The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for the Environment and Water
Senator Nita Green, Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef, Senator for Queensland
The Albanese Labor Government is today announcing a new program to restore coastal habitat in the Great Barrier Reef.
The $15 million program will rehabilitate and restore blue carbon ecosystems including seagrasses, mangroves, saltmarsh, and wetlands.
These important ecosystems act as carbon storages and filters for nutrients and sediments, improving the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef. They’re also vital habitat for precious Reef creatures like dugongs and marine turtles.
Projects will:
• rehabilitate degraded or previously destroyed Reef coastal ecosystems
• boost community participation and partnership building, including involvement with First Nations peoples
• improve the health and resilience of Reef coastal habitats and ecosystems, accelerating the progress towards water quality targets.
Up to $2 million per project will be available to eligible applicants through the new grants program.
Applications for the 2023-24 Reef Coastal Restoration Program grant round are open until 5.00pm AEDT Monday, 20th November 2023.
