Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Whish-Wilson, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) there has been mass bleaching of Great Barrier Reef coral from abnormally warm water temperatures in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2016 and 2017,

  (ii) the 2016 event led to a mortality rate of 67% across the northern section of the reef, and 29 5 across the entire reef,

  (iii) while the final figures for the 2017 event are still being tallied, it is likely that the combined mortality for the 2016 and 2017 events will be approximately 50% across the entire reef,

  (iv) the Government’s Great Barrier Reef 2050 plan does not set specific climate targets despite climate change being the greatest threat to the reef,

  (v) the Queensland Government’s Reef Water Quality Independent Science Panel’s 2017 Consensus Statement explained that key ecosystems continue to be in poor condition and that current initiatives will not meet water quality targets,

  (vi) the Independent Science Panel also made a separate statement that the 2016 and 2017 bleaching events are likely to be unprecedented in human history and that, to protect the reef, global average temperature rises would need to be limited to 1.2° celsius;

(b) calls on all senators and members to visit the reef to see first-hand the mass coral bleaching being caused by climate change; and

(c) calls on the Government to:

  (i) set specific climate objectives in the Reef 2050 plan, and

  (ii) increase resourcing to the land use and water quality measures in the Reef 2050 plan.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian and Queensland governments agreed at the recent Great Barrier Reef Ministerial Forum to bring forward a planned update to the Reef 2050 Plan. The Australian government is strongly committed to boosting the health and resilience of the reef through the Reef 2050 Plan. Our projections show that both governments will invest more than $2 billion in protecting the reef over a decade, including through key measures such as improving water quality and by culling crown-of-thorns starfish. In July 2017, UNESCO praised Australia's work in implementing the Reef 2050 Plan.

Question agreed to.