Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

Thanks, Mr President. Indeed, as I was saying, the government is committed to delivering its Reef 2050 Plan to help address many of these issues. I can inform Senator Whish-Wilson that results from the second round of surveys conducted in October-November 2016 are still being analysed. In general, they are consistent with the findings presented in the interim report.

Based on reports and surveys to date, mass coral bleaching has occurred in the Great Barrier Reef for the second consecutive year. Bleaching is consistent with the accumulated build-up of thermal stress across the reef, shown in the Bureau of Meteorology's thermal stress mapping tools. Senator Whish-Wilson, as I said, the advice I have is that in general they are consistent with findings presented in the interim— (Time expired)