Spirit of partnership shines through
A workshop focused on improving water quality in the Burdekin Dry Tropics region attracted more than 30 stakeholders, representing a wide range of industries and interests.
The event, led by NQ Dry Tropics, in partnership with C2O Consulting, aimed to capture a variety of perspectives to help develop a new 10-year Burdekin Regional Water Quality Strategy, funded through the Australian Government’s Reef Trust.
The strategy focuses on reducing pollutants, pollutant flows, including sediments, nutrients, and pesticides, from the Burdekin’s five major river basins; the Black, Ross, Haughton, Burdekin and Don, entering waterways and then flowing into the inshore areas of the Great Barrier Reef.
Improving water quality will help protect local wetlands, rivers, and marine ecosystems, while supporting productive and sustainable industries.
Participants shared insights from across the catchment, helping to refine proposed actions for managing pollutants from different land uses, identify potential barriers and risks, and explore opportunities for collaboration and co-benefits between sectors.
NQ Dry Tropics MERI and Planning Coordinator, Jules Funnell, said the workshop highlighted the importance of combining science with local knowledge and experience.
“Partnership and collaboration is key to effective natural resource management, and it was fantastic to see such a strong turnout from across the region, spanning landholders, science, Traditional Owners, industry and government,” Dr Funnell said.
“People living and working in the Burdekin understand this landscape better than anyone, and this workshop is part of an ongoing engagement process that started in late 2024 to develop this important strategy.
“Capturing a breadth of perspectives will help ensure the final Strategy includes practical, achievable, and locally-relevant priority actions, and identifies the resources and partnerships required to deliver them.
“This document will play a key role in shaping future investment into regional water quality projects.”
Burdekin Bowen Integrated Floodplain Management Advisory Committee (BBIFMAC) Manager, Arwen Rickert, said the workshop provided an opportunity to learn more about the broader regional push to improve water quality.
“It was very well structured, with a lot of information shared,” Ms Rickert said.
“Everyone here today is working to achieve better water quality, but we can often get siloed in our own areas, so it was really important to hear from other stakeholders about their priorities, and how to address them.
“It was a good reminder that we are part of a wider effort, and progress is being made.”
BBIFMAC works closely with the cane industry, which faces ongoing issues with increased soil salinisation caused by rising groundwater, and nutrient loss through deep drainage.
Ms Rickert said the complexity of these issues, coupled with a lack of available data, had been a barrier to finding solutions, but the tide was starting to turn.
“These threats have been generally acknowledged within the industry for years, but I am heartened that they are now being talked about with more of a sense of urgency, because we are starting to see the data showing what is actually happening,” she said.
“We don’t yet have the answers, but we know that reducing water use through smarter irrigation practices will be an important part of the solution.”
Wulgurukaba Traditional Owner, Brenton Creed said he was enthused by the spirit of collaboration present in the room.
“Water is essential to life, and Traditional Owners have passed down information about looking after this precious resource through the generations,” Brenton said.
“I love the fact that people from different areas and sectors were represented today at the workshop, and care about healthy waterways as much as we do.
“We all have different skills and knowledge, and today was about sharing information, which is what we are supposed to do.”
The strategy will serve as a living document, evolving over time to stay relevant as new information, technologies, and challenges emerge.
NQ Dry Tropics thanks everyone who contributed their time, ideas, and expertise to help shape this important regional roadmap for healthy waterways and a healthy Reef.
The Burdekin Strategy is one of six being developed with the others focused on the Cape York, Wet Tropics, Mackay and Whitsunday, Fitzroy Basin and Burnett Mary regions.
Arwen Rickert,
