Fraser Coast joins Reef Guardian Council program

We are proud to welcome Fraser Coast Regional Council as the 21st local government to join our Reef Guardian Council Program. This milestone strengthens a partnership network that now spans more than three-quarters of the Reef catchment, representing over 1.2 million people and communities from north of K’gari to the tip of Cape York.

The Reef Guardian Council Program is an initiative of the Reef Authority which recognises local governments as key management partners contributing to the long-term resilience of the Reef. Through this program, we work with councils to support action on climate change, improve water quality, reduce waste, restore habitats and engage communities. Each council undertakes actions unique to their region that help address the key threats facing the Reef.

By joining the program, Fraser Coast Regional Council has reinforced its commitment to building a resilient and environmentally responsible region - one that balances growth and development with the protection of natural assets like the Great Sandy Strait, a globally significant estuary and gateway to the Reef.

Fraser Coast has already outlined an ambitious Reef Action Plan, with initiatives that include upgrades to the Pulgul Creek wastewater treatment plant, shellfish reef restoration at Booral, riverbank stabilisation projects, community tree planting days, and the construction of a new Materials Recovery Facility to increase recycling and reduce waste. Together, these projects demonstrate how local government can deliver measurable benefits for the Reef, while strengthening communities and creating opportunities for future generations.

While Hervey Bay and the Great Sandy Biosphere sit just south of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, they are part of a closely interconnected system. The Fraser Coast region is home to rich biodiversity and is famous for its whale populations. It also provides habitat for threatened species such as dugongs and turtles, which depend on healthy seagrass meadows and coastal ecosystems. This makes Fraser Coast’s role in the Reef Guardian Council Program particularly important. Local initiatives to restore habitats, improve water quality and reduce pollution directly contribute to the long-term resilience of the Reef and the marine life that depends on it.

As our Chief Executive Officer Josh Thomas said, the program continues to show how collaboration can make a difference at scale.

“By welcoming Fraser Coast Regional Council to the program, there are now 21 councils involved, representing more than 1.2 million people and covering more than 76 per cent of the Reef catchment,” Mr Thomas said.

“The Fraser Coast region is a biodiversity hotspot, and the Great Sandy Biosphere is important for many species - including whales for which the region is famous - that depend on healthy marine and coastal systems.”

Reef Guardian Councils have a significant role to play in helping protect the Reef now and into the future. By working together, we deliver practical solutions to the Reef’s greatest challenges: climate change, declining water quality, habitat loss and marine debris.

We look forward to working closely with Fraser Coast and all Reef Guardian Councils to continue building resilient communities and protecting the Reef for future generations.