Australia Commits $200 Million to Enhance Water Quality in the Great Barrier Reef

The funding addresses poor water quality run-off; water health plays a pivotal role in the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem.

Assorted reef fish swim above a staghorn coral colony as it grows on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns, Australia, on Oct. 25, 2019. Lucas Jackson/Reuters

The federal government announced a $200 million (US$131 million) boost towards improving water quality in the Great Barrier Reef.

An extra $50 million was added to the new Landscape Repair Program to address the significant threat of poor-quality water entering the Reef from nearby catchments.

The funding will fix eroded gullies, creeks, and riverbanks that harm the reef’s species and reduce its ability to withstand climate change.

Water Minister Tanya Plibersek said poor quality run-off threatens the reef’s “iconic crystal blue water” and prevents future generations from enjoying its “beauty and majesty.”

“Poor water quality stops coral from regrowing, it kills important seagrass, and it blocks the sunlight needed for a healthy reef,” she said.

As well as improving water quality, the funding will restore native habitats and reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Ms. Plibersek said there is a greater impact of poor water quality on the reef in summer, increasing the risk of coral bleaching. With a hot summer approaching, the government aims to safeguard the reef.

Meanwhile, Great Barrier Reef Special Envoy Nita Green said the “significant” funding would help future-proof the reef and protect the 64,000 jobs it supports.

She said it will also allow traditional owners, conservationists, scientists, and landholders to have the opportunity to contribute to reef protection.

“Because when we protect the reef, we protect our future,” she said.

Additionally, this week, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority will host a workshop with marine and climate experts, traditional owners, and industry representatives to evaluate the reef’s outlook and discuss a response if needed.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L) and Australian Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek are seen after a swearing-in ceremony at Government House in Canberra on June 1, 2022. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Experts Highlight Concerns Over Land Clearing, a Major Cause of Sediment Runoff

Meanwhile, experts welcome the government support but note it doesn’t address land clearing, a significant cause of sediment runoff.

Lissa Schindler from the Australian Marine Conservation Society said around 500,000 hectares of trees were removed from catchment areas since 2018, increasing sediment flow into the reef.

“And so the concern is the government is putting a lot of money into addressing [sediment] but then also allowing trees to be cleared, which is counteracting that investment,” she told ABC radio.

“I think when you have limited investment, you really need to make sure that your money is going to those areas that are the biggest problem so you can get the biggest bang for your buck,” she said.

She said reducing erosion from land clearing along streambanks and gullies is essential for lowering sediment levels.

The Australian Institute Climate & Energy Director Polly Hemming expressed concern the government wasn’t listening to experts who argue land clearing is the biggest threat to the reef’s water quality.

At the same time, Marine Studies Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg weighed in, saying the funding benefits won’t be obvious immediately.

“You might prepare parts of a river catchment and try to avoid the problems of pollution hitting the reef, but whether you know you’ve invested enough will only be seen over decades,” he said.

In the meantime, he urged both sides of the federal government to contribute to reef quality.

“These contributions are good, but it’s just that if you want to turn the reef around and not lose all those corals, it takes a sustained bipartisan approach,” he said.

Great Barrier Reef In Good Health

Meanwhile, all three major regions of the Great Barrier Reef show record-breaking high coral cover since monitoring of the reef system began 36 years ago, according to reef data by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) released in August 2023.

Between August 2022 and May 2023, over a third of all 111 surveyed reefs (43 out of 111) had coral cover levels between 30 percent and 50 percent. Eighteen reefs had hard coral cover between 50 percent and 75 percent.

Meanwhile, average coral cover in the northern region remains comparably high but decreased to 35.7 percent from 36.5 percent in 2022.

Queensland academic, former Prof. Peter Ridd has been critical of bias in reporting on the impacts of climate change on the environment.

“In environmental sciences, the ideology has crept in such that if you have a different view on these things, you'll be excluded,” he previously told The Epoch Times.

“And most of the scientists who go into the environmental sciences have got a particular worldview, and it may not represent the rest of the population. So you end up with a situation that your scientific institutions, at least in the environmental sciences, have become completely untrustworthy.”

Rebecca Zhu and Nina Nguyen contributed to this article.