Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

The reality is that the foundation is the largest reef charity. The reality is that more than $200 million is going to improving farming practices and preventing sediment, nitrogen and pesticide run-off. The reality is that $100 million is going to the best available science. The reality is that money is going to tackling the crown-of-thorns starfish. This will create jobs in the member for Herbert's electorate. This will create jobs in the member for Flynn's electorate. This will create jobs in the member for Leichhardt's electorate. That is why the heads of the tourism bodies up in the reef area welcomed our announcement and said it underpinned regional jobs.

I remind the House that my department told me in writing that this contribution to the reef foundation would ensure that we would meet our objectives in protecting the reef, that it represented value for money and that it was consistent and compliant with our accountability act. So the Labor Party are only raising this issue because, when they were in government, they abandoned the reef.

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