In an effort to protect the Great Barrier Reef, the Queensland government has announced a $6 million investment in streambank remediation projects. 

The initiatives aim to combat the erosion and sedimentation issues in the Lower Burdekin, Herbert River, and Fitzroy River catchments, which have been contributing sediment to the ocean.

The government has chosen contractors who specialise in environmental remediation. Terrain NRM has been entrusted with rehabilitating the streambanks along the Herbert River and Stone River, located within the Herbert catchment, with a budget of $2.53 million. 

The Neilly Group, a team of surface water engineer specialists, will focus their expertise and a funding allocation of $1.68 million on the Little Bowen River in the Burdekin catchment. 

Additionally, the Fitzroy Basin Association has been awarded $1.79 million to address streambank issues in Six Mile Creek near Raglan in the Fitzroy catchment.

The repairs and remediation activities will take place at three locations along rivers and waterways that feed into the Great Barrier Reef. 

Expected to conclude by June 2026, the initiatives will involve multifaceted approaches such as revegetation, fencing, bank reprofiling, and pile fields.

Minister for the Environment and Great Barrier Reef, Meaghan Scanlon, says runoff remains one of the reef's most pressing threats. 

Sediment accumulation poses a risk to the delicate corals, seagrasses, and other essential flora, hindering their growth and survival. 

Additionally, the well-being of marine ecosystems, including turtles, dugongs, fish, and other reliant species, is in jeopardy.

Citing a recent international report on the reef, which called for ambitious and immediate action, Minister Scanlon expressed the government's unwavering commitment to protecting this natural wonder. 

“The government will always stand up for the reef and has never shied away from its obligations to protect it,” she said.

The $6 million funding injection is part of a larger $270.1 million package allocated from the 2021-22 state budget, specifically designated for combating water pollution in the Great Barrier Reef.

Minister Scanlon said the initiatives will also create employment opportunities in regional Queensland.

“We have taken ambitious action on climate with a $62 billion Energy and Jobs Plan, we're scaling up land restoration, supporting farmers to improve runoff, banning more single-use plastics, and driving sustainability with a $1.1 billion Recycling and Jobs Fund,” Ms Scanlon said. 

Terrain NRM CEO Stewart Christie has expressed confidence in the planned project, ased on previous efforts that have successfully prevented thousands of tonnes of sediment from reaching the Great Barrier Reef. 

“The Herbert catchment is a priority catchment for sediment reduction in Queensland's Great Barrier Reef zone,” Christie says. 

“We have been remediating a number of gully and streambank erosion sites in the catchment, employing engineering work such as rock walls, pile fields, and rock chutes.”