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
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, 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 and Science (DES) 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 end in June 2025.

Contact the project team

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