The challenge
The Australian and Queensland Governments have committed over $50 million dollars to fund land management improvement projects on Queensland farms. The goal of these projects is to protect the national treasure that is the Great Barrier Reef, by improving water quality in the reef catchments and subsequently reducing the amount of farming run-off to the reef.
It is up to groups who work with farmers (regional NRM bodies, industry groups, etc.) to decide which projects to fund. However, there was no transparent and consistent method for assessing and prioritising projects for funding. This could make reporting the outcome of project improvements difficult and could result in inconsistencies in the types of projects that may be funded.