The federal government has announced its largest-ever investment in saving the Great Barrier Reef, promising $1 billion towards improving water quality, reef management and research. The move follows years of degrading conditions and devastating bleaching events, and the threat of an “in danger” listing by the World Heritage Committee.
The government hopes the funding will help protect more than 64,000 jobs and $6.4 billion in tourism dollars attached to the reef economy.
More than half of the funding will go towards improving water quality through remediating erosion, improving land condition and reducing nutrient and pesticide run-off.
Last year the government successfully fought off an international move to have the reef placed on the list of “in danger” world heritage sites because of the threat climate change posed. The reef has suffered repeated bleaching.
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