- New Queensland and Australian government report provides clear guidelines for a science-backed approach to reduce Reef water pollution
- The report highlights the areas at highest risk and the level of intervention required to be most effective
- Missing piece of the puzzle – with water pollution the biggest local threat to the Reef, the report presents a critical opportunity to strengthen the governments' water pollution strategy to meet water quality targets by 2030
The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) has welcomed the release of the Australian and Queensland governments' Great Barrier Reef Spatial Management Prioritisation (SMP) Report, developed by Reef water pollution experts, saying it provides the clearest scientific roadmap yet for improving water quality across the Great Barrier Reef catchments.
AMCS, alongside Reef stakeholders, is calling on our governments to align the Reef 2050 Catchment Water Quality Strategy with the current scientific evidence.
The draft strategy, released for consultation last month, was criticised by Reef water quality experts, scientists, regional natural resource managers and conservation groups for its broad scope without a delivery plan.
Thousands of public submissions echoed these concerns, warning that a weak strategy would allow water pollution to continue harming the Reef.
Good water quality is critical for healthy and resilient ecosystems and supports recovery from disturbances such as mass bleaching and extreme weather events.
The report provides clear, practical guidance for managing water quality across the Great Barrier Reef and is ready to be integrated into the Reef 2050 Catchment Water Quality Strategy. Its implementation is critical to meeting water quality targets over the next five years and safeguarding the Reef's long-term health and resilience.
AMCS Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Manager Dr Max Hirschfeld said:
"The new report identifies which catchment areas need most attention and what level of management action and restoration efforts are needed. Staggeringly, more than one third of river basins within Great Barrier Reef catchments require intensive interventions and landscape repair actions like wetland restoration and repairing riverbanks, to manage all types of water pollution, emphasising the scale of the threat to our precious Reef.
"This report is a missing piece of the puzzle, providing the Queensland and Australian governments with all of the information required to develop a targeted implementation plan to effectively manage and reduce water pollution. With this unprecedented insight our governments must tackle urgent pollution issues while also protecting and restoring Reef ecosystems over the long-term.
"After the release of a draft Reef 2050 Catchment Water Quality Strategy fell far short on the detailed actions required to address water pollution on the Great Barrier Reef, the Queensland and Australian governments must act on this new science. They must seize this critical opportunity to deliver a detailed strategy that outlines the actions and roles and responsibilities to meet the water quality targets by 2030."
Lead author of the report and Reef water quality expert Jane Waterhouse, C2O Consulting, said:
"The Spatial Management Prioritisation is the most advanced assessment yet for guiding strategic responses to the impacts of land-based runoff on the Reef. It defines management responses to reduce pollutants reaching Great Barrier Reef ecosystems – including freshwater floodplain wetlands, coral reefs and seagrass meadows – while highlighting the importance of keeping healthy ecosystems in good condition. This will take both targeted efforts to reduce pollution and actions to preserve or restore ecosystems, especially as the impacts of climate change continue to grow.
"The assessment will help decision-makers address critical questions for future investment, such as where management efforts should be focused, what level of management response is recommended in different areas, and which pollutants to target in each catchment.
"The results will feed directly into regional initiatives, including the Regional Water Quality Strategies now in development. These strategies will identify regional priorities for water quality improvement, ensuring that actions are tailored to local needs and conditions.
"The Australian and Queensland governments must commit to this approach by embedding it within the Reef 2050 Catchment Water Quality Strategy and ensuring it is backed by sufficient funding for implementation. By using the best available science and working together, we can support the Reef while supporting the people and industries that depend on it."
Water pollution remains the biggest local threat to the Great Barrier Reef, undermining its resilience in the face of accelerating climate change. Australia must submit a full State of Conservation report to UNESCO by February 2026. A solid plan to achieve Reef water quality targets will give the government a better chance of maintaining the Reef's World Heritage status, which is at risk of being recommended for the List of World Heritage in Danger due to the lack of progress on addressing key threats to the Reef including climate change, water pollution, large-scale tree-clearing and unsustainable fishing practices.
