Burdekin sugarcane farmers to protect Great Barrier Reef with new farm practices

In an effort to protect the Great Barrier Reef, the Australian government will provide $2.5 million to sugarcane farmers in the Burdekin region. The fund comes from the new project called Reef Trust Tender – Burdekin, which aims to improve the nitrogen and irrigation management practices of farms affecting the health of the reef.

The federal government opened the Reef Trust project to encourage farmers in the region to mitigate the negative effects of farm run-off on the Great Barrier Reef. Environment Minister Greg Hunt noted that the project will also be a win-win situation for sugarcane farmers as they will be receiving benefits by protecting the reef.

Farm fertilisers produce surplus nitrogen that makes its way to the coast and deliver a detrimental impact on reef water quality. The improvement on the efficiency of nitrogen use on farms would also allow growers to boost their business while helping the reef, Hunt said.

"This is another great opportunity and a win-win for sugarcane farmers to trial new farm management practices," Hunt stated in a press release.

The government will provide the fund for the participating sugarcane farmers from the $140 million Reef Trust initiative. Hunt said that the project would deliver innovative and targeted investments for the health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef.

Farmers will be supported by the project's local service provider, NQ Dry Tropics. The local cane industry will be guided by the NQ Dry Tropics in implementing the project.

Federal Member for Dawson, George Christensen MP, said that the "NQ Dry Tropics is recognised throughout the Burdekin region as a trusted and effective operator and brings to this project strong local and technical expertise."

He added that the funding would provide significant benefits to the Burdekin region and the environment. Christensen believes that sugarcane farmers would be flexible enough to tailor their project based on the individual needs of their farms.

"The Australian government is investing in local projects that will deliver real change to safeguard productive capacity in the region for the future, and to protect our environment," he said.

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