Cape York Peninsula is globally significant for its extensive and diverse freshwater, estuarine, and marine aquatic habitats. These areas support abundant wildlife, including rare and threatened species, and are crucial for the cultural practices and livelihoods of Cape York Traditional Owners. Eastern Cape York coastal waters form approximately one-third of the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon, including extensive seagrass meadows, coral reefs, and critical habitats for species like dugongs and sea turtles.

Despite being one of Australia's least developed areas in terms of infrastructure and vegetation clearing, Eastern Cape York's catchments are not pristine. Water quality is threatened by widespread erosion from roads and tracks, land clearing, past and present cattle grazing, and annual loss of ground cover due to late dry season fires and extreme wildfires, all of which contribute to increased sediment runoff to the Great Barrier Reef. Other contributors to erosion and aquatic ecosystem degradation include mining, peri-urban development, weed invasion, and feral animals. However, in this region of the Great Barrier Reef, there is still a significant opportunity to prevent further degradation of water quality before the impacts on aquatic ecosystems become irreversible.

The Eastern Cape York Water Quality Program (ECYWQP) Legacy Project supported a process for Cape York Water Partnership (CYWP) and our ECYWQP partners to identify priorities for future water quality related actions and to evaluate funding options to support future work. The Water Quality Improvement Priorities Report draws on the findings of the ECYWQP to highlight priority actions for future efforts to maintain and improve water quality in southeast Cape York. The Funding Opportunities Review provides an overview of the current funding landscape and evaluates options to fund water quality improvement projects into the future. Appendix A from the Funding opportunities Review provides a detailed list of funding sources, relevant organisations' contact info and web page information.

Download the full Reports at the links below.