This work included a review of the current R&D activities related to water quality occurring within the GBR and then the identification of key gaps in our knowledge about the impacts on water quality within those catchments. The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan was the planning framework used for this work.

The first phase of the RCWG's work, to identify and collate current R&D activities relevant to the Reef catchments up to March 2005, has been reported in the document entitled: Current research and development in the Great Barrier Reef catchments (Prange 2005a).

The R&D needs and priorities for future research, is the topic of the report: Future research and development needs to improve water quality in the Great Barrier Reef catchments (Clark, 2006). The findings of this report suggest that we will require:

1. new models of water quality processes need to be developed and translated for use as decision-making tools for land managers, industry and policy makers
2. a better understanding of community needs and aspirations and of the factors that encourage or inhibit the uptake of new management approaches
3. improved methods and protocols for water quality monitoring
4. collation and analysis of information collected from existing monitoring and modelling projects, with the results clearly communicated to the community.

The most recent report: Best management practice adoption in the sugar industry for improving water quality: The Mackay Whitsunday region (Rolfe et al, 2008), focuses on the identified requirement of developing and translating water quality processes for use by industry. The findings suggest decisions about adoption or prioritisations of BMPs need to be based on four considerations:

• the level of environmental benefits involved
• the net private costs and production trade-offs involved
• the barriers to adoption or changes in management practices
• the appropriate support or encouragement mechanisms available.

© The Consortium for Integrated Resource Management, 2007.