Requirements for sugarcane growers
Why are the Reef protection regulations required?
The Reef protection regulations address land-based sources of water pollution flowing to the Great Barrier Reef. This includes agricultural and industrial sources of nutrient and sediment pollution from all six Reef regions —Cape York, Wet Tropics, Burdekin, Mackay Whitsunday, Fitzroy and Burnett Mary.
Rainfall, leaching and irrigation run-off can wash nutrients and sediment from the land into waterways and coastal wetlands which flow to the Great Barrier Reef. The requirements for sugarcane focus on retaining nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment on-farm to minimise run-off and improve water quality.
For more information on the impacts of nutrient and sediment run-off, visit threats to the Reef.
What are the requirements for sugarcane cultivation?
Sugarcane growers in the Reef regions need to:
- comply with the standard conditions in the Agricultural Environmentally Relevant Activity standard for sugarcane cultivation 1.6 MB) *, including to follow the Prescribed methodology for sugarcane cultivation 2.3 MB) .
- obtain an environmental authority (permit) before starting or expanding sugarcane growing.
*In the Cape York region, the Agricultural Environmentally Relevant Activity standard for sugarcane cultivation only applies to land where a grower has an environmental authority (permit) for commercial cropping and horticulture activities.
The standard conditions in the Agricultural Environmentally Relevant Activity standard are often referred to as ‘minimum practice standards’, including as an action under the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan (PDF, 3.61MB).
There are requirements for agricultural advisers, such as agronomists and fertiliser sellers, when providing tailored advice on matters covered by the Agricultural Environmentally Relevant Activity standards. For more information, visit requirements for advisers.
What do I need to do to comply with the Agricultural Environmentally Relevant Activity standard?
To comply with the standard, sugarcane growers need to:
- have a farm nitrogen and phosphorus budget for the property
- ensure ground-based broadcast application of fertiliser containing nitrogen is not used
- have appropriate erosion and sediment control measures and ensure fallow blocks have surface cover
- make and keep records.
For full details of the requirements, please refer to the Agricultural Environmentally Relevant Activity standard for sugarcane cultivation 1.6 MB) and the Prescribed methodology for sugarcane cultivation 2.3 MB) .
For more guidance on how to comply, please refer to the:
- Sediment and erosion control guide 2.8 MB)
- Fertiliser placement guide 756 KB)
- Farm nitrogen and phosphorus budget guide 2.2 MB) .
Farm nitrogen and phosphorus budget
To comply with the standard, sugarcane growers must have a farm nitrogen and phosphorus budget for the property that calculates the amount of fertiliser they can apply. This includes:
- using the prescribed methodology 2.3 MB) to carry out soil tests and to calculate the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus requirements for each block each year
- adding all plant and ratoon blocks together to work out the whole of farm amount of nitrogen and phosphorus
- identifying relevant management zones and if any constraints to yield exist
- varying nitrogen and phosphorus rates across plant and ratoon blocks as long as the whole of farm amount is not exceeded for the season.
The budget must be developed prior to applying fertiliser at the start of each season.
The first farm nitrogen and phosphorus budget must be developed and verified, and then reviewed every five years, by either an appropriate person or the person carrying out sugarcane cultivation if that person is accredited under the Smartcane Best Management Practice (BMP) Program.
An appropriate person can be:
- an agronomist that has the relevant professional qualifications, training, skills or experience including the ability to assess and provide advice and analysis relevant to the farm, block and/or management zone based on protocols, standards, methods or literature
- advisers or growers who are certified under the Fertcare Accredited Advisor Program
- growers who have the obtained the appropriate skills, qualifications or experience through a training program recognised by the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation.
Recognised grower training programs for farm nutrient management are:
- Better Soils Management Course (delivered by Back Paddock)
- Six Easy Steps ® online nutrient management training (delivered by Sugar Research Australia)
- Other training or education which is mapped to the following Units of Competency from the Rural Training Package:
For practical information to help growers comply with the requirements, including who is an appropriate person, please refer to the Farm nitrogen and phosphorus budget guide 2.2 MB) and watch the following video. This video outlines the process to develop a sugarcane nitrogen and phosphorus budget as required under the Reef protection regulations and answers some commonly asked questions.
Marcus: Dom, we're here today to talk about the need for sugarcane producers to create a nitrogen and phosphorus budget for the new Reef protection regulations. Could you tell me some more about these please?
Dom: Yeah sure, Marcus. Basically, what's happened in December 2019, the Reef regulations for cane farming changed. A centrepiece of that package was a thing we call the N&P budget. Now that's for working out your nitrogen and phosphorus rates on the farm. The N&P budget is still based on the Six Easy Steps process. So, you still work out the rates per block as you would normally do. But the change now is you have a whole of farm amount. And what that does is that gives the growers some flexibility in where they place their fertiliser. The way that works is you add up all the nitrogen recommendations for all your blocks and you must not exceed that amount. What you can do though, is you if you want to trial something or if you've got a situation where you've got some irrigation on part of your farm, what you could do is you could add on a higher rate than the recommended rate in that area but that would have to be offset somewhere else on the farm, with a lower rate, ergo that the whole of farm amount is not breached.
Marcus: So, has the method for calculating nitrogen rates changed?
Dom: No, we still base it on the Six Easy Steps, as I said. And there's a regulated method which you use to base your application rates on in conjunction with soil tests that's available on our website.
Marcus: Who needs to develop the budget?
Dom: Well, the budget, really, should be put together by a suitably qualified person. By that, I mean, someone like an agronomist, someone who understands the principles and the science behind soil science, and they are able to give you the appropriate recommendation based on what the crop needs and the status of the soil in order for you to grow the best crop you can.
Marcus: How is this budget developed?
Dom: Well, you've got to start off with a farm map and a soils map. You've got to identify the constraints on the farm. These might be soil constraints. You've got to have the soil sampling results available, for your ratoons and your plant cane. And from that you use the prescribed methodology to work out the rates. And then if you want to, you can vary the rates across the farm as long as you don't exceed the whole of farm amount.
Marcus: When can growers vary their rates?
Dom: Well growers can vary their rates in conjunction with the agronomist or the suitably qualified person I mentioned before. So, the idea is, is we want to build in a bit of flexibility for the growers to be able to make decisions with regards to their cane that will improve their profitability and productivity.
Marcus: So, growers could put an extra 10 kilograms of nitrogen on one of their farms, if they and their agronomist thought that yield potential would be higher on that block?
Dom: That's fine. But what you have to do then is look for parts of the farm, where you can drop the rate. So that might be something like a bean crop. You've plant cane, with some beans on it, and you're just going to take off, a reasonably small amount from that and give it to the other area of the farm. That might not be enough, so you might look for other places where you can look for savings of nitrogen, and that could include the last ratoon that you've got going. The other thing is, is this can change at any time.
Marcus: How often do growers need to take soil samples?
Dom: Well, soil samples need to be taken prior to plant cane being established. So, it's basically what we would consider a crop cycle. That's once every five years on any particular part of the country. But if you're ratooning out further than that, that's fine. That soil sample can still be used for those older ratoons. If you need more information on soil sampling as I said before, the prescribed method for sugarcane also includes a method for soil sampling and the appropriate tests that need to be conducted and the people, the labs that you should be taking them to.
Marcus: How do growers manage their phosphorus?
Dom: There's a 10-kilo phosphorus allowance at plant. And that continues. The only thing is, is if you choose to use that allowance it can't form a part of your budget. And the other difference with phosphorus is some people apply multiple years’ worth of phosphorus to cover multiple years. Now that's fine. That can still continue, but if you choose to do that you must still make a record of those phosphorus applications but they do not form a part of the budget. If you're applying phosphorus yearly and you're doing that ala the Six Easy Steps, then you can use that in your phosphorus budget and treat it the same as nitrogen.
Marcus: What about growing another crop in rotation with cane? Do growers need to account for a legume crop in the budget?
Dom: No, they don't. They don't have to account for the nitrogen applications for any other crops whether they're legumes or corn, within the budget. The budget only applies to sugarcane because that's the science that we have available that we're able to make recommendations based on the Six Easy Steps.
Marcus: How does the nitrogen and phosphorus budget work across several farms with different ID numbers?
Dom: That's fine. So, it's just a practical rule that, just because the blocks aren't all joined together on a continuous farm, that doesn't mean it's not a farm. So that can be treated as one farm or if the grower would prefer they can treat them as separate farms.
Marcus: How long does the budget last?
Dom: So, the budget has to be updated every year. But it has to be reviewed every five years with a suitably qualified person.
Marcus: What records do growers need to keep?
Dom: So, they need to keep the records of their recommendations per block. They need to keep a record of the applications of N&P that they've made, and they need to keep a copy of their N&P budget, which can be in whatever format works for the grower and their agronomist.
Marcus: Is there a template or an example budget that growers can use?
Dom: No, we don't have a template, but what we do have is a guide that's also available on our website and that tries to run through one particular approach to keeping these records and formatting the budget because obviously you need a farm map. You'll need to distinguish the zones where you may want to change rates. But the other thing to remember, you may not want to change rates. You may want to just stick with the way you're doing it but you will still need the N&P budget completed.
Marcus: What is the verification process? And is there a form that the advisor needs to complete?
Dom: No, there's no form the advisor needs to complete but the advisor will have to sign and put their details onto the N&P budget.
Marcus: Does every farm need to complete a nitrogen and phosphorus budget? And when do growers need to do this?
Dom: Yes, they do, Marcus. Every farm will need to do one. The date at which it's enacted is the 1st of December 2021. So that would mean that the farm budget would have to be developed for that 2022 season.
Marcus: How can growers find out more?
Dom: Well, I mean, they could talk to their local agronomists, but we're keen to help out people who need that help. So, there's a website available and there's also a phone number and you can see that below. And we're more than happy to help people through this. If they need some assistance with working it out or who would be the appropriate people to talk to.
Records
Sugarcane growers must make and keep records to demonstrate activities being undertaken on the property are in accordance with the standard conditions.
For full details of these requirements, see the Agricultural Environmentally Relevant Activity standard for sugarcane cultivation 1.6 MB) .
Records can be in any format but must be made within three business days of an activity and kept for at least six years.
Records need to be made available for inspection when requested by an authorised person such as a compliance officer from the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation. These records will be assessed to determine compliance with the standard conditions.
Information collected by the Queensland Government can only be collected, stored and used in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009. You can read more about the department’s privacy responsibilities.
What do I need to do if I’m starting or expanding sugarcane growing?
Growers may need to obtain an environmental authority (permit) before starting or expanding sugarcane growing in a Reef region if the activity will be on five hectares or more of land that does not have a cropping history.
A cropping history is when the land has been used for cropping or horticultural activities in at least three out of the last 10 years. There are transitional provisions that allow some extra time to develop a cropping history for any cropping that has only started in the three years prior to 1 June 2021.
Use this handy checklist 664.5 KB) to work out if you need a permit. More information is also available in frequently asked questions 564.2 KB) .
For information on how to apply for a permit, visit new or expanding cropping.
Once you have a permit, you must comply with all the conditions on the permit. The conditions will require you to design and establish measures that minimise fine sediment and dissolved inorganic nitrogen from the new areas entering waterways. You must also comply with the Agricultural Environmental Relevant Activity standard for sugarcane cultivation 1.6 MB) .
How does compliance work?
The Queensland Government assesses compliance with the Reef protection regulations. For more information, visit compliance.
Recognised accreditation programs and acknowledged practice change projects
The Department of Environment, Science and Innovation can recognise producers who participate in programs and projects that align to, or achieve more than, the requirements in the Agricultural Environmentally Relevant Activity standard. These producers can be identified as a lower priority for compliance inspections under the Reef protection regulations.
For information on the benefits of being involved, visit recognised programs and acknowledged projects.
What other support is available?
Other programs and support tools are provided by the Australian and Queensland governments and industry organisations to help sugarcane growers identify opportunities to improve farming practices. For more information, visit land management for sugarcane farmers.
Download this webpage content as a factsheet 661.5 KB) .
View this video for an overview of the requirements for sugarcane growers:
Reef protection regulations – Sugarcane cultivation (long format)
Detailed overview of the Reef protection regulations for sugarcane growers in the Wet Tropics, Burdekin, Mackay Whitsunday, Fitzroy and Burnett Mary regions.
Reef protection regulations apply to all sugarcane growers across the Wet Tropics, Burdekin, Mackay Whitsunday, Fitzroy and Burnett Mary regions.
If you’re a grower in one of these regions, you need to comply with the regulations.
Here’s a quick run-down – but more detailed information is available online by searching ‘Reef regulations’ or calling 13 QGOV, that’s 13 74 68.
Firstly, you need to work out the maximum amount of nitrogen and phosphorus you are allowed to apply to the farm, each year.
The regulated method uses calculations based on the SIX EASY STEPS method and soil tests to make sure fertiliser application matches crop needs.
Make sure you take a representative soil test within 12 months prior to applying fertiliser to a new cane crop so you can calculate your fertiliser rates for the rest of the crop cycle.
Once you’ve worked this out, you need to develop a nitrogen and phosphorus budget covering all of your plant and ratoon blocks.
Then add all of these blocks together to create a whole-of-farm amount.
You can vary your block rates across the plant and ratoon area - just make sure you don’t exceed the whole-of-farm amount.
Under the regulations, ground-based broadcast application of nitrogen fertiliser is prohibited.
And broadcast application of phosphorus fertiliser before a plant crop must be incorporated within three days.
Secondly, you need to make sure you have measures in place to keep your soil on the farm. This includes having surface cover such as cane trash for fallow blocks.
And finally, you must keep records and key related documents
Make sure you keep records of your soil test dates and results, your fertiliser and mill mud rates, and the whole-of-farm amount from your nitrogen and phosphorus budget.
You will also need a farm and soil map and copies of soil test reports, fertiliser invoices and any soil testing or fertiliser advice received from an adviser.
Remember, you can order an information kit with guides and factsheets and find detailed information online by searching ‘Reef regulations’ or calling 13 QGOV, that’s 13 74 68.
Reef protection regulations – Sugarcane cultivation (short format)
Short video of the Reef protection regulations for sugarcane growers in the Wet Tropics, Burdekin, Mackay Whitsunday, Fitzroy and Burnett Mary regions.
Reef protection regulations apply to all sugarcane growers across the Wet Tropics, Burdekin, Mackay Whitsunday, Fitzroy and Burnett Mary regions.
If you’re a sugarcane grower in one of these regions, you need to comply with the regulations.
You can order an information kit with guides and factsheets and find detailed information online by searching ‘Reef regulations’ or calling 13 QGOV, that’s 13 74 68.