Australia challenges UNESCO’s plan to list Reef as ‘in danger’

Australian officials say they have been left “blindsided” and will strongly oppose a draft World Heritage Committee recommendation that the Great Barrier Reef be listed as ‘in danger’.

Overnight UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee released the draft recommendation calling for more government action on climate change, in a move which could put the Reef’s World Heritage status at risk.

Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said she was stunned by a backflip on previous assurances from UN officials that the Reef would not face such a recommendation prior to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting hosted by China in July and are concerned about a deviation from normal process in assessing World Heritage Property Conservation status.

“Only a week ago we were reassured that this was not going to happen,” Minister Ley said.

“This is a complete subversion of normal process.

“This decision was flawed, clearly there was politics behind it, clearly those politic have subverted a proper process.”

Minister Ley said that the draft decision had been made on the basis of a desktop review with insufficient first-hand appreciation of the science-based strategies being jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments.

“The Great Barrier Reef is the best-managed reef in the world and this draft recommendation has been made without examining the Reef first hand, and without the latest information,” Minister Ley said.

“In a call to the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, with Foreign Minister Marise Payne overnight, I expressed Australia’s dissatisfaction with the process that is being followed.

“I agree that global climate change is the single biggest threat to the world’s reefs, but it is wrong, in our view, to single out the best-managed reef in the world for an ‘in danger’ listing.

“The reef is an icon internationally and we are here to fight for the reef, and we are here to challenge the decision when it comes up for final consideration in the world heritage committee in about the third week of July.”

Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef and Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch said he was astounded when he got the news.

“I have been doing six-monthly reports on the condition of the reef and the reports that I have been submitting have been from information provided from the Australian Marine Institute and CSIRO, both recognised as the best authorities in this area.”

Mr Entsch said a huge amount of work has been ongoing into reef protection.

“They (UNESCO report) haven’t talked about all the investments we have put into the reef or the work that is being done there.

“If they really want to make an accurate assumption, I would invite them to get off their bums, get out of their air-condition officers in Europe and come across here and actually put their heads under the water and see for themselves.”

Chairman of Tourism Port Douglas and Daintree, Cam Charlton said this sort of commentary was not helpful to the overall discussion of the reef or for tourism.

“The reef is an enormous creature comprised of a vast array of components,” he said.

“No one is denying that coral bleaching has occurred and damaged some parts of the reef, but it is inappropriate to comment saying the entire reef has been damaged, that is not the case.”

“Not Surprised”

Dr Dean Miller from GBR Legacy in Port Douglas says we should not be surprised.

“This comes on the back of three mass bleaching in the last five years,” he said.

“It comes on the back of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s outlook report which listed the Great Barrier Reef’s health as very poor.

“These are all real indications on what is happening with the reef’s health.”

Dr Miller said this draft recommendation is UNESCO saying to the Australian Government “that you are not acting quick enough on climate change and because of this inaction the Great Barrier Reef is in danger of being lost.

“I think this is a true reflection on Australia’s stance on climate change and our lack of leadership in the race to renewables.

“We are now in a scenario where you can’t have coal and coral.

“We need to decide which we are going to support and go for, and I hope this is an opportunity for Australia to open its eyes and say we want coral.

“As a community, Port Douglas bats well above its average in terms of trying to do positive things, we have GBR Legacy, we have a lot of tourism operators that are really involved in reef restoration and monitoring and the community is very engaged in looking after the reef.

“We know everything about the reef is everything about us, so I think this potential new listing and a threat to take away the World Heritage status is going to impact tourism if it goes ahead.

“We shouldn’t look at this decision as a reflection on what we do on the ground in Port Douglas each and every day but a reflection on the overall leadership of this country and its inaction on climate change,” he said.