Federal Government unveils plan to save the Great Barrier Reef

The Federal and Queensland Governments have jointly released the final version of the long-term plan for the Great Barrier Reef.

The Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan has been compiled to allay concerns from UNESCO over the fading health of the reef, with the organisation’s world heritage committee set to meet in June to decide whether the reef is to be listed as ‘in danger’.

The plan sets a number of targets to reduce pollution running on to the reef, including an 80% reduction in nitrogen and a 50% cut in sediment by 2025.

The final version of the strategy has been re-written to include the policies of Queensland’s new Labor government, which has pledged to ban the dumping of dredged sediment in the reef’s world heritage area and to provide $100 million over five years to improve water quality.

The report warns climate change is the biggest long-term threat facing the reef, while the immediate pressures include water quality, which has declined due to nutrient and sediment runoff from agricultural production.

Previously, a draft version of the report was criticised by some scientists as being a plan for sustainable development rather than protecting and conserving the reef.

Queensland Environment Minister Steven Miles said the new plan would help protect and save the reef.

Minister Miles said significant changes had been made and he hoped the United Nations World Heritage Committee would not go ahead changing the reef's status.

Minister Miles stated "the key commitments include the limitation on the dumping of dredge spoil from port expansions, a limitation on the number of large ports on the coastline, but also a longer term plan about addressing water quality running into the reef.”

The World Heritage Committee will decide in June whether to place the Great Barrier Reef on the ‘in danger’ list.

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