‘IN DANGER’ AVOIDED, BUT REEF NOT OFF THE HOOK

LEICHHARDT MP and Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef Warren Entsch was fairly blunt in reacting to Friday night’s news that the Reef would not be placed on the World Heritage “in danger” list.

“I think it’s a strong message there for UNESCO to actually get off their arses and come to Australia and have a look themselves,” he said.

What he’s referring to there is the fact that the last time a joint World Heritage Centre and International Union for Conservation of Nature monitoring mission laid eyes on the Reef, Julia Gillard was prime minister.

Yes, it’s been nine years. They’re probably due for a visit, and they will be, because that is the wish of the World Heritage Committee.

A reactive monitoring mission will be sent out to report directly back to the committee.

That’s good news, because an Australian Institute of Marine Science report just this week found the Reef was in recovery after a decade of disturbances, “with no major pressures from heat stress or cyclones”.

The proceedings on Friday night were interesting for several reasons.

A number of countries applauded Australia’s openness with reporting on the Reef’s health, and the $3bn it was investing to help protect it.

The draft decision recommended the Reef be placed on the “in danger” list, in part because of the effect of climate change on the Reef, but also because of the failure to reach key Reef 2050 Plan targets.

That notwithstanding, on Friday night it soon became clear that Australia was going to be afforded more time. Even China, perhaps reading the room, supported a delay in the decision.

An “in danger” listing would have been disastrous for reef tourism operators.

Let’s make sure the extra time we’ve been afforded isn’t wasted.