A ministerial media statement from the Enviroment Minister Vicki Darling says the Queensland Government is taking into account cane growers' concerns while planning upcoming on-farm reviews under the Reef Water Quality Protection Program.

The reviews will be of a random sample of about 55 of north Queensland's 4500 cane farmers and will focus on farms in the Wet Tropics, Mackay/Whitsunday and Burdekin Great Barrier Reef catchments.

Environment Minister Vicky Darling said she appreciated concerns expressed by growers' peak body CANEGROWERS.

In a media statement, the organisation asked the government to consider postponing the reviews.

"The fact is, we were always going to take farmers' concerns into consideration, especially with the severe weather events they've had to deal with over the past 12 months," Ms Darling said.

Under the Reef Water Quality Protection Program, growers are required to keep records and use no more fertiliser than is needed for their crops unless they have approval under an environmental risk management plan or are participating in an approved trial.

"The Department of Environment and Resource Management received a request from CANEGROWERS to postpone on-farm reviews under the water quality protection program.

"The department is committed to working with industry organisations and individual growers to help reduce fertilizer losses.

"It is important to visit a small sample of growers to check how they are going with this requirement and see what further assistance and extension services can be provided.

"This is not an audit to find fault.

"It is a review to find those aspects of the growers' efforts that can be better supported by the Government's considerable investment in working with the sugarcane industry to improve profitability while improving water quality for the reef," Ms Darling said.

"Indeed, we have been work closely with CANEGROWERS for more than two years and consulted them both face to face and in writing in recent weeks about the review process.

"The way in which the requirements have been implemented over the past two years shows that we are very aware of and responsive to the pressures affecting growers.

"We advised CANEGROWERS specifically that we would meet with individual growers at a time agreed with each grower and would take into account any difficulties caused by the severe weather."

Ms Darling said growers who have trialled the review process with the department have found it very helpful.

Launched in 2003 as a joint initiative of the Australian and Queensland Governments, the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan brings together people and projects to help improve the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef.

The plan has two primary goals - to halt and reverse the decline in water quality entering the reef by 2013 and to ensure that by 2020 water quality entering the reef from adjacent catchments has no detrimental impact on the health and resilience of the reef's ecosystems.

"The plan focuses on modifying broad scale land use practices to reduce pollutants entering the reef and rehabilitating and conserving catchment areas that help remove water borne pollutants," Ms Darling said.

Source:  

http://www.cabinet.qld.gov.au/mms/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=77369

The Honourable Vicky Darling

28/10/2011