E&OE….
Topics: Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO, Crown of Thorns, runoff
MURRAY JONES:
Let's- actually I think we're going to Brisbane, we've got Greg Hunt, Greg Hunt Federal Environment Minister on line. Good morning Greg, how are you this morning?
GREG HUNT:
I'm well, good morning Murray. I apologise for any noise in the background we're just at Brisbane Airport just about to …
MURRAY JONES:
I thought you might have been Brisbane.
GREG HUNT:
… come up to Cairns.
MURRAY JONES:
Wonderful. Now we've heard a lot about your trip to Cairns. Now I guess we're very keen to find out a little bit more. We're talking about some fairly big spending here, a $32 million research hub with 24 innovative research projects to be carried out by the Federal Government. I know you haven't got much time, but if you could encapsulate what we're looking for, and I guess the purpose of your trip here to Cairns today.
GREG HUNT:
So Warren Entsch has invited me up. Cairns will be the centre of a world-leading tropical water quality hub. That will be James Cook University, the Reef and Rainforest Research cooperative; these things together will be about water quality for the reef, eradicating the crown of thorns, making it really resilient. We've seen a turnaround in reef health – it's not as good as it should be but it's better than it would otherwise have been. And now we're also announcing today $2.5 million to dramatically reduce runoff from the Burdekin area. So these things together are absolutely fundamental. They're helping the reef, and it's something that Warren's been driving and Cairns will be the centre of reef health research, and from there we go to management.
MURRAY JONES:
Now has there been a bit of a set-back, because we managed to get through with UNESCO recently and some of the concerns that were raised there; these further concerns, I mean, is it a worry? Is it something that's come up that may cause us I guess a bit of a trip-up, some issues in the near future?
GREG HUNT:
No, this is a very honest report card, which is exactly the sort of thing which was before UNESCO. The figures are better than they were then, better than I had expected, but still not as good. So we start from a situation where we have the world's best managed reef according to the global umpire, we have the world's greatest reef, but the in-shore areas have challenges and issues. So those things do need to be improved, and that's what we're doing. But the RRRC, the James Cook University research, this is about eradicating crown of thorns, and most importantly reducing runoff that comes into the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon. And if we can do that, we can improve the health. At the end of the day the secret to the reef is clean water. It's not too complex. It's difficult, but clean water is the heart of everything and that in turn reduces the breeding opportunities for the crown of thorns.
MURRAY JONES:
Well, look, I know you've only got a few minutes so just before you go – I guess, what does this mean for Cairns? I'm sure you will have spoken to my colleague John MacKenzie on a few occasions about the wish to- or at least widen and deepen our current port here. Has this latest report impacted on our prospects of avoiding- well, sorry, possibly having Cairns listed as a priority port at some stage down the track, as it's currently going through the state government?
GREG HUNT:
Well, look, obviously that's a matter for the state. Our agreement with the UN was to have a limited number of priority ports. But what is very possible is sustainable tourism, which I think is what everybody wants…
MURRAY JONES:
[Interrupts] Sure.
GREG HUNT:
…people are looking at Cairns as a tourism hub. And that where there is any dredging required, it's not disposal(*) in the marine park or the World Heritage Area. Now, that I think is consistent with what Warren Entsch has spoken to me about and my understanding of what may well be the final proposal by Queensland and the relevant port authorities.
MURRAY JONES:
Okay, well, look, thank you so much for your time this morning. And, look, enjoy your trip to Cairns. But I guess the important thing is focusing on the ability of what we can do to maintain and keep our waters clean here in the Tropical North. Have a fantastic trip.
GREG HUNT:
I think- the really- the really big point here is the world's umpire says this is the world's best reef…
MURRAY JONES:
[Interrupts] yep.
GREG HUNT:
…and the world's best managed reef. Yes, there are challenges as there are with every reef. But we're doing more, we're improving, and at the end of the day in 50, in 100 and 200 years from now the Great Barrier Reef will still be the world's Great Barrier Reef. And in my view, it will be better and more healthy than it is even today.
MURRAY JONES:
Let's hope that's the case. I think ‘hear hear’ from many corners. Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt, thank you so much for your time, and enjoy your time in the Tropical North today.
GREG HUNT:
Thanks a lot.
(ENDS)