Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Senator Cormann. Minister, Australians love their oceans, especially their Barrier Reef. Yesterday key US science organisation NOAA put out their prediction for the Great Barrier Reef: there's a 90 per cent chance of coral bleaching by mid-March. This would be the third coral bleaching event in just five years. Minister, I presume the government is watching this closely. Are you concerned? Can you update the chamber on what your observations are and what the prognosis would be for the reef if a third mass coral bleaching were to occur?