The Australian government has announced a new$60 million saving packageto help protect the Great Barrier Reef . This might sound great in rule , butmany have criticized the moveas simply a publicity stunt designed to disquiet the great unwashed from the government ’s terrible phonograph record on tackling clime change .
The new plans were unveiled by the Minister for Jobs and Innovation , Senator Michaelia Cash , as the Witwatersrand is expected to accede an unprecedented third bleaching issue in the same number of year . The money is snuff it to be split a number of ways , with the majority – $ 36.6 million – going towards farmers along Queensland ’s seacoast to prevent agricultural runoff and pollution .
A further $ 10 million will be expend on an “ all - out assault ” on the top - of - thorns sea star that are decimating the coral , $ 4.9 million on increasing the number of gravy boat and people fighting the starfish , and $ 6 million will go towards a coral restoration program .
The administration is claim that the bump in support show their allegiance to protecting the reef , with Senator Cash extend on tosay : “ The Great Barrier Reef is a critical national asset – we want to assure its future for the benefits of all Australians , particularly those whose livelihoods depend on the reef . ”
“ This is all about investing in the future tense of the Witwatersrand itself – this is all about wait at how technology can assist us in terms of new means to help the reef accommodate and recover , ” she remain .
But this is at odds with what the science is read . The bulk of the money is go towards Farmer to prevent agricultural overspill into local river , where the nutrients and plant food can wash into the ocean and over the reef . This stresses the coral to such a degree that when the piss start to quick , it is more potential to bleach and die .
This has meant that over the last few yr , a mickle of effort – and money – has already been put into preventing runoff and improving the character of the H2O . Yeta comprehensive study from last yearshowed that while these movement have contributed to the Great Barrier Reef being one of the well - managed reefs in the human beings , they are pretty useless and uneffective if nothing is done to tackle the elephant in the room : climate change .
sea warming is by far the bountiful threat to the reef , yet rather than putting the $ 36.6 million into sustainable energy and engineering , or bumping up the budget for coral research , instead , it ’s being directed towards farmers who were already allocate $ 50 million to prevent agricultural runoffin April 2016 .
Not to remark the fact that the government is still plump for the controversial Adani ember mine that is hoping to open just a gem ’s throw from the reef itself .
