Funding Boost Ensures Future Marine Health

Seagrass, coral and water quality will continue to be monitored to provide much needed data on local marine conditions thanks to new funding from Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal Pty Ltd (Daly Bay) and Dalrymple Bay Infrastructure (DBI).

Daly Bay and DBI have agreed to provide $415,000 over three years to fund the Southern Inshore Monitoring Program.

Daly Bay Manager of Safety, Risk and Environment, Ricci Churchill said Daly Bay was excited to build on the success of the monitoring program and to further understand how local ecosystems are responding to changing pressures.

“To effectively look after our waterways and the environment around us, we first must understand what is happening in the local area,” she said.

“The Southern Inshore Monitoring Program provides us with the data needed to keep an eye on the health of the marine environment and inform management actions if necessary.

“As a founding member of the Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership, we are proud to have established this monitoring program and continue to support it in partnership with DBI. It shows what can be possible through the partnership and by investing in your local community.”

First established in 2017, the Southern Inshore Monitoring Program fills a crucial data gap in the region’s waterway health report card, which assesses the condition of freshwater, estuary, inshore and offshore environments.

Scores for water quality, coral, pesticides and seagrass have been added as the monitoring program has matured.

DBI Site Manager Tim Ffrost said it was great to see the monitoring program fill data gaps over the years.

“Supporting the Southern Inshore Monitoring Program is an important part of DBI’s commitment to sustainability and connecting with community partnerships,” he said.

“With Dalrymple Bay Terminal located within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, we understand how vital it is to contribute to programs that help protect and preserve local waterways.

“Having a robust and reliable monitoring program is the first step in that management process.”

Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership Chair Julie Boyd said the Southern Inshore Monitoring Program was a key example of what could be achieved through collaboration.

“This important marine health monitoring program brings immense value to the Report Card and our understanding of local waterway conditions more broadly,” she said.

“We are very grateful to Daly Bay and DBI for their ongoing support and we look forward to working with them over the next phase of marine monitoring.”

You can read more about the Southern Inshore Monitoring Program and the current scores for this zone at www.healthyriverstoreef.org.au.

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Ricci Churchill (Manager of Safety, Risk and Environment at Daly Bay) and Tim Ffrost (DBI Site Manager) are ready to learn more about our region’s waterway health