Joint media release: $28.5 million for Reef coastal restoration projects
18 June 2024
The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for the Environment and Water
Senator Nita Green, Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef, Senator for Queensland
The Albanese Labor Government is investing $28.5 million to support restoration and rehabilitation of coastal habitats on the Great Barrier Reef.
18 projects have been awarded grants of up to $2 million to deliver activities that will have widespread benefits for coastal ecosystems in the Reef.
This includes rehabilitating and restoring blue carbon ecosystems, such as seagrasses, mangroves, saltmarsh, and wetlands.
Funding will also support Reef water quality improvements, as well as better protection for vital habitats for precious Reef marine life, like dugongs and turtles.
The projects will:
increase resilience of seagrass meadows, which provide shelter and food to the Reef’s diverse animals including fish, turtles, dugongs and birds.
provide Traditional Owners and community members with new skills and experience to lead and scale restoration and monitoring projects across the Reef.
improve Reef water quality by stabilising shorelines and mitigating streambank erosion to reduce sediment runoff into the Reef catchment
support collaboration with Traditional Owners to accelerate the recovery of ecosystems, including those impacted by extreme weather events due to climate change.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek:
“The Great Barrier Reef is one of our most precious natural assets. That’s why we are investing in programs to restore and protect the Reef for our kids and grandkids.
“The health of coastal ecosystems like mangroves and seagrass meadows are crucial to the survival of endangered turtle species and the culturally significant dugong.
"This funding will mean Traditional Owners and environment groups can help look after the Reef by eradicating feral animals, preventing erosion, and restoring critical habitat like wetlands and saltmarshes.”
Quotes attributable to Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef, Senator Nita Green:
“These grants will allow us to build resilience and future-proof the Reef.
“Improving the health and resilience of Reef coastal habitats and ecosystems will also contribute towards water quality targets.
“These vital projects will be delivered by trusted, local experts who know exactly where to target investment to get the best results.”
Funding recipients and projects:
Funding recipient | Project | Funding |
Burnett Mary Regional Group for Natural Resource Management Ltd | Mangroves and Blue CO2: Restoring Sea Country in Southern Reef Catchments | $2,000,000 |
Cape York Natural Resource Management Ltd | Eastern Cape York Coastal Wetland Restoration | $1,787,448 |
Cape York Weeds and Feral Animals Inc | Cape York East Coast Pond Apple Maintenance and Control Project | $40,000 |
Catchment Solutions Pty Ltd | Large Scale Streambank Rehabilitation on the Lower Fitzroy River | $1,986,333 |
Ecosure Pty Ltd | Restoration for Balban Dara Guya (Leekes Creek) | $1,290,775 |
Far North Qld NRM Ltd | Daintree Wetlands: Reef Coastal Restoration in the Lower Daintree | $1,986,919 |
Fitzroy Basin Association Inc | Fitzroy Landscape-scale Coastal Wetland Enhancement Project | $1,999,020 |
Great Barrier Reef Foundation | Scaling Seagrass Restoration on the Great Barrier Reef | $1,992,275 |
Greening Australia Ltd | Blue Carbon Restoration: Ross, Road, Deeral | $1,804,908 |
Greening Australia Ltd | Yuwi Blue Carbon Wetland Restoration Project | $1,549,354 |
Jaragun Pty Ltd | Restoration of Multihabitat Mangrove Ecosystems, Russell-Mulgrave Basin | $2,000,000 |
NQ Dry Tropics Ltd | Rehabilitating wetlands - innovation and Traditional Owner delivery | $1,156,334 |
OzFish Unlimited Ltd | Improving the hydrology of mangrove wetlands in the Wet Tropics | $1,072,450 |
Reef and Rainforest Research Centre | Building on science: Working together to deliver nature-positive outcomes | $1,857,280 |
Reef Catchments (Mackay Whitsunday Isaac) Limited | Beyond Barriers: Mackay and Isaac Coastal Wetland Rehabilitation | $1,496,275 |
Restore Blue Advisory Services Pty Ltd | Tropical Queensland Blue Carbon Project | $1,535,819 |
The Nature Conservancy Limited | Great Sandy Strait Reef Restoration Project | $2,000,000 |
Townsville City Council | Townsville’s Living Coastlines – Space for Saltmarshes Project | $1,039,566 |