regions identified entering the Great Barrier Reef. An increase in through the 2013 ($5 million) these nutrients on the reef has been linked to Scientific more frequent outbreaks of the coral-eating Consensus crown-of-thorns starfish. Statement and The latest scenario modelling shows that with Reef Plan 2013. full adoption of current industry best practice the Reef Plan 2013 water quality target for DIN (50% reduction by 2018) will not be achieved. However, evidence is emerging that nitrogen use efficiency can be improved beyond the current industry standard without impacting on productivity. Much work is being done by the sugar cane industry, cane growers and research organisations to find innovative ways to reduce nitrogen loss from farms. This project will build on existing investment by encouraging cane farmers to tailor fertiliser use to their property and crop - specific requirements, for example based on differences in soil and paddock topography. Specifically, it will provide incentives to sugar cane farmers to improve the efficiency of their fertiliser inputs, thereby reducing nitrogen surpluses. Decreasing nitrogen surpluses will improve nitrogen use efficiency, sustainability and profitability. A market based competitive tender (or reverse auction) is proposed to allocate funds through a procurement process. cane farmers participating in the programme can submit bids for funding to carry out practices that improve nitrogen use efficiency. Participation will be voluntary and farmers will have autonomy to determine nitrogen surplus reduction targets and means of achieving those targets for their farming enterprise. A minimum set of practices will apply consistent with the current Smartcane Best Management Practices approach. Bids will be assessed competitively and ranked in order of cost-effectiveness. The assessment will be objective and transparent, based on a cost-effectiveness metric. 2. Promotion of This project will accelerate the reduction of A-class grazing sediment from grazing lands in the highest management priority regions (Burdekin and Fitzroy) through practices to providing increased extension and technical reduce sediment support (both economic and agronomic). runoff in the Targeted participants will be supported to learn Burdekin and from the top performers, and adopt long term Fitzroy regions. sound management practices that minimise sediment loss and improve their profit. This will ($3 million) increase the rapid adoption of innovative farm
regions identified through the 2013 Scientific Consensus Statement and Reef Plan 2013. ($5 million) entering the Great Barrier Reef. An increase in these nutrients on the reef has been linked to more frequent outbreaks of the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish. The latest scenario modelling shows that with full adoption of current industry best practice the Reef Plan 2013 water quality target for DIN (50% reduction by 2018) will not be achieved. However, evidence is emerging that nitrogen use efficiency can be improved beyond the current industry standard without impacting on productivity. Much work is being done by the sugar cane industry, cane growers and research organisations to find innovative ways to reduce nitrogen loss from farms. This project will build on existing investment by encouraging cane farmers to tailor fertiliser use to their property and crop - specific requirements, for example based on differences in soil and paddock topography. Specifically, it will provide incentives to sugar cane farmers to improve the efficiency of their fertiliser inputs, thereby reducing nitrogen surpluses. Decreasing nitrogen surpluses will improve nitrogen use efficiency, sustainability and profitability. A market based competitive tender (or reverse auction) is proposed to allocate funds through a procurement process. cane farmers participating in the programme can submit bids for funding to carry out practices that improve nitrogen use efficiency. Participation will be voluntary and farmers will have autonomy to determine nitrogen surplus reduction targets and means of achieving those targets for their farming enterprise. A minimum set of practices will apply consistent with the current Smartcane Best Management Practices approach. Bids will be assessed competitively and ranked in order of cost-effectiveness. The assessment will be objective and transparent, based on a cost-effectiveness metric. 2. Promotion of A-class grazing management practices to reduce sediment runoff in the Burdekin and Fitzroy regions. ($3 million) This project will accelerate the reduction of sediment from grazing lands in the highest priority regions (Burdekin and Fitzroy) through providing increased extension and technical support (both economic and agronomic). Targeted participants will be supported to learn from the top performers, and adopt long term sound management practices that minimise sediment loss and improve their profit. This will increase the rapid adoption of innovative farm
reef-trust-investment-strategy.docx