Damning Reef report sparks war of words
BARBS are flying in a political slanging match following the release of a damning report downgrading the Great Barrier Reef’s long-term viability to “very poor”.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s new outlook report paints a dreary picture of the natural wonder’s future, warning co-ordinated action on climate change, water quality and Reef management is crucial to turning back the tide.
Labor’s Cairns-based Senator Nita Green has criticised Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch for being mute on the findings despite his position as the government’s special envoy to the Great Barrier Reef.
“Mr Entsch’s silence on the report shows he is a protector of the Great Barrier Reef in name only,” Senator Green said.
“It’s a fancy title but he’s shown he’s not up to the task of protecting the jobs that rely on the Reef.”
Senator Green poured scorn on Mr Entsch for media comments that “we don’t need to save the Reef”.
“This sort of anti-science, head-in-the-sand dismissiveness from Mr Entsch will hurt Far North Queensland communities and regional economies, and impact on longterm job security,” she said.
Mr Entsch hit back, saying he had not finished reading the rigorous 400-page document – and he doubted his Opposition critic had either.
“We are putting more than double the per-capita investment into climate change initiatives than countries like the UK, France and Germany,” he said. “And we don’t have the option of nuclear to accelerate the process like those countries have.
“Of course we’ve got to get out of fossil fuel. There’s no question about that and the sooner it happens the better. But we have to do it in a way that is economically viable.
“If we were to shut down all these power stations tomorrow, or in six, eight or 10 years’ time, I suspect these same people would be rattling our doors after we were forced to shut down schools and hospitals because we’ve lost our baseload power supply.”
Mr Entsch defended his Reef special envoy appointment, saying it would allow him to work with high-profile individuals and companies to encourage them to contribute to the Reef health effort, institute a national plastics policy, and “deal with the facts rather than this ongoing doom and gloom”.
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