Spoils of war

The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for the Environment, has issued orders for the creation of regulations for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to put an end to the dumping of capital dredge material in the Marine Park once and for all.

"This fulfils the historic pledge I made in November 2014 at the World Parks Congress, and meets the important commitment we made to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee," MP Hunt said.

"We are ending a century-old practice of dumping in the Marine Park that was fully embraced by Labor Governments at Federal and State level. Labor had the chance to do this but did nothing.

"We inherited five major proposals from Labor to dispose of dredge spoil in the Marine Park. We have reduced this to zero and are now taking the next step to enshrine a ban in law," MP Hunt said.

NEW SPOIL REGS
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Regulations 1983 will be amended to implement the ban. This is a significant step towards improving and protecting the Marine Park for current and future generations.

MP Hunt went on to say Australians are proud of the reef and it remains one of the great natural wonders of the world.? The Government has now finalised its response to the World Heritage Committee (WHC) with a strong defence of the management of the Great Barrier Reef and concluding that it should not be listed as in danger.

FOREIGN PRESSURES
At the time of writing, MP Hunt was about to travel to Europe to consult on the Long-Term Sustainability Plan requested by WHC and State Party Report. He said he will be highlighting the significant progress made by the Federal Government in responding to challenges facing the Reef since the World Heritage Committee first put it on watch under the previous Labor Government in 2011.

"We inherited this warning from the World Heritage Committee and we have responded with rigour and passion to protect this icon for which Australians should be rightly proud of.

"We have had to take strong decisions — including banning of capital dredge disposal in the Marine Park — in light of the inactivity by the previous Labor Government," MP Hunt said.

BARRIER REEF PROTECTION
Over the next decade, the Federal and Queensland governments will invest around $2 billion to protect the reef, including a new $40 million Reef Trust to target the priority issues such as reducing nutrient and sediment runoff and targeting the destructive crown-of-thorns starfish.

Climate change, nutrient run-off from land and crown-of-thorns starfish are all challenges facing the reef and the Government says it is  taking action to tackle them all.

MP Hunt claims water quality is improving, the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish are being targeted and culled, and we have better and stricter management regimes for shipping and developments, including ports.

"We’re investing $2.55 billion to tackle climate change by cutting Australia’s domestic emissions. It’s a significant commitment and a sign of how seriously we take the issue.

"We are investing more, taking stronger practical action and putting in place greater legal protections than any government before us to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

"We are determined to protect and manage the Great Barrier Reef not just for the coming decades, but for coming centuries," announced MP Hunt.

Opening photo (cropped) from Lady Elliot Island of schooling big-eye trevally courtesy of Catlin Seaview Survey; second photo Greenpeace campaign.