Let’s promote Reef wonders

THE idea that taxpayers should subsidise trips to the Great Barrier Reef for every school kid in Australia is either a genius suggestion, or merely a pipedream.

Unfortunately, on face value, it seems like the latter.

Many school kids – mostly those living in southern states – have had to suffer through the boredom of a trip to Canberra at some stage of their lives.

Through subsidised excursions, teachers and students traipse through the halls of Parliament House – both old and new – explaining the minutiae of government and politics.

If they’re lucky, they also get to visit the Australian War Memorial.

The proposition of a school excursion to the Great Barrier Reef would be much more exciting for your average school kid, and it would actually do far more to benefit Australia, in terms of propping up Queensland’s tourism industry and equipping the youngest generation with the knowledge about why protecting one of the world’s natural wonders is so important.

Except, this school trip scheme will ultimately be too bloody expensive.

The biggest problem with Tourism Tropical North Queensland’s proposal is that the Great Barrier Reef is not close to a major metropolitan city.

The Reef closest to Brisbane hardly compares to the marine habitat easily accessible in Far North Queensland.

Canberra was designed to be the nation’s capital because it was equidistant between Sydney and Melbourne. The best way to get southern school students up here, is keep pumping money into promoting the wonders of the Reef.

Daniel Bateman daniel.bateman@news.com.au