Fitzroy Basin region
grazing is contributing significantly to sediment loads
and a decline in the quality of water reaching the reef
lagoon. Over 16 per cent of the total target number
of farmers, made up of dry land grain producers,
irrigators and horticulturalists, have adopted land
management practices that will improve the quality
of water reaching the reef lagoon.
Numbers of land managers engaged
Grants to land managers:
 50 Cotton growers
 212 Grains producers
 480 Graziers
 46 Horticulturalists.
A total of 788 total grants were awarded to 599
different land managers.
Regional Priorities
The Australian Government nominated the following
priorities for targeted investment in the Programme:

Sediments and associated nutrients from extensive
grazing areas.

Herbicides delivered from cropping and grazing
areas.

Nutrients delivered from cropping areas.
The dominant land use in the Fitzroy basin today is
grazing.
Key pollutants

Sediments and associated particulate nutrients
from extensive grazing areas.

Herbicides delivered from cropping and grazing
areas.

Nutrients delivered from cropping areas
Regional Funding
Over 2009 to 2013 a total of $30,626,268.00 was
provided to the Fitzroy Basin Association.
Load reductions
Over 12 million hectares are currently under grazing
in the Fitzroy with approximately 3,500 producers. In
this region, the largest contributor of sediment
entering into the Great Barrier Reef is attributed to
grazing activities, with beef production the largest
single land use industry.
Modelled load reduction estimates from the Paddock
to Reef programme indicate the following load
reductions for the Fitzroy region between 2009 and
2013:

4 per cent reduction in annual average sediment
load.
Progress against Water Quality Targets

2 per cent reduction in annual average particulate
nitrogen load.

6 per cent reduction in annual average particulate
phosphorus load.

5 per cent reduction in annual average PSII
pesticide load.
Nearly 60 per cent of the total target numbers of
pastoralists, over an area of over 2 million hectares,
have improved their ground cover monitoring and
management practices in areas where run-off from
Key Achievements
The Fitzroy Basin Association supported the
establishment of a network of 40 Continuously
Operating Reference Stations (CORS) in the
Fitzroy enabling farmers to move to controlled
traffic farming technology. Coverage extends to
99 per cent of the region. This innovative
network greatly assisted FBA to enable 16 per
cent of the total target number of farmers,
made up of dry land grain producers, irrigators
and horticulturalists, to adopt land
management practices that will improve the
quality of water reaching the reef lagoon
average sediment load.
Case study: Grains – Fitzroy Basin
Winners of the Grains Reef Rescue award, David and Adele O’Connor manage Springsure property “Mountain
View”, a property that has been in the family for 127 years. Mountain View sits South of the Springsure
watershed of the Comet and Nogoa River Catchments and there are several creeks originating in the area. The
O’Connors have reduced the amount of nutrients, sediment and chemicals flowing into these creeks and
improved their bottom line by introducing a grazing and cropping management regime that rests pastures and
improves pasture-cropping practices.
The O’Connors have implemented numerous
improvements to their farming operations through
the Reef Rescue programme, including conversion to
zero till planting and the purchase of equipment such
as a hand held weather meter which allows for
improved monitoring of pesticide movement.
Significant improvements the O’Connors have
noticed include increased feed availability and
pasture composition. Reducing tillage in pasture
cropping and improving herbicide efficiency has
reduced fuel and chemical inputs. Of particular note
is the prevalence of the endangered King Bluegrass
(Dicanthium queenslandicaum).
The O’Connor’s share what they have trialled and
learnt by hosting and attending workshops and field
days. They have also completed the Grains BMP
programme and have participated in the Emerald
pilot group for the Grazing BMP programme.
The key thing that the O’Connors have learnt
David and Adele O’Connor and family on their property.
through the process of changing their grazing
Photo: Queensland Farmers Federation
management is that better management rather
than more land is needed to improve productivity and increase profitability.