It is more than 20 years since the first review of the influence of land-based pollutants on the Great Barrier Reef by an independent panel of experts was carried out (2002). The first formal Scientific Consensus Statement was produced in 2008. Each update builds on earlier Statements to get a more complete picture about water quality linked to ecosystem condition and management options for the Great Barrier Reef. Policymakers use it as a key evidence-based document when they are making decisions about managing Great Barrier Reef water quality.