Major parties’ climate apathy will leave our reef ‘in danger’   
2025-05-30
greens.org.au
The Australian Greens echo the calls from the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for the Queensland and Australian governments to take drastic measures in protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

For 13 years the committee has warned the reef could fall onto the 'In Danger' list after multiple bleaching events in the past decade.

Now, they may have issued their final warning with a draft decision ahead of the committee’s July meeting in Paris, with grave fears for the future of the Reef.

We know climate change is the greatest threat to the reef, with UNESCO highlighting water pollution and unsustainable fishing as the most damaging local threats.

With sole balance of power in the Senate this term, the Greens will continue to fight for strong climate action, including pushing for no new coal and gas, and for our oceans to be protected.

Lines attributable to Leader of the Australian Greens and Senator for Queensland, Larissa Waters:

“If this week has proven anything it is that neither of the major parties are committed to net zero.

“If they continue to wave around net zero as a fig leaf while still approving coal and gas, the Great Barrier Reef will continue to suffer.

“UNESCO has been warning since 2012 that the Reef could be placed on the ‘In Danger’ list, and while the major parties have been racing to the bottom on climate policy, 50% of the Reef’s coral cover has been lost.

“The Coalition can't even say the term climate change, let alone what they mean by net zero and Labor has just approved a massive carbon bomb in the North West Shelf.

“If Labor wants to talk about mandates, they should keep in mind the one they have to address the climate crisis.

“It seems the Greens are the only ones committed to ensuring the next generation, our kids and grandkids, have a liveable planet.

“More than 60,000 people rely on the Reef for employment and yet the government, which talks a big game about climate and jobs, is prepared to let an entire industry die while it lets its fossil fuel donors dig and burn their way to climate catastrophe.

“Queenslanders and Australians have had enough of governments ruling for the billionaires and doing favours for big corporations.

“Rising global emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels are boiling our oceans and killing the Great Barrier Reef.

“Until the Albanese Government commits to ending new coal and gas this destruction will continue.”