Glenn Lazarus (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that ReefBlitz is an important initiative providing an opportunity to discover, identify and record the plants and animals living in and around the Great Barrier Reef that will take place in Townsville, Queensland, on 16 October and 17 October 2015;

(b) acknowledges the valuable contribution of ReefBlitz in educating the community and promoting the unique marine environment in the Great Barrier Reef, and also in generating tourism in north Queensland;

(c) commends the sponsors, organisers, participants, and the numerous volunteers who enable ReefBlitz to take place each year; and

(d) calls on the Government to recognise the importance of ecological sustainability in and around the Great Barrier Reef and other protected marine areas in and around Australia.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government supports this motion, welcomes community-driven initiatives such as ReefBlitz and is proud to be participating and working alongside this event through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. The coalition is investing, along with the Queensland government, a projected $2 billion in the reef over the next 10 years to protect this magnificent World Heritage icon. The coalition's Reef Trust is providing $700,000 for marine debris clean-up all along the Great Barrier Reef coast. Further, through the National Environmental Science Program, the government is committing funding to applied research that will greatly improve our knowledge of species, water quality and reef resilience for the future. We are immensely pleased that the World Heritage Committee has praised Australia for its exemplary efforts to protect Australia's Great Barrier Reef, and we encourage people to participate in this great event, which will make a real and practical difference to protecting our reef.

Question agreed to.