Requirements for grains and horticulture growers
Why are the Reef protection regulations required?
The Reef protection regulations address land-based sources of water pollution flowing to the Great Barrier Reef. This includes agricultural and industrial sources of nutrient and sediment pollution from all six Reef regions —Cape York, Wet Tropics, Burdekin, Mackay Whitsunday, Fitzroy and Burnett Mary.
Rainfall, leaching and irrigation run-off can wash nutrients and sediment from land into waterways and coastal wetlands which flow to the Great Barrier Reef.
For more information on the impacts of nutrient and sediment run-off, visit threats to the Reef.
What are the requirements for grain and horticulture producers?
Grain and horticulture producers in the in the Great Barrier Reef regions need to obtain an environmental authority (permit) before starting or expanding commercial cropping and horticulture activities.
Agricultural Environmentally Relevant Activity standards for grains and horticulture have not yet been developed. The commencement of these standards has been deferred until a longer-term approach to managing the impacts from the horticulture and grains industries to the Great Barrier Reef is developed as part of the review of the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan. This will allow the Queensland Government to:
- Understand the latest information about the relative contribution of horticulture and grains production to pollutant loads flowing to the Great Barrier Reef, through the update of the Scientific Consensus Statement on land use impacts to Reef water quality and ecosystem condition.
- Continue to invest in research and development priorities that can increase understanding of the practices that can support reduced impact on Reef water quality.
- Seek complementary opportunities and collaborations that can support industry to continue to drive practice improvement.
What do I need to do if I’m starting or expanding commercial cropping and horticulture activities?
Growers may need to obtain an environmental authority (permit) before starting or expanding cropping and horticulture activities in a Reef region if the activity will be on five hectares or more of land that does not have a cropping history.
A cropping history is when the land has been used for cropping or horticultural activities in at least three out of the last 10 years. There are transitional provisions that allow some extra time to develop a cropping history for any cropping that has only started in the three years prior to 1 June 2021.
Use this handy checklist to work out if you need a permit. More information is also available in Frequently asked questions .
For information on how to apply for a permit, visit new or expanding cropping.
Once you have a permit, you must comply with all the conditions on the permit. The conditions will require you to design and establish measures that minimise fine sediment and dissolved inorganic nitrogen from the new areas entering waterways.
How does compliance work?
The department assesses compliance with the Reef protection regulations. For more information, visit compliance.
What support is available?
Programs and support tools are provided by the Australian and Queensland governments and industry organisations to help grains and horticulture producers identify opportunities to improve farming practices. For more information, visit land management for grains and land management for horticulture.
Download this webpage content as a factsheet .