Diffuse water pollution poses a significant threat to water
quality globally. Challenges associated with managing and regulating diffuse
water pollution stem from difficulties in measurement and attribution of
pollution ‘emissions’, as well as the cumulative nature of diffuse water pollution.
The introduction of Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef Protection Amendment Act
2009 provides a timely opportunity to explore challenges associated with managing
and regulating diffuse water pollution from agriculture, using the Great Barrier Reef
as a case study. This article, which is presented in two parts (sections II and III),
outlines the nature of diffuse water pollution; potential management and regulatory
options; and existing policy, management and legislative frameworks that exist
at Commonwealth and Queensland State government levels relevant to managing
Great Barrier Reef water quality. In section III, the article undertakes a detailed
analysis of Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef Protection Amendment Act 2009,
including an assessment of the likely effectiveness of this legislation; challenges
associated with the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of measures taken
under this new legislation; and its significance and role in the context of other
relevant Commonwealth and Queensland government responsibilities, legislation
and policies
