E&OE….
Topics: Great Barrier Reef
LINDSAY WEBB: The Queensland Environment Minister Steven Miles and the Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt have been in Bonn, Germany putting forward the case not to list the Great Barrier Reef on the endangered list. The decision is being handed down tonight and on the phone from Bonn is the Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt. Good evening Minister, what's the outcome.
GREG HUNT:
Look it's a tremendous outcome for Australia and for Queensland. The World Heritage Committee which comprises 21 members has unanimously and overwhelmingly not just rejected an ‘in danger’ listing but praised Australia. It was an extraordinary thing to see 21 countries take the floor.
Some of the old hands had said they'd not seen anything like this and each one of the 21 countries not only endorsed the decision to reject an ‘in danger’ listing but praised Australia and most importantly the German chair of the convention said that Australia had become a role model through what it's done on the Barrier Reef for the rest of the world and so I think that's extremely important. Queenslanders, Australians can be really proud of what we've done on the Reef.
A unanimous decision, overwhelming support, 21 countries taking to the floor, every member of the committee saying that Australia's making enormous strides and the world should look to how Australia's managing the Reef.
LINDSAY WEBB:
Now it certainly is a fantastic outcome, was there praise for the 2050 Reef Protection Plan? Is that where the praise came from?
GREG HUNT:
Look it was a series of matters. It was first and foremost the decision to end the disposal of dredge material in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area. It was the Reef 2050 Plan and it was the additional $200 million of water quality funding that builds on the $2 billion over the next ten years that's already in place. So those three things together seemed to comprise the heart of it.
But then underpinning it was this sense that Australia had responded to the World Heritage Committee in a way which was deeply engaged and forward thinking and looking at the future and what delighted them at a time when the world has big challenges, here was a country saying we'll work with you, we'll work with all the different elements of society and produce a real outcome backed already by big significant outcomes in water quality, sediment, nitrogen, pesticide runoff so the world was just very happy and it's a good moment for Australia.
LINDSAY WEBB:
Minister you've also announced an $8 million enhanced Reef monitoring programme. How does that work?
GREG HUNT:
So what we have is $8 million that will be used by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to improve monitoring of water quality which is exactly what the Queensland Auditor-General called for only a few weeks ago and that means that there'll be more physical testing on a permanent basis in places such as the Burdekin, the Whitsundays, the Fitzroy Delta, the Wet Tropics.
So monitoring up and down the Reef, filling in some of the historic gaps and then providing a very, very strong baseline to ensure that we don't go backwards, we just go forwards in terms of improving the health of the Reef.
LINDSAY WEBB:
Now I heard that you only had one minute to get your word across and to put your case forward. Is that true?
GREG HUNT:
It was a little bit better than that in the end, there was two minutes for the Federal Government and two minutes for the State Government but that's the same rule that applies to everybody.
LINDSAY WEBB:
How do you get your point across in that short amount of time?
GREG HUNT:
Briefly and efficiently.
LINDSAY WEBB:
What a great answer too.
GREG HUNT:
I suspect that some of your listeners would say we'd be delighted to hear elected representatives be so brief and so efficient so they may be some rules that we can import.
LINDSAY WEBB:
Perhaps we can use this two minute rule all the time for politicians when they're answering questions. Tell me Minister, were they a tough crowd?
GREG HUNT:
Look a year ago they were. I wasn't at what was the equivalent conference the Doha conference a year ago but I've really sort of taken up the cudgels and what mattered to them the most was not just the commitment in terms of intent but the physical work that we're doing.
So stories such as the fact that we've just announced over 20 Green Army teams of young Queenslanders to be in the field working on reef water quality and related matters up and down the coast, that struck a huge resonance with – whether it was Ambassadors from Columbia or Peru, Germany, or Croatia, from Japan and Korea. They cared about the physical action and that was really heartening because it wasn't just symbolism, it's practical thing that improve the health of the water and that's frankly my passion.
LINDSAY WEBB:
Well I think it's fantastic news from UNESCO and it really is great news for the Reef and flow-on should be great for news for Queensland tourism, yes?
GREG HUNT:
Well I actually think this is extremely important it says to the world that this is not just Australia's greatest natural icon but it is still the world's Great Barrier Reef and come and visit and we are unashamedly – I have to say the Queensland Ministers and myself are unashamedly encouraging the world to come to Australia more generally but to the Barrier Reef and Queensland specifically.
LINDSAY WEBB:
Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt I appreciate you calling the ABC from Bonn this evening to give us the great news on the Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy the rest of the trip.
GREG HUNT:
Cheers – an absolute pleasure.
LINDSAY WEBB:
Well that is fantastic news for the Great Barrier Reef. It is not listed as ‘in-danger’ as outcome from UNESCO and thanks to the federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt for letting us know.
(ENDS)