Publisher: Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage
 

Accessed from: http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/publications/annual-report/04-05/index.html [6 Sept 2007]

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Executive summary

The Great Barrier Reef (the Reef) is a nationally and internationally significant area with outstanding natural, social and economic values. Extensive modification within the Reef catchment since the beginning of European settlement has led to significant increases in pollutants (sediments, nutrients and chemicals) in waterways entering the Reef. While the vast majority of the 2900 reefs that make up the Reef are in good condition, this pollution threatens inshore reefs and ecosystems.

Single issue-based actions or policies by individual organisations are no longer an effective way to protect the Reef from this threat. The challenge now is to change behaviour in order to reduce risks to the Reef's ecological health. Changing behavior is a widespread responsibility, not simply governments' responsibility.

In response to this challenge, the Australian and Queensland Governments, in partnership with a wide range of industry and community groups, developed the Reef Water Quality Protection Reef Plan (the Reef Plan). The Reef Plan was launched in December 2003 with a focus on actions to address pollutants from diffuse sources through an integrated natural resource management approach.

The Reef Plan requires agencies to provide annual reports on progress towards the goal and objectives of the Reef Plan to their respective Ministers. This report is the second report of this kind for the Reef Plan. It notes the progress and major investments made during 2004-05 against four focus areas and details the achievements against each of the nine strategies that support the focus areas.