Queensland farmers have welcomed the Federal Government's announcement it will commit $200 million to continue the Reef Rescue program for another five years.
Since it began in 2008, the program has proved successful at reducing soil and chemical runoff into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says farmers are finding news ways of working to improve the environment and their productivity.
"Already, what we've been able to achieve under this program is the equivalent of a million wheelbarrows of stuff, of pollutants, not ending up in the Great Barrier Reef. That's a great result all round; great for the reef, great for agricultural productivity."
Ms Gillard and Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig made the announcement at a cane field outside Mackay in North Queensland, saying a recent Federal and State Government report proved Great Barrier Reef health was improving.
Reef Rescue encourages farmers to change land management practices and improve water quality by funding their projects.
Mr Ludwig says more than 3,000 farmers had benefited from the first phase of the program.
He says the $200 million announced yesterday hadn't been budgeted for, and that it's new money.
"We've made the saves and we've found the new money and put it there... so we'll be able to continue to support this fantastic program."
In the past, cane growers have been criticised for their farming practices and their contribution to pollution in the Great Barrier Reef.
Chairman of Canegrowers Mackay, Paul Schembri, says the industry is becoming more environmentally sustainable and welcomes the continuation of the program.
"The underlying principle is that of backing the judgement of a farmer; a farmer can make changes to on-farm practices, cultural practices, with financial support from government, so the model of a partnership between growers and government has worked."
He says that for every one dollar the Federal Government put towards projects, there had been a matching $1.80 from industry.
Nick Heath, the reef leader of World Wildlife Fund (WWF), says there is proof cane farmers are improving their environmental credentials, with clear scientific evidence that positive change is happening.
"Work that we're seeing here in the paddock is true innovation. We're seeing 80 per cent cut in pesticide runoff, we're seeing a 60 per cent cut in fertiliser runoff."
