Healthy rivers and Reef contributing to a prosperous region where people live, work and play.


The Partnership has released the 2014 pilot, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 report cards to date.
The Mackay-Whitsunday Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership is a collaboration between community, Traditional Owners, farmers and fishers, industry, science, tourism and government.
To develop the report card the Partnership uses the best available independent science, including results from a range of regional monitoring programs.
Helping community, industry, science, tourism and government work together to determine how and where we can do more to look after our waterways.
People on board a boat with data logger.

TOURISM OPERATORS TURN INTO CITIZEN SCIENTISTS TO MONITOR REEF WATER QUALITY

ACTIVITY SPOTLIGHT 2020

Tourism operators in the Whitsundays have begun collecting data in a citizen science project to keep track of the water quality in their area. The Whitsunday Water Quality Monitoring Blueprint for Tourism Operators project aims to increase understanding of water quality and reef health in the Whitsundays.

The tourism community has a vested interest in the long-term health and functionality of the Great Barrier Reef, and they are well positioned and willing to lead solution-based monitoring, and effectively communicate water quality results. Tourism operators will maintain data loggers and take water quality samples every six weeks. They are being trained by scientists from James Cook University in how to take water quality samples.

The program method builds on the extensive water quality monitoring that JCU has been undertaking over many years with North Queensland Bulk Ports across three ports in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Read our activities spotlight here.

Healthy Rivers to Reef Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac Stewardship Report 2018.
STEWARDSHIP REPORT 2018

Responding to the regions’ waterway health issues is the responsibility of all individuals and groups within the community. This report contains case studies of the region’s industries and local communities responding to the challenge of improving or maintaining our waterway health here in the Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac region.

hompage-grid-hr2rp-turtle

WHO WE ARE

The Mackay-Whitsunday Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership (HR2RP) represents 29 organisations committed to understanding and improving the health of Mackay-Whitsunday waterways and marine environments. From ports and resources, to agriculture, conservation and natural resource management, research and Traditional Owners – diversity amongst Partners ensures all sectors are at the table. The Partnership allows collective access to the best available science in waterway and marine monitoring programs, representing an investment of more than $4 million on an annual basis.

Our commitment is to:

  • Confirm a long term approach to the management of the region’s waterways and marine environment in a holistic manner
  • Communicate information effectively
  • Support decision making
  • Be specific to the Mackay-Whitsunday region

The Partnership draws on existing programs and collaborations, where possible, to ensure as much consistency across Queensland report cards, such as using the Reef 2050 Plan Independent Science Panel. More detail on how existing programs are being integrated into the Mackay-Whitsunday report card is provided in the Program Design.

The Partnership is hosted in the Mackay-Whitsunday Region by Reef Catchments Limited.

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