Outrage at $ 80m reef funding up in smoke

FEDERAL Member for Herbert Cathy O’Toole has slammed the projected $ 80 million the Great Barrier Reef Foundation intends on spending on administration fees.

The Great Barrier Reef Foundation, based in Brisbane, was this year given a $ 444 million donation by the Federal Government without going through a tender process, which then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull defended.

The foundation claims 20 per cent of fees would go towards administration and fundraising costs while the rest would go towards reef protection projects.

“Quite frankly it’s outrageous that it will be going towards administrative fees,” Ms O’Toole said. “The administrative fees are outrageous.”

During Question Time on Thursday, Ms O’Toole asked Environment Minister Melissa Price why the foundation was allowed to spend so much on administration fees.

Ms Price said the foundation could use 5 per cent of the grant and interest earned by the grant as well as enter other sub- contracts.

Ms O’Toole said the fees would have been better spent by other scientific organisations including the CSIRO, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the Australian Institute of Marine Science or James Cook University.

“That could have created more jobs in Townsville,” Ms O’Toole said.

“If Labor is elected next year we will be taking back the money. They’ve ( the Great Barrier Foundation) been put on notice.

“I believe the money should have gone through a competitive tender.”