PM says Reef doom talk risking millions
PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull has slammed Great Barrier Reef “doomsayers” who undermine scientists and risk millions of tourism dollars.
Mr Turnbull was in Townsville to announce a $ 60 million investment for the viability of the Reef, which supports 64,000 jobs and injects $ 6.4 billion a year into the economy.
He said he was confident “science will provide the answers” after two coral bleaching events in consecutive years.
“People who are excessively pessimistic, that poses a real danger because it undermines the popular support for the efforts that are being undertaken here, and of course undermines the whole reef economy,” Mr Turnbull said.
“We’re focusing very much on the challenges that climate change poses to the Reef.”
The funding is designed to tackle the crown- of- thorns starfish, agricultural run- off to the Reef and coral bleaching.
Mr Turnbull said green groups who believed the pro- posed Carmichael coal mine would harm the Reef should understand the two issues were “not directly connected”.
“If the Adani project were not to go ahead, the coal that it would send to India would be sourced somewhere else,” he said. “The coal will still be burned in India, so that’s the important thing.
“It’s important to remember that Australian coal … is cleaner than many other sources of coal around the world, so the reason why Indian generators have sought to buy coal from Australia is because of its qual- ity and because it produces less pollution.”
Opposition environment spokesman Tony Burke said the additional resources to help the Reef were welcome but Mr Turnbull needed to “get serious” about climate change.
“Without proper action on climate change, it’s clear this Government has given up on the Reef,” he said.
Mr Turnbull rejected the Opposition’s claims Australia’s carbon pollution was rising.
“We’re making strong progress here in Australia, our emis- sions profile is reducing, both absolutely and of course by head of population … it’s come down dramatically,” he said.
CSIRO executive director Dr Peter Mayfield said the new funding would safeguard the Reef as ocean temperatures rose.
“We’re working in a context where the time frame for addressing climate change is very long and it’s a global issue, so we’re working on the basis that there will be temperature rise and trying to work out what are the best options in place to deal with that,” he said.