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UNESCO wants Australian Government to improve Great Barrier Reef


Gouldian
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WHEN UNESCO officials received Australia's nomination to put the Great Barrier Reef on the World Heritage list, they had only one question, says federal Environment Minister Tony Burke. Did Australia really want to include existing industrial ports within the World Heritage area boundary? This was 1981 and Malcolm Fraser's Coalition government insisted it did. After all, what happens onshore is critically important to life on the fragile coral reef out to sea.
Today, conflict over the expansion of ports and the opening up of new areas has become the flashpoint in tensions between the Australian government and UN officials over management and preservation of what is considered to be one of the world's greatest natural wonders.
The resources boom has pushed up shipping numbers and commodity exports from Queensland and through the Great Barrier Reef area to levels that probably were never considered when the World Heritage listing was agreed.
UNESCO is using the biggest weapon at its disposal to encourage the federal and Queensland governments to improve development planning and invest more money in preservation of the reef.
If they do not, UNESCO has threatened to put the Great Barrier Reef on its "in danger" list.

"Reefs, like forests, will only be protected in long term if they are appreciated"
Dr. J.E.N. Veron
Australian Institute of Marine Science


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