The draft decision notes \u201cwith utmost concern, the continuing negative impacts on hard coral cover across the Reef\u201d and asks the Australian government to report on the damage done by coral bleaching in 2024\u201325 as well as poor water quality<\/a>, unsustainable fishing practices<\/a> and poorly managed uses of coastal land<\/a>. The draft decision also requests an assessment of the impacts caused by dumping sediments from dredging in coastal waters. <\/p>\n In April, the Queensland and federal governments released a revised strategy<\/a> to improve water quality. Previous plans have talked the talk but failed to deliver<\/a>.<\/p>\n The new strategy is also likely to disappoint. It relies on broad vision statements without clear responsibilities, an adequate budget or realistic actions. <\/p>\n Water pollution is the biggest local threat<\/p>\n For years, one of the biggest local threats to the reef\u2019s ecosystems has been land-based runoff<\/a>. <\/p>\n Shallow seagrass meadows act as nurseries for fish and food for turtles and dugong. Like all plants, seagrass requires light to survive. If too much sediment blocks light or settles on a plant\u2019s leaves, it can die<\/a>. This is often worst after storms or cyclones, which churn up seas and mix sediment back into the water. Coral can be similarly hard-hit, especially if the sediments are laced with pesticides and other contaminants. <\/p>\n Researchers check the condition of seagrass at Green Island. Despite being located well offshore, these waters can be affected by floodwater plumes carrying sediment and pollutants. To improve water quality, farmers need to reduce sediment washing into rivers and reduce fertiliser and pesticide use. But it\u2019s not just farms \u2013 runoff from industries, cities and towns also contributes. <\/p>\n Progress has been made to reduce fertiliser overuse. But Australia has repeatedly missed its own targets to cut water pollutants such as sediments<\/a>, pesticides<\/a> and dissolved inorganic nitrogen<\/a> from fertilisers.<\/p>\n The federal and state governments have remained largely silent about these missed targets in favour of focusing on water quality successes, community involvement and investment<\/a>.<\/p>\n Reasons for concerns about the new strategy<\/p>\n The recently released<\/a> water quality strategy was delayed, with the previous plan expiring in 2022. Drawing on the latest Scientific Consensus Statement<\/a> and two decades of monitoring, the plan proposes solutions such as better land management, rehabilitating mangroves, seagrass and wetlands and updated targets<\/a>. <\/p>\n Despite that, the plan is unlikely to achieve what it\u2019s meant to. <\/p>\n Implementation. It\u2019s not clear how the updated strategy will become reality. Previous strategies have suffered due to insufficient funding or limited success<\/a>.<\/p>\n Funding is uncertain. We estimate less than 25% of the funds necessary to meet the water quality targets have been invested by governments since 2003. The 2026 strategy and revised targets do not come with costings. <\/p>\n Lack of coordination. Too often, aspirations set by one government department clash with another. When land is cleared for farming, the farm industry can grow. But cleared land leads to more sediment washing into waterways. Between 2018 and 2022, more than 680,000 hectares of land were cleared<\/a> across the reef\u2019s 35 river catchments<\/a>. Of this, almost 90% was for livestock grazing. Last year\u2019s federal environment law reforms<\/a> were meant to protect the trees and shrubs growing along rivers but much work is still required. <\/p>\n There are other reasons to be concerned. To date, much of the funding from the Queensland government has gone to voluntary programs to improve farming practices \u2013 despite limited evidence<\/a> these programs represent the best approach to improve water quality. <\/p>\n Inspections of sugarcane and banana farms show<\/a> almost 50% aren\u2019t compliant with regulations meant to protect the reef.<\/p>\n Substantial land clearing across the Great Barrier Reef catchments has taken place in recent years. What future?<\/p>\n As climate change worsens and water quality problems persist, authorities are increasingly worried about the future of the Great Barrier Reef. <\/p>\n Last year, the International Union for Conservation of Nature rated its condition as \u201ccritical<\/a>\u201d. The 2024 Outlook Report<\/a> from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority describes the long-term outlook as very poor, with water quality efforts only \u201cpartially effective\u201d. <\/p>\n![\"two](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/file-20260709-57-2w4m7d.jpg\")
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\n Rob Coles, Author provided (no reuse)<\/p>\n![\"cleared](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/file-20260711-68-ovjzvp.jpg\")
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\n Australian Marine Conservation Society<\/a>, CC BY-NC-ND<\/a><\/p>\n
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