The SEQ Hort BMP Incentive Program provides financial assistance and technical on-farm support to growers in adopting best management practices that measurably reduce nutrient, pesticide, and sediment losses from farms and strengthens environmental stewardship.

Incentive grants of up to $30,000 per grower are available until January 2029 or until fully allocated.

Practices that directly contribute to improved water quality outcomes are supported across the following areas:

• soil management and soil health

  • compost application

  • introduction of other soil conditioners

• erosion and sediment control

  • constructing contours

  • constructing retention ponds/sediment traps

  • restoring primary drains

• pesticide and nutrient management

  • use more efficient products

  • precision application methods, including boom sprayer upgrades and variable rate application.

Some examples have been provided above, but consult with the SEQ Hort BMP team to discuss what solutions are most appropriate for your farm.

Growers are eligible to participate if they:

• operate a horticultural farming business within the SEQ Hort BMP Program’s catchment areas (see map above).

• propose practice change that improves water quality through reducing sediment, nutrient, and/or pesticides reaching local waterways.

• ‍undertake the Hort360 Water Quality module pre- and post- participation in the Incentive Program.

• ‍agree to enter a formal grant agreement with Growcom and provide evidence that funded works were completed.

• ‍ have the capacity to meet the program requirements within the specified timeframe.

• are willing to share information related to outcomes achieved with the funded works (e.g., photos, data, notes) to support reporting on practice change and monitoring of water quality outcomes.

• have not received seed funding or incentive grants through the SEQ Water Quality Program (2022-2025).

All criteria are mandatory.

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Applying for a SEQ Hort BMP Incentive follows a facilitator-guided process, designed to support growers identify the most beneficial on-farm improvements, demonstrate value for money, and verify environmental outcomes:

1. ‍ ‍Initial engagement and guidance: contact your local Growcom SEQ Hort BMP facilitator who can assist in assessing your eligibility, identifying potential high-impact BMP improvements, and working through the application requirements.

2. Hort360 water quality risk assessment: to demonstrate that the proposed practice change will have a measurable impact on water quality, applicants must complete a Hort360 baseline assessment to identify risks, gaps, the most beneficial BMP interventions. This mandatory benchmarking must be completed before applying.

3. Application development: complete the application form  in consultation with your SEQ Hort BMP facilitator. Your application must include:

   ‍ - baseline conditions from Hort360 water quality risk assessment

   ‍ ‍- proposed practice change/s

   ‍ ‍- expected water quality outcomes

   ‍ ‍- evidence and data that will be collected to verify results

   ‍ ‍- costings, in-kind contributions, and co-funding commitments.

   Submit your completed application to your SEQ Hort BMP facilitator.

4. Notification: The SEQ Hort BMP team will notify you if your application is successful or unsuccessful within one week of the assessment panel meeting. Successful applicants enter into a formal funding agreement with Growcom. Once the agreement is in place, groundworks may commence.

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Applications for SEQ Hort BMP Incentive funding are assessed by a panel including representatives from the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI), the Queensland Department of Primary Industries (DPI), and Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG) against the following criteria:

• Environmental benefit – the potential for the reduction in sediment, nutrient, or pesticides reaching waterways.

• Value for money – the level of environmental and economic benefits for the funding invested.

• Project ambition – degree of practice change, whole-of farm-approach, multiple approaches.

• Scale and replicability – size of proposed practice and capacity to be expanded across a larger area.

• Grower and industry impact – ability to influence other growers and contribute to wider industry practice change.

• Capacity to meet project commitments – ability to deliver within timeframes with consideration to weather, serviceability limitations, farm commitments, and grower capacity.

• Ability to meet project objectives – will undertake grower agreements, reporting, and benchmarking as well as willingness to share outcomes, participate in extension activities and capacity building.

Contact the SEQ Hort BMP team. There details are at the bottom of this page.