Great Barrier Reef Foundation Reef Islands Initiative
In December 2020, QTFN and its project partners, Koinmerburra Aboriginal Corporation and Mackay and District Turtle Watch, were awarded a $200,000 grant from the Great Barrier Reef Foundation Reef Islands Initiative.
The grant provides funding for the joint delivery of land management, education and threatened species research outcomes over a four-year period, and a part-time Indigenous Ranger position.
The grant also provides seed funding to progressively transition the island to a self-sustaining financial model.
This will involve the creation of an annual cycle of environmental, educational and cultural experiences where people can pay to come to the island and engage, learn and work alongside QTFN, researchers and Traditional Owners.
The Reef Islands Initiative is establishing a network of climate change refuges by protecting critical habitats across the Great Barrier Reef. Pioneered by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, the 10-year program is supported by funding from Lendlease, the Australian Government’s Reef Trust, the Queensland Government and the Fitzgerald Family Foundation.