The Whitsundays could soon see the implementation of many conservation projects that will improve water quality and overall reef health thanks to $1 billion worth of funding for Great Barrier Reef which was announced by the federal government last week.
The funding is part of the Reef 2050 Plan and will be rolled out steadily over a nine-year period.
The announcement is extremely timely as the government are submitting a report to UNESCO this week, detailing how they will protect the Great Barrier Reef and avoid it being placed on the ‘In Danger’ list.
At the end of last year, UNESCO gave the government one last chance to avoid this categorisation and it is expected they will be sending out scientists to sit down with marine parks people in the next few months to make their decision.
Many people have called the government funding a ‘golden band-aid’ that does not address the real problem of global warming and, Tony Fontes, reef spokesperson for the Whitsunday Conservation Council agrees.
“No-one is going to say this is a bad thing – it is a very good thing!” he said.
“We have significant water quality issues here in the Whitsundays and crown of thorns is an issue, so it certainly ticks many of the boxes – but all the money in the world would not mitigate the impacts of global warming on the reef.”
Mr Fontes went on to explain that global warming is currently at 1.2 degrees and if it gets to 1.5 degrees it would be at the higher end of what the reef can tolerate.
“We have the next 10 years to do something about this and we are wasting it,” he said.
On a positive note, he recognises that the funding will definitely see the implementation of vital projects to help Natural Resource Management (NRM) groups like Reef Catchments and Land Care initiate projects that will improve the health of the reef.
“Funding will support scientists, farmers and traditional owners, backing in very latest marine science while building resilience and reducing threats from pollution in our oceans and predators such as the Crown of Thorns starfish,” said Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
“We are backing the health of the reef and the economic future of tourism operators, hospitality providers and Queensland communities that are at the heart of the reef economy.”
Diver attaching live coral fragments to Reef - just one of many projects that may get further funding. Photo by Tony Fontes
Coral bleaching
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