A new $15 million grant opportunity announced today will support on-ground action to restore coastal habitat in the Great Barrier Reef, with up to $2 million available per project for eligible applicants.
Like coral reefs worldwide, the Great Barrier Reef is facing a range of threats. Aside from climate change, one of the most significant threats is sediment and nutrient run-off into Reef catchments.
This impacts on the Reef's water quality.
The Reef Coastal Restoration Program grants opportunity will support projects to rehabilitate and restore blue carbon ecosystems. This includes seagrasses, mangroves, saltmarsh and wetlands.
These ecosystems act as filters for nutrients and sediments, which helps improve the quality of water entering the Reef.
Projects will support:
- rehabilitation of degraded or previously destroyed Reef coastal ecosystems;
- greater community participation and partnership building, including involvement with First Nations peoples; and
- improvements to the health and resilience of Reef coastal habitats and ecosystems, accelerating the progress towards water quality targets.
This investment will deliver on our commitment to protect and restore the Reef.
