission.

The grants are part of the Lower Burdekin Water Quality Program, funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.