More than 100 experts and leaders within the environmental management space converged in Cairns for the annual Reef Synthesis workshop to discuss the ongoing protection of the Great Barrier Reef.
Covering an immense area, over 1.3 times the size of New Zealand, ensuring the health and protection of the Reef is no small task and requires engagement and input from a diverse range of stakeholders, including government agencies, research organisations, natural resource management bodies, traditional owners, landholders and peak industry bodies.
The Reef Synthesis provided stakeholders with the opportunity to present findings, create partnerships and learn from each other to ensure best management of the Reef.
Held over three days in November last year, the workshop’s focus was ‘Connecting people, programs and landscapes’ and covered a range of topics such as enabling environments for improving practice, understanding Traditional Owner priorities and creating a vision for success, accountability and legacy. A number of representatives from the Whitsunday and Mackay region attended, including Bernie Cockayne, Program Manager for Reef Catchments in Mackay -
‘The workshop was a great opportunity to learn about work being conducted across the Reef. What I found most interesting was the work that many of our farmers, Traditional Owners and community organisations are doing to improve our Reef’s health. This included Jason Bradford, a farmer between Mackay and Sarina, who we’ve been working with to improve the health of wetlands on his property and the water quality entering the Reef. It was fantastic to see his hard work being acknowledged by receiving the Reef Conservation Champion Award’.
With such a prized and valued asset for Australia and the world, bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders is essential to learn from each other and build partnerships for the protection of the Great Barrier Reef.
One of seven natural wonders of the world, the World Heritage Listed area of the Great Barrier Reef covers a staggering 348,000kms2 starting from north of Bundaberg in the south to the tip of Cape York in the north, a distance of approximately 2,300kms. The world heritage area includes 980 islands, 3000 coral reefs and extends from depths of over 2,000m to the intertidal zone and seagrass meadows found along the coastline, including our own Whitsunday Coast.
For more information on the work being undertaken locally to manage the Reef, please visit Reef Catchments www.reefcatchments.com.au
Contributed with thanks to Chris Dench.
Image: The reef synthesis workshop. Photo supplied
