Researcher tallies the cost of protecting our reef
Published on 03 December, 2009
CQUniversity's natural resources economist Daniel Gregg is tallying up the cost of environmental challenges affecting the Great Barrier Reef as part of a Government-funded research program...
He is currently working on developing models to predict how changing management practices by farmers in catchment areas for the Great Barrier Reef will link through to improved health in inner reef areas.
Natural resource economist Daniel Gregg."The development of this predictive tool will link together elements of the project so that the benefits of improved reef health can be compared to the costs of making land management changes," Mr Gregg said.
Mr Gregg has joined a team of economists, including Centre for Environmental Management (CEM) Director Professor John Rolfe and Dr Jill Windle at CQUniversity. CEM is working with university researchers across the country in this research program that aims to address Australia's major environmental challenges by utilising integrated economic research.
Through its work with the Environmental Economics Research Hub the CEM hopes to contribute to helping the Federal Government develop a clear perspective on the costs of reducing pollutant emissions coming from lands next to the Great Barrier Reef.
A key focus of the project is to link community values on improved environmental protection more closely with the funding allocations by Australian and State Governments for programs such as Reef Rescue.
"Despite increasing funding over the last 2 and a half decades for environmental conservation to over $2 billion over 5 years in the 2008 Federal Budget, there still remains a need to choose between competing conservation projects.
"At its most basic level, the development of these values can provide insights into the best possible allocation of public funds for use in improving environmental sustainability of Australian agriculture."
The Commonwealth Government-funded research comes together on a website hosted by the Australian National University http://www.crawford.anu.edu.au/research_units/eerh/ .