The Environment Minister has taken a jab at the United Nations' environmental body over its warning it may list the Great Barrier Reef as "in danger", at the same time as the federal government has announced $1 billion in new money for the reef.
The government is committing an extra $1 billion to improving water quality, reef management and research, as it seeks to avoid a ruling that the future of the reef is under threat.
Environment Minister Sussan Ley, who successfully held off UNESCO from deeming the reef "in danger" last year, hinted that the body was ignorant in making the warning.
"You can see the reef from outer space, but not from an office in Paris," Ms Ley said.
"The point I made when I visited European world heritage ambassadors last year is, 'Come and have a look.'"
The government hopes the new funding will help protect more than 64,000 jobs and $6.4 billion in tourism dollars attached to the reef economy.
More than half of the funding will go towards improving water quality through remediating erosion, improving land condition and reducing nutrient and pesticide run-off.
Ms Ley said the $1 billion package would be managed by her department and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and would be delivered through local communities and industries, including traditional owners.
"Our farmers, tourism operators and fishers are our reef champions and we are supporting them through practical water and land-based strategies that will contribute significantly to the health of the reef," Ms Ley said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Brisbane radio station 4BC the additional funding would not just protect the reef but also the livelihoods of tourism businesses that rely on it.
"There's 64,000 jobs that are dependent on that reef and so its health is about the economic health of that region as well as the natural health of that region," he said.
Government accused of too little, too late
The federal government has faced calls to increase its efforts to preserve the Great Barrier Reef, since UNESCO warned last year it intended to list the reef as "in danger".
The government successfully staved off an immediate listing, but the reef still faces the prospect of being listed as "in danger".
The World Heritage Committee has asked UNESCO to undertake a monitoring mission but Ms Ley said they have not yet visited Australia.
"I've written to UNESCO. I've invited the reactive monitoring mission to come and look forward to further correspondence indicating that they will visit," she told the ABC.
"I look forward to the reactive monitoring mission coming to Australia and seeing for themselves how our reef communities are working hard [and] are practising the strongest possible reef management."
The federal government was also required to submit a report to UNESCO by next month that outlines how it is protecting the reef and, Ms Ley said, the report was on track to be sent soon.
Shadow Environment Minister Terri Butler said the government had waited too long to act on the reef.
"It shouldn't take five minutes to midnight, an election campaign and a UNESCO report to get this government to act on the reef, and frankly they need to do more on climate change," Ms Butler said.
"Australians are going to judge this government on what they have done over the past decade, not what they say they are going to do in a decade's time."
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's chair has previously warned the health of the reef will continue to deteriorate without climate action.
Greens senator Larissa Waters said the "belated cash splash" was a distraction from the government's inaction on climate change.
"Climate policy is the most important factor in saving the reef, and the government's policy is crap," Senator Waters said.
Liberal senator Gerard Rennick, a climate sceptic who has been withholding his vote in a bid to pressure his own party to force states to drop vaccine mandates, has also criticised the funding announcement.
"It’s unnecessary funding and this money could be prioritised elsewhere at a time when the nation has more critical issues to address, such as infrastructure spending and rural health," Senator Rennick said.
"Where is the data that justifies spending it beyond appeasing the United Nations?"
A study by James Cook University in 2020 found the Great Barrier Reef had lost more than half its corals since 1995.
Mr Morrison said the Great Barrier Reef was "the best-managed reef in the world", and the new funding was on top of $2 billion already invested in its sustainability plan.
"We are backing the health of the reef and the economic future of tourism operators, hospitality providers and Queensland communities [who] are at the heart of the reef economy," Mr Morrison said.
The government said it would direct scientific research funding to projects such as coral seeding, reef stabilisation, the development of heat-resistant coral and climate adaptation work with turtles and other marine species.
