Prioritising practice changes in Reef Rescue

[摘要] Reef Rescue is part of the Caring for our Country program funded by the Australian Government. Reef Rescue’s five year targets (2008/09 – 2012/13) are to reduce discharge of dissolved nutrients and chemicals from agricultural lands to the Great Barrier Reef by 25 per cent, and to reduce the discharge of sediment and particulate nutrients from agricultural lands to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon by 10 per cent. The program is implemented in partnership with the six Reef regional natural resource management organisations (‘regions’), relevant peak industry bodies and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Funding to achieve Reef Rescue targets is principally available as water quality grants and extension services delivered to farmers.A review of investment prioritisation processes used by regions was conducted in May 2010, two years through the five year Reef Rescue initiative. Invited stakeholders attended two forums to present and discuss information in the areas of current science on best management practices to prevent contaminants in runoff water, tools to inform stakeholders, and investment priorities in the regions. The purpose of the forums was to facilitate continuous improvement of the Reef Rescue initiative. The specific aims were: •To involve scientists and stakeholders in discussions on the degree of validation and estimated cost/benefit of improved land management practices for water quality improvement •To generate discussion from presentations, in order to develop evidence-based outcomes for feedback to program stakeholders (i.e. the public), and•To facilitate collaborative interaction and knowledge sharing across regions and industries to help provide the best inputs to determining Reef Rescue funding prioritisation within regions. This report synthesises and summarises the information presented and discussed at the forums, from which guiding principles to improve the water quality outcomes of the Reef Rescue grants were developed. Across the different regions, a range of approaches was used to assess grant applications, target locations/industries for grants, monitor and acquit projects, and report on the project outcomes. In some cases, it was evident there were opportunities to more clearly link activities funded by the grants with the science and best management practices both documented in water quality improvement plans (WQIPs) and developed since the plans. There were also opportunities to assess applications and to report outcomes more quantitatively, and in terms of benefits and costs. Guiding principles to improve the water quality outcomes of Reef Rescue grants are broadly summarised as:•Continuously improvement should occur to grant assessment processes to ensure that funded management practices will achieve the Reef Rescue objectives. Grant assessment criteria should target the management practices (and expected water quality benefits) identified in WQIPs or in subsequent activities (including the Paddock to Reef monitoring and modelling program). Assessment criteria should be updated prior to each round of funding applications to reflect changes in knowledge, and a concise document of eligible management practices and the water quality benefits expected from the practices should be provided to expert panel members.•Quantitative estimates of pollutant load reductions arising from changed practices should be developed for use in the assessment and acquittal processes, and for reporting relative to Reef Rescue expenditure. The outcomes of practice change monitoring and modeling on loads should also be communicated to stakeholders, with the intent of assisting capacity building and practice change.

[发布日期] 2011-11-18 [发布机构] CSIRO

[学科分类] 地球科学(综合)