Water Quality Guidelines for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Marine ecosystems require good quality water to remain healthy. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has prepared Water Quality Guidelines for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (2010) based on the available scientific evidence of direct biological effects from exposure to particular contaminants to set a guide for good water quality. Trigger levels have been identified for managers to take action if conditions exceed them.

These guidelines focus on the main diffuse source contaminants that science providers tell us are currently adversely affecting the water quality that reaches the Great Barrier Reef. For parameters not addressed in these guidelines we direct readers to the Queensland Water Quality Guidelines 2006 and further to the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality 2000. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority works closely with the Department of Environment and Resource Management to ensure these guidelines are complementary and seamless across all waterways in the Great Barrier Reef and its catchments.

The current condition of the waters of the Great Barrier Reef show that most of the waters are within the trigger levels much of the time. Scientific monitoring over the past 10 years does show, however, that there are times when our coastal waters in particular, exceed the concentrations that have been determined to be the best for maintaining the health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef.

Government, industry and the community are undertaking a number of actions to address this, including actions under the Reef Rescue package and the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan. In particular we are collaborating with the agricultural industry who are committed to best farm management practices that ensure the long-term viability of our agricultural industries as well as that of our Great Barrier Reef.

The key to the success of these guidelines will be the continued close engagement with the people who can instigate and deliver the on-ground actions needed to ensure trigger levels are rarely exceeded.

The document provides a starting point that the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority plans to update and improve over time as more information becomes available and as understanding improves on the effect of different qualities of water on ecosystem health.