Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Whish-Wilson for his question and his interest in this issue. Of course, it is important, as Senator Canavan rightly highlighted yesterday, that we take issues in relation to the Great Barrier Reef incredibly seriously, as we do, but also that we do not engage in scaremongering or excessive embellishment when it comes to issues in relation to the reef that could in fact further damage industry, business and operators up there unnecessarily. The effects of the 2016 and 2017 coral-bleaching events are of deep concern to our government. They emphasise and are the reason for the importance of our joint efforts to build resilience through the Reef 2050 Plan and ongoing management by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

The article released in Nature on 16 March 2016 highlights that local management of fisheries and water quality offers little resistance to bleaching but may improve prospects for recovery. It is also likely that other ecosystems and species within the World Heritage area, like seagrasses and mangroves, are critically supported by such policy measures. We of course are determined and committed to working on the delivery of our Reef 2050 Plan—