Great Barrier Reef a beautiful place plus tourism and employment hopeful if maintained
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Great Barrier Reef a beautiful place plus tourism and employment hopeful if maintained
The Great Barrier Reef is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places on planet earth and has the potential to inject huge amounts of money into Australia through tourism which will of course be wonderful for employment in every sector linked to it.
But unfortunately the United Nations has been warned that a deal between the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, and the Queensland premier Campbell Newman, on development approvals is a serious major threat to the health of the Great Barrier Reef.
Under a deal signed in Brisbane on last Friday, Queensland will take sole responsibility for assessing major development projects, and hopefully monitoring them efficiently enough to making sure they comply with federal and state environmental laws.
The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) says the deal poses a grave risk to the reef, which narrowly avoided being declared a “World Heritage Site in Danger” by UNESCO.
In a letter to UNESCO the ACF highlights the Queensland government's patchy environmental record, including attempts to allow oil drilling on the Great Barrier Reef and major developments on Great Barrier Reef islands.
The AFC believe there is a very high danger that the Queensland Government will undertake environmental approvals on the Commonwealth's behalf that will threaten the universal values of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
Successive Queensland governments have shown they cannot be trusted to make decisions that are in the interests of the nation," ACF said in a statement on Friday.
The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) said the deal was "a step too far" and approval powers would remove federal protections for the country's "most special" places and wildlife.
In contrast the Queensland Resources Council said the deal was a "landmark agreement" that would eliminate duplication and reduce delays.
Both governments say the change will remove duplication, and should result in plans for new developments being approved within 12 months.
Tony Abbott and Campbell Newman both refused to speak to reporters after the signing which is very disappointing and suspicious as they had no problem talking prior to the last election?
