Queensland Vows to Shield Great Barrier Reef from UNESCO’s ‘In Danger’ Listing

UNESCO warns the reef risks being listed as ‘in danger’ unless the Queensland and federal governments take urgent, drastic action.

This underwater photo taken on April 5, 2024, shows fish swimming near bleached and dead coral around Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef, located 270 kilometres (167 miles) north of the city of Cairns in Australia. David Gray/AFP via Getty Images

Queensland Tourism Minister Andrew Powell has responded to a fresh UNESCO warning about the Great Barrier Reef by expressing confidence the state is doing everything it can to avoid an “in danger” listing.

“We’ve got the processes, the practices, the programmes, the investment that is required to ensure that we’re doing all we can at the state level to keep the reef off that UNESCO List,” Powell told ABC radio.