South East Queensland Water Quality Program

Promoting sustainable land management practices in the Lockyer, Bremer and Pumicestone catchments while addressing sediment, nutrient, herbicides and pesticides entering local waterways and Moreton Bay.

News Room
Precision cover cropping to enhance horticultural operation
Precision cover cropping to enhance horticultural operation

In the picturesque Scenic Rim, against a backdrop of the Great Dividing Range, the Rieck family have for decades cared for the rich soil that bears their vegetable crops, but it’s a labour of love that takes constant commitment.

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Momentum continues for SEQ practice improvements
Momentum continues for SEQ practice improvements

Momentum continues to grow in Southeast Queensland with growers across a range of commodities benefiting from two funding initiatives supporting positive on-farm practice improvements.

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Opportunity knocks for SEQ growers
Opportunity knocks for SEQ growers

Have you ever looked around your property and thought, “I’d really like to fix this up,” or “I’d really like to install that.” You know, the priority wish list of things you would get to if you had the time, money, resources, or expertise?

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Welcome Tanya Luck – SEQ Water Quality Officer
Welcome Tanya Luck – SEQ Water Quality Officer

Agriculture is in Tanya Luck’s blood. Having grown up on a sheep and cattle farm on the Western Downs, she studied horticulture and agronomy, and has worked in the industry all her life.

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SEQ farms go sky high for knowledge
SEQ farms go sky high for knowledge

In the first half of 2024, Growcom’s South East Queensland (SEQ) Water Quality Program has focused on working with growers to access land management information on their property and undertake remediation works to address the movement of nutrient, chemicals, and soil from their farms.

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Linking SEQ growers with a sustainable future
Linking SEQ growers with a sustainable future

A grower’s to-do list is never complete. Beyond the running of day-to-day operations there are longer term considerations around investing in improved on-farm practices and new products and equipment to minimise environmental impacts and get the most out of every crop.

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Seed funding prepares property for next generation
Seed funding prepares property for next generation

Growing pineapples has taken Mark Harris all over South East Queensland, but on his current property on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, he’s sprucing things up ahead of handing over the reins to his nephew, Bert.

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Stepping up sustainability
Stepping up sustainability

Adrian and Mandy Schultz of Luvaberry are no strangers to the ‘s’ word. They’ve had sustainability at the forefront of their operations since establishing their Wamuran farm 20 years ago.

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A small change delivers double
A small change delivers double

Growcom’s SEQ Water Quality project supported by the Department of Environment and Science (DES) continues to deliver positive outcomes from the first round of ‘seed funding’ invested into South East Queensland pineapple farms.

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Seed funding rolling out in the Pumicestone
Seed funding rolling out in the Pumicestone

Growcom’s SEQ Water Quality project is working with growers and the Department of Environment and Science (DES) to allocate the first round of ‘seed funding’ to pineapple farms located in South East Queensland.

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Woodchips at the centre of bioreactor project
Woodchips at the centre of bioreactor project

Nitrogen gas. It makes up 79 percent of the atmosphere and on the Sunshine Coast, pineapple growers are relying on a natural nitrogen cycling process to transform nitrate in ground water into nitrogen gas.

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Hitting sustainability goals drives Hort360 through the next three years
Hitting sustainability goals drives Hort360 through the next three years

With a proactive goal to boost sustainability, Growcom’s Hort360 South-East Queensland water quality program is set to be refunded through the Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science (DESE), with a $1.1 million investment over the next three years.

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Learn more about the project

  • The South East Queensland (SEQ) Water Quality program promotes sustainable land management practices in the Lockyer, Bremer and Pumicestone catchments while addressing sediment, nutrient, herbicides and pesticides entering local waterways and Moreton Bay.

    The project also promotes alignment with the national program, Freshcare.

    The objectives of the project are to:

    • Promote Hort360 as a way to increase grower awareness of farm management strategies.

    • Increase the uptake of best practice in pesticide and fertiliser application (including timing, methods and quantity) resulting in reduced off farm movement.

    • Improve soil management, keep soil on the farm and build resilience to impacts from climate change, including extreme weather events.

    • Reduce sediment, nutrient and pesticide loads entering local waterways, Pumicestone Passage, Lockyer and Laidley Creeks, Bremer River and Moreton Bay.

  • Horticultural growers within the Pumicestone, Lockyer, and Bremer Catchments.

  • Hort360 is the best management practice (BMP) platform for Australian horticulture.

    It is a benchmarking and risk assessment tool designed to give growers a 360-degree view of their farm business operations.

  • Growcom and the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) are partnering with growers to deliver seed funding and on-ground support to drive a sustainable future for horticulture and waterways across the South East Queensland region.

    Through the SEQ Water Quality program, growers can access seed funding to trial sustainable practices.

  • The SEQ Water Quality project ends in June 2025.

Learn more about the BMP Incentive Scheme

  • The BMP Incentive Scheme for SEQ Horticultural Growers delivers funding that supports sustainable land management and on-farm practice change. Such Best Management Practice (BMP) activities need to demonstrate links to off-farm water quality improvements.

    Assistance of up to $5,000 per BMP activity is available. Individual farming enterprises can apply for funding to support multiple practices.

    Eligible activities include:

    • Bioreactor installation;

    • Improved fertiliser and pesticide application (for example precision application practices such as droppers on boom sprayer, inter-row sprayer on ground rig, injection at planting);

    • Installing new or repairing/upgrading erosion and sediment control structures (e.g. contour drains, drain stabilisation, sediment retention basins, surface / ground cover and silt traps);

    • Improvements to soil health (e.g. use of compost as a soil ameliorant);

    • Other new or innovative products or services that support improvements in sediment, nutrient and pesticide efficiencies.

    Successful applicants will also have the opportunity to work with Growcom’s SEQ Water Quality Project team - Tim Wolens and Tanya Luck - on the implementation of their project.

    Tim and Tanya’s ongoing work within the Southeast Queensland region means they have the networks to connect growers with the suppliers, new innovations, and technical experts to make your plans a reality.

    Applications are open from 1 September 2024 to 30 November 2024.

  • Farming enterprises that produce horticultural commodities in the Pumicestone, Lockyer, and Bremer Catchments in Southeast Queensland.

    1. Complete the application form and email to the SEQ Water Quality Project team.

    2. Undergo an on-farm appraisal with Growcom SEQ Water Quality Project staff of 'what is to be funded' and complete a Hort360 survey.

    3. Have your BMP Incentive Scheme application evaluated by the project assessment panel.

    4. Successful BMP Incentive Scheme applications will receive written notification and works can then proceed.

    5. Unsuccessful applicants will receive written feedback.

    6. Upon project completion, a site visit will be conducted and relevant invoices will be viewed and approved.

  • BMP Incentive Scheme applications will be evaluated by a project assessment panel against six assessment criteria.

    Project Assessment Panel
    The project assessment panel is comprised of one representative from each of the following organisations:

    • Growcom SEQ Water Quality Project

    • Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI)

    • Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), and

    • Healthy Land and Water (HLW)

    Assessment Criteria
    Each application will be scored against the following:

    1. Environmental risk (e.g. the farm's proximity to waterways, degree of slope, soil types, farm layout);

    2. Water quality outcomes;

    3. Size of impact of each practice to water quality outcomes;

    4. Grower's ability to replicate these practices on other areas across their farms;

    5. Value for money/investment; and

    6. Farm sustainability/economic benefit for the grower.

  • See contact details for our SEQ Water Quality Team in the below section.

    Growers in the Pumicestone Catchment should reach out to Tim Wolens.

    Growers in the Lockyer and Bremer Catchments should contact Tanya Luck.

Contact the project team

The South East Queensland Water Quality project is funded by the Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.