Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to talk about bringing people together, today in the Senate. Last week coral reef managers from 15 Pacific nations travelled to Cairns for an important inaugural event. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, on behalf of the Australian government, hosted the first Pacific Coral Reef Collective.

All coral reefs around the world, including our own precious Great Barrier Reef, are facing challenges from climate change. We here in Australia along with our Pacific neighbours know this better than anyone. We also know what is at stake better than most. The Pacific is home to about 27 per cent of the world's corals. They are spectacular to see, incredibly ecologically diverse and significant economic contributors for local communities. We cannot act alone to protect our reefs. Our efforts must be united, which is why the collective is so important. The collective provided an opportunity for knowledge sharing and leadership exchange between Australia and many of our Pacific neighbours. Over five days, visiting delegates also heard from a range of experts, including reef authority managers, traditional owners, scientists and industry about how we are protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

We are the best managers in the world. We have led the way on the crown-of-thorns starfish control, investing in reef restoration and adaptation programs, and we are harnessing the role of traditional owners in managing sea country. We are working hard, every day, to protect the Great Barrier Reef. I am proud of our reef managers who have had the chance to showcase their expertise at the Pacific Coral Reef Collective. Thank you to the secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program for its assistance in ensuring that the first Pacific Coral Reef Collective was a huge success.