Megan Star

Economically viable land regeneration in Central Queensland and improved water quality outcomes for the Great Barrier Reef

The impact of excessive sediment loads entering into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon has led to increased awareness of land condition in grazing lands. Improved ground cover and land condition have been identified as two important factors in reducing sediment loads. This paper reports the economics of land regeneration using case studies for two different land types in the Fitzroy Basin. The results suggest that for sediment reduction to be achieved from land regeneration of more fertile land types (brigalow blackbutt) the most efficient method of allocating funds would be through extension and education. However for less productive country (narrow leaved ironbark woodlands) incentives will be required. The analysis also highlights the need for further scientific data to undertake similar financial assessments of land regeneration for other locations in Queensland.

Improved grazing management practices in the catchments of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia: does climate variability influence their adoption by landholders?

The declining health of the Great Barrier Reef from diffuse source pollutants has resulted in substantial policy attention on increasing the adoption of improved management practices by agricultural producers. Although economic modelling indicates that many improved management practices are financially rewarding, landholders with dated management practices remain hesitant to change. This research involved bio-economic modelling to understand the variance in private returns for grazing enterprises across a climate cycle. Results show that financial returns to landholders can vary substantially across different 20-year periods of a climate cycle, demonstrating that the variability in expected returns may be an important reason why landholders are cautious about changing their management practices. Although previous research has separately identified financial returns and attitudes to risk and uncertainty of landholders as key influences on decisions concerning adoption of improved management practices, this research demonstrates that it is the interaction between these factors that is important to understand when designing policy settings.

Can paddock scale data integration achieve more cost effective outcomes in the Great Barrier Reef? A case study in the Fitzroy Basin

The decline in health of the Great Barrier Reef and the pressure on allocating funds efficiently has increased efforts to prioritise where public funds are invested. The Fitzroy basin and coastal catchments is 152,000 square kilometres and geographically diverse. Past work has identified that sediment loads leaving the catchment are posing a high risk to the ongoing health of the Reef and that there is a need to prioritise funds to achieve cost effective outcomes. In this paper we aim to present an alternative approach to effective prioritisation of sediment reductions. The approach integrates spatial information regarding the sediment source and process, levels of adoption, bare ground cover, and cost into a function to rank neighbourhood catchments. The results demonstrate the complexity of the issue and the challenge the Fitzroy Basin Association faces when allocating funds. They also illustrate that there are effective opportunities in particular priority areas within the catchment in which on-ground actions could be undertaken, proving it to be a useful approach in prioritising future investments aimed at achieving cost effective sediment reductions to the Reef.

The cost effectiveness of remediating erosion gullies: a case study in the Fitzroy

ABSTRACT Grazing in the Fitzroy region has reduced ground cover and increased the exposure of erosion features to terrestrial water flows, resulting in gullies. The run-off that results from such soil degradation has led to elevated levels of sediment in the Great Barrier Reef, adversely affecting the health of the reef. Strategies to reduce gully erosion include: decreasing stocking rates on grazing land, revegetation of erosion features and the implementation of specific infrastructure including fencing and earth works. Using data provided by the Fitzroy Basin Association Inc., this paper presents a case study of the cost effectiveness of gully remediation at six properties across the Fitzroy. Our results reveal a broad range of cost effectiveness among these sites, highlighting the importance of both the selection of policy mechanism and the need for targeted remediation measures. The pattern of cost effectiveness for these sites also raises the possibility of economies of scale in gully work, which could indicate funding advantages from targeting projects that address large volumes of gully erosion. Finally, the magnitude of the costs per unit of sediment reduction at these sites indicates the need to consider a broad spectrum of policy responses to reduce sediment export to the reef.