Report card 2021 and 2022

Results

The two-year Reef Water Quality Report Card 2021 and 2022 details progress towards the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan targets up to June 2022.

The results show we are making continued progress towards our water quality targets, especially towards the particulate nutrient targets, with slower progress towards the dissolved inorganic nitrogen and sediment targets.

Reductions are mainly due to investments in streambank repair projects, improved grazing land management and the adoption of practices in sugarcane that improve nitrogen fertiliser management.

Greater improvements are expected towards the dissolved inorganic nitrogen and sediment targets in future years when significant multi-year on-ground projects undertaken in this period are completed and reported.

Ground cover targets were met for the first time since 2012 across grazing lands with all catchments experiencing annual rainfall levels similar or above their long-term average.

The loss of natural wetlands slowed between 2017 and 2019, with freshwater floodplain wetlands in a good state overall, though remaining under moderate pressure from catchment land use.

Inshore marine condition remained moderate in 2022, with inshore coral remaining in poor condition, seagrass meadow condition improving to moderate, and water quality declining to moderate.

Progress towards the land management practice adoption target is not reported in this report card as this target is being reviewed.

The report card draws on multiple lines of evidence including industry and extension programs. Science underpins the report card with all results reviewed by the Independent Science Panel.

Key results

• There was very poor progress towards the dissolved inorganic nitrogen target (0.7%) and poor progress towards the sediment target (0.8%) across the Great Barrier Reef catchments in 2021 and 2022.
• Results show there was very good progress towards the particulate phosphorus target and moderate progress towards the particulate nitrogen target across the Great Barrier Reef catchments in 2021 and 2022.
• Modelling showed:
  • The Burdekin catchment recorded the greatest reduction (3%) in dissolved inorganic nitrogen due to the adoption of improved practices in sugarcane.
  • The Murray catchment (Wet Tropics region) and the Endeavour catchment (Cape York region) both had a 5.3% reduction in sediment, with the Murray catchment meeting its target for the first time.  Reductions were mainly due to investments in streambank repair projects and improved grazing land management.
• The pesticide risk condition across most Great Barrier Reef catchments was similar to 2020.
  • The Murray catchment (Wet Tropics region) improved from good to very good possibly due to very dry conditions across the catchment in 2021–2022 that resulted in few run-off events.
• Loss of riparian woody vegetation extent across the Great Barrier Reef catchments was 47,519 hectares (0.78%) between 2018 and 2021, mostly in the Burdekin, Fitzroy and Burnett Mary regions.
• The loss of natural wetlands across the Great Barrier Reef catchments slowed with a minimal loss (135 hectares, <0.05%) between 2017 and 2019.

• Freshwater floodplain wetlands in the Great Barrier Reef catchments were generally in a good state overall, however, they remained under moderate pressure from catchment land use.
• Overall inshore marine condition remained moderate in 2022, inshore coral remained in poor condition, seagrass meadow condition improved to moderate, and water quality declined to moderate.

• Ground cover across the Great Barrier Reef grazing lands met the target for the first time since 2012 with all regions experiencing annual rainfall levels similar or above their long-term average.

Fully explore the results through the interactive report card.

Information about how the key indicators were measured is available in the Methods section.

For more information, read the Frequently asked questions.

You can learn more about the opinions of cane farmers and graziers who have been involved in projects to improve the quality of water flowing to the Reef through the social monitoring data and case studies where landholders tell their story about what motivated them to make changes.

Learn about Traditional Owner led monitoring projects.