Thanks for protecting our reef

IF you love the reef and wish to continue to live nearby, enjoying the services and facilities that flow from being adjacent to one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, you will be reassured to know there is much cause for optimism thanks to the joint Federal and State Government Reef 2050 Plan.If you love the reef you will also be keen to know the facts regarding this Plan, rather than being swayed by the alarmist rhetoric of the extreme green fringe. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is the most reported on, most analysed and best researched World Heritage Area in the world, by a long shot.The Reef 2050 Plan builds on two years of Strategic Assessment Reports and over 6000 submissions.It draws on some of the best science in the world to set out a protection and improvement plan for each successive decade through to 2050.It addresses every risk which faces the reef and sets out the action to be taken to address those risks.The Plan is underpinned by a $2 billion investment over the next ten years, boosted by a further $100 million from the Queensland Government and $100 million from the Federal Government. It has been described by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Chairman and CEO Russell Reichelt as “the best chance for the Reef I’ve seen in my career”.Despite all this, the extreme green fringe groups scream “the Federal Government’s reef policies do not go far enough”.Of course this bunch will never be satisfied. The reef is just a pawn in their game of seeking to stop production of the commodity which powers much of our world – coal.I’m aware that a couple of these fringe groups are planning yet another stunt by putting messages in a bottle on World Heritage Day to save the reef.Perhaps these extreme greens should write a message that says “Thank you Federal Government for caring about our reef and doing more to protect it than has ever been done before.” A word of caution to those message writers, please do not throw those bottles into reef waters because this is a diverse and beautiful natural environment and we don’t want it polluted.