The Reef 2050 Catchment Water Quality Strategy, released in May 2026, sets the priorities for improving the water that flows from 35 major catchments to the Reef.

Reef Trust investment through the Fitzroy Water Quality Program kept 56 kilotonnes of fine sediment from reaching the Reef each year, with a new FBA-led project targeting 28.5 kilotonnes more.

Through the NEXTGEN Immersion Program, Grade 12 students from the Emerald region went on site to sample water bugs and see environmental science at work.

Dawson Valley cotton growers toured other farms to learn about pipe-through-bank irrigation. “It’s the best way to learn,” says grower Andrew French.

A $250 million investment at the historic Mount Morgan mine is removing legacy tailings and has cut the pit’s freshwater catchment by more than 40%, protecting the Dee River.

The North Rockhampton Sewage Treatment Plant has grown from 50,000 to 75,000 equivalent persons, with UV disinfection that removes the need for chlorine and protects the Fitzroy River estuary.

A $100,000 project improved the resilience of one of Queensland’s last remnant stands of bonewood scrub, alongside endangered brigalow and belah, on culturally significant Country.

About 440 metres of rebuilt streambank now keeps an estimated 1,368 tonnes of fine sediment a year out of the Reef lagoon, and held strong through the 2026 floods.

QRC and its members work with regulators and regional partners to cut sediment run-off, use water more efficiently and support progressive rehabilitation.

CQG’s scientists survey fish, water bugs and water quality to understand waterway health, and recently relocated hundreds of native aquatic animals during a dewatering project.