Campaign Statement
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Water Mark Butler
LABOR SECURES THE FUTURE OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
The World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia’s greatest natural
icons.
It is home to the world’s largest collection of corals, more than 1,500 species of
tropical fish and is the natural habitat for several endangered species, including the
Dugong and Green Sea Turtle.
Federal Labor recognises that we have a responsibility to manage this significant
natural wonder.
We understand that in addition to being one of our most important environmental
assets, it also has valuable economic opportunities for the region. We believe that
we can achieve both improved environmental and economic outcomes by taking a
strategic and long term perspective.
The Great Barrier Reef and its adjoining catchments provide significant economic
benefits to Far North Queensland – and the nation – supporting a range of our local
industries, including tourism, agriculture, fishing, mining and shipping.
The Reef is also one of our most valuable environmental and tourism assets. The
Reef’s natural beauty attracts around 2 million visitors every year, generating more
than $6 billion in revenue for our economy and supporting 120,000 Australian jobs –
jobs that depend on the future health of the Reef.
Australia is recognised internationally for its best practice in managing and protecting
the reef, and we will continue to work with industry, landholders, Traditional Owners,
natural resource management bodies, community groups, the tourism industry and
the Queensland Government to help preserve this natural icon.
World heritage listing
In 1981, the Reef was listed by UNESCO as Australia’s first World Heritage Area as
a result of its outstanding universal value and in recognition of it being one of the
most remarkable places on earth. The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area is
unmatched in its biological diversity by any other world heritage area, and is home to
the world’s most extensive and diverse coral reef system.
The management and protection of the Great Barrier Reef is a top priority of the
Rudd Labor Government. Australia is recognised internationally for its best practice
in managing and protecting the Reef. Due to a number of threats impacting the
Reef’s health including climate change, warmer sea waters and extreme weather
events, the World Heritage Committee made a decision to review the state of
conservation of the Reef.
Threats to the Reef
Over the past 100 years, the cumulative impact of climate change including the
frequency and intensity of extreme weather events have contributed to significant
degradation in the quality of water runoff entering the Reef lagoon. In addition there
has been increased industrial development, shipping and dredging activities which
also impact on the health of the reef.
Water runoff from agricultural land remains the largest contributor to poor water
quality in the lagoon, suffering from an increase in sediment, nutrients and
pesticides. This has had a detrimental effect on the marine ecosystems within the
Great Barrier Reef and made improving water quality a major task that will take
considerable time and effort.
The degradation in water runoff quality and an increase in nitrogen levels in the
waters surrounding the Reef have been linked to outbreaks of crown of thorns
starfish, one of the most significant threats to the reef. While natural to the reef,
when uncontrolled in number the crown of thorns starfish will destroy coral faster
than it can regenerate and has accounted for 42 per cent of coral cover decline on
the Great Barrier Reef over the past 27 years.
It is critical that we improve our planning and management of commercial activities
and continue the momentum to secure the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef and
improve its outstanding universal value.
Only Federal Labor will deliver the strong, sensible and positive action that’s
necessary to reduce carbon pollution, tackle global warming and protect our
environmental resources, most importantly the Great Barrier Reef and the livelihoods
that depend on it.
Plans and Monitoring
In July, Federal Labor released the 2013 Reef Water Quality Protection Plan, the
2011 Great Barrier Reef Report Card. These reports are a significant plank in our
concerted effort to plan, act and monitor the health of the Reef. We have set
ambitious but achievable targets for improving water quality and land management
practices.
The findings of these reports mean we can move forward knowing that the actions
we are, and will continue to, undertake make a positive difference to the health of the
reef and will help preserve it for future generations to enjoy.
A more targeted approach will be taken over the next five years with one of the most
critical priorities being reducing nutrient and sediment runoff in the Wet Tropics and
Burdekin catchments.
A Strategic Assessment of the Reef
Federal Labor has been working with the World Heritage Committee to address
these growing pressures on the Reef.
Federal Labor has initiated a comprehensive strategic assessment to ensure the
continued long term protection of the unique environmental and heritage values of
the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
This comprehensive assessment is looking at development activities associated with
port expansion including the issues of dredging and dumping. The work is being
undertaken in conjunction with the Queensland Government and the Great Barrier
Reef Marine Park Authority. Federal Labor is committed to ensuring development
within and adjacent to the World Heritage Area is appropriate and sustainable over
the long term.
As part of the Strategic Assessment a comprehensive series of reports have been
commissioned and recently received.
The reports cover a broad range of issues pertinent to the Great Barrier Reef
including; Outstanding Universal Value, economic contribution, anchorage impacts
and proposed management strategies; best practice port development; improved
dredge material management; coastal ecosystems assessment; cumulative impact
assessments; shipping management and an Independent review of the management
arrangements for Gladstone Harbour.
Our significant funding for the Reef
Federal Labor has significantly improved the quality of water entering the Reef
lagoon and also to control the number and spread of the crown of thorns starfish.
The Rudd Labor Government’s Reef Rescue program provides for projects that
improve land management practices, restore wetlands and biodiversity, and improve
the quality of water flowing into the reef. Reef Rescue is part of the Federal Labor's
$2 billion Caring for our Country initiative, which supports volunteers, farmers and
community groups to make a real difference to their local environment.
The first phase of Reef Rescue (2008–13) involved over 3,400 land managers
across 8.13 million hectares in protection of the Reef. This included more than 2,300
farmers who improved fertiliser, pesticide and soil management and more than 1,100
pastoralists who improved groundcover management across more than seven million
hectares of land.
Federal Labor has extended Reef Rescue for a further five years until 2018 with
additional funding of $200 million, to support Queensland farmers, agricultural,
tourism and fishing industries, and local communities, researchers and conservation
groups, to protect the Reef.
This funding for projects to protect the Great Barrier Reef is part of the single largest
commitment ever made to address threats to the World Heritage Area.
More than 100,000 crown of thorns starfish have been culled thanks to Federal
Labor’s support for projects to remove this threat and protect precious coral on the
Great Barrier Reef.
Additional investments to protect the Reef
A re-elected Rudd Labor Government will commit an additional $12.6 million over
two years to improve the health of the Reef:

$5 million will be provided to improve water quality in Cairns in the Wet
Tropics. This funding will complement the ongoing review and refinement of
priorities for improved water quality, one of the most critical of which is
reducing nutrient runoff in the Wet Tropics catchments.

$3.6 million over two years will be for the Wet Tropics and Burdekin Natural
Resources Management (NRM) bodies to focus on local water quality
improvements through wetland restoration.

$4 million over two years to support a dedicated boat and crew from the
Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators to further its crown of thorns
culling program, with oversight from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Authority.
Federal Labor is committed to protecting the Reef and the jobs it supports, which is
why we are:

Taking action to address climate change and further damage to the reef, by
cutting carbon pollution.

Undertaking a Comprehensive Strategic Assessment of the Great Barrier
Reef.

Targeting remediation activities in the Wet Tropics and the Burdekin.

Monitoring water quality and the Reef Plan.

Investing heavily in Caring for our Country and Reef Rescue programs.
BRISBANE
3 SEPTEMBER 2013