A wake-up call for Australians?

The Great Barrier Reef was recently considered for a World Heritage 'in danger' listing, but was spared in 2015 by the development of the Reef 2050 Long Term Sustainability Plan. This plan includes targets to improve water quality and biodiversity in the Reef, which is considered in poor overall condition. A key criticism of the 2050 Plan by scientists was the lack of discussion and concrete action on the impacts of climate change to the Reef. In addition, a key requirement by the World Heritage Committee was that the Plan be fully implemented and adequately funded, with a progress report submitted to the Committee by Dec. 1, 2016.

Unfortunately, the health and resilience of Great Barrier Reef has continued to deteriorate. Last year the largest bleaching event on record caused massive loss of coral cover, and again this year we are in the midst of another bleaching event – unprecedented for the Great Barrier Reef.

The Reef is in poor condition, with current policy doing little to abate this decline. We wrote an article, published this month in Science about the inconsistent policies of the Queensland and Commonwealth governments, who on the one hand state their commitment to the integrity of the reef, and on the other, approve large coal mines in the same region. We suggest that an 'in danger' listing by UNESCO will be the wake-up call needed to prioritise this natural wonder over industrial development in the region.

Read more here: Australia needs a wake-up call

To have your say on the Great Barrier Reef contact the Queensland Minister for Environment - Steven Miles, or the Commonwealth Minister for Environment - Josh Frydenberg.