Federal reef funding not matching local investment

Published: 25th January 2018

In response to the Federal Government’s announcement of a $60 million investment in the Great Barrier Reef the LGAQ has said the funding still does not match the amount Queensland local governments invest each year.

“Reef councils conservatively invest around $230 million per annum on activities that directly benefit the reef,” LGAQ CEO Greg Hallam said.

“If local governments, who raise less than 3% of taxes can support the Reef through significant investment, why can’t the Federal government, which raises more than 80% of taxes collected, invest substantially more?” 

“Additionally, none of this funding will go directly to supporting councils’ activities that benefit the Reef, particularly as it is those communities that are most reliant on the Reef’s protection.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the $60 million reef injection on Monday saying the funding would go towards further research, preventing farm run-off and increasing starfish culling vessels.

The $60 million will be spent over the next 18 months, with $6 million going towards the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the CSIRIO to “develop new ways for the Reef to adapt and recover,” Mr Turnbull said.

The LGAQ says the investment is not commensurate with the value of the reef.

“The reef is valued at $56 billion to the economy," CEO Greg Hallam said.

“This includes contributions of $6.4 billion to the Australian economy and 64,000 jobs.

“We continue to hear rhetoric from the Federal Government around jobs and growth, but we do not see the appropriate investment in these jobs. If this was any other industry, it would have received significant support long ago."

The LGAQ supports the Queensland Minister for Environment and the Great Barrier Reef Leeanne Enoch’s comments that whilst the investment is a start, the reef needs a more collaborative approach to investment and stronger leadership.

“Today’s funding announcement by the Prime Minister is welcome, but what we still need from the Federal Government is robust national policy to address the challenges of climate change," Ms Enoch said.

In its 2016 10 Point Federal Election Plan, the LGAQ called for:

  • Equitable funding programs which reward individual and collective efforts to reduce emissions.
  • $70 million over four years for mitigation projects in Queensland councils that reduce emissions and change community behaviour.
  • $100 million nationwide over four years for local and regional climate change adaptation plans.
  • Funding of the long term maintenance of the CoastAdapt Tool.

To date these calls on the federal government remain unmet.

At the LGAQ Annual Conference in October Reef Councils called on the Federal and State governments to come up with a long-term investment model that is proportionate to the Great Barrier Reef’s economic and environmental value and an independent review of the governance arrangements for the implementation of the Great Barrier Reef 2050 Plan to improve accountability and decision-making.