THOSE who work in the tourism industry have had concerns about water quality in Great Barrier Reef waters, and we are now answering the call for research into these issues.The Liberal National Government is investing more than $31 million over six years for research into tropical water quality through the National Environmental Science Program.This research will ensure management decisions for marine water quality in the Whitsundays and other tropical regions in the country are based on quality science.In the new year, I will be asking the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), and the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC) to come to the Whitsundays to consult with tourism operators about their water quality concerns.The research this funding boost allows will help manage the risks to tropical water quality from infrastructure, agriculture, extreme events and biosecurity threats.As well as benefitting from improved water quality, species such as turtles and dugongs will benefit from an improved understanding of their status and trends. The research will underpin on-ground management actions.

Apart from the environmental benefits, this is great news for North Queensland with the Australian Institute of Marine Science being selected as part of the Tropical Water Quality Hub. 

The more we learn about the Great Barrier Reef through our research, the better equipped we are to ensure its protection and meet the challenges it faces. That’s why we invest in reef science.[box style="1 or 2"]

THE HUB

Subject to successful contract negotiations, the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre will lead the Tropical Water Quality Hub in partnership with a team of high calibre researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science, four universities and the CSIRO.The hub will be led by Professor Hurriyet Babacan, a recognised international scholar, who was awarded the Order of Australia this year for academic contribution to community life and policy change.The research partners involved have an impressive track record of delivering practical science that has informed the Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report 2014, the Reef 2050 Long Term Sustainability Plan, Crown of Thorns Starfish management, and Synthesis Report on dredging impacts on the reef.The Tropical Water Quality Hub is part of the National Environmental Science Program – a competitive merit-based program with six research hubs.The Government is providing $142.5 million to give certainty to researchers so that science programs can be planned and completed in a way that ensures flexibility and alignment with current environmental policy needs.[/box]This important research builds on the Government’s strong commitment to the long-term protection of the Great Barrier Reef and it will ensure decisions about managing Australia’s biodiversity and environmental resources are made on the best available information.