Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

In addition to the action that Australia has taken on emissions reduction and that we continue to take in collaboration with the rest of the world, we have absolutely acted to invest through our reef plans, in collaboration with the Queensland government, to tackle other threats and challenges to the Great Barrier Reef. We know that sedimentary run-off can and does have a real impact in relation to water quality in the reef, and that's why we've invested in a range of different practical initiatives to be able to support and improve that water quality in the reef, to tackle practical issues like the crown-of-thorns starfish and to ensure that works to minimise and eradicate the impact of crown-of-thorns continue as a result of the types of investments made by our government across a range of different mechanisms to support the reef's health and to ensure it continues to be a crucial asset for Australia and our ecology.