The Greens say confirmation in the Reef Snapshot:  Summer 2021-22 of the sixth mass coral bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef lays bare the Morrison Government’s near-decade of failure on climate action.  

The Snapshot confirms the Reef has suffered the fourth mass bleaching event since 2016, and the first in La Nina conditions, with 91% of surveyed areas showing signs of bleaching.

Lines attributable to Greens deputy leader and Queensland Senator Larissa Waters:

The Greens say shocking new data from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority confirming mass coral bleaching shows the Reef in startling decline, and lays bare the Morrison Government’s near-decade of failure on climate action.

Data released today confirms the Reef has suffered the fourth mass bleaching event since 2016 and despite La Nina conditions.

Lines attributable to Greens deputy leader and Queensland Senator Larissa Waters:

With a likely sixth mass bleaching event now unfolding across the Great Barrier Reef, the Greens have called on the Morrison Government to cooperate fully and transparently with UNESCO’s 10-day monitoring mission, which begins next Monday.

Today in Cairns the Greens have announced a more than $2 billion plan to save the Great Barrier Reef and the workers who rely upon it for their livelihood, as the Reef remains at serious risk from the effects of climate change and poor water quality.

Last year the Reef narrowly avoided a World Heritage Committee “In Danger” listing after cynical lobbying by a Morrison Government desperate to avoid another PR disaster, but Australia was given just one year to pull up its socks on Reef protection.

The Greens say today’s report that more than 98% of the Great Barrier Reef’s coral reefs have suffered bleaching is a damning indictment of the Morrison Government’s climate inaction and exposes the sickening cynicism of its campaign to keep the Reef off UNESCO’s “in danger” list earlier this year.

Greens deputy leader and Queensland Senator Larissa Waters said:

“Climate change and pollution have already killed off half of the Great Barrier Reef’s coral cover, endangering this precious natural asset and the 60,000 jobs that rely on it.

Another whale is separated from its pod and suffering after being entangled in a deadly shark net which it was forced to drag for kilometres before tiring from exhaustion near Snapper Rocks in Queensland. 

The ‘Implementation of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation Partnership’ audit report has confirmed longstanding concerns from the Greens of a dodgy $443.3 million government grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF).

Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson:

“The audit report confirms long-standing concerns relating to the proficiency of the GBRF and its capacity to deliver on the grants objectives.

“The GBRF is essentially a private organisation with no track record in managing large scientific programs.

Calls for mass shark culls by conservative politicians would be an ineffective and irresponsible response to recent attacks in Queensland, according to the Australian Greens.

Queensland Senator Larissa Waters said a calm and sensible approach is needed and welcomed tomorrow’s roundtable on the issue in Airlie Beach.

“Our hearts go out to the families affected by recent shark attacks, but calls for mass shark culls are irresponsible, won’t work, and would not be supported by a majority of Queenslanders,” Senator Waters said.