Budget 2016: Government Pledges $171m For The Great Barrier Reef

Fairfax - Nicole Hasham

The federal government will spend $171 million on ensuring water quality at the Great Barrier Reef.

KEY POINTS

• Doubt over the long-term future of the Emissions Reduction Fund
• $56 million over four years for marine reserves
• Climate Change Authority unfunded beyond next 2017
• $171 million for the Great Barrier Reef

Reflecting international alarm over the coral bleaching epidemic that has struck the Great Barrier Reef, the government has made good on its promise to spend $171 million on ensuring water quality, with most of that  drawn from the National Landcare program.
About $56 million has been set aside over four years for the marine reserves program, details of which the government is yet to announce.
Commercial and recreational fishers, tourism operators and conservationists have been engaged in fierce debate over how Australia's most sensitive marine areas should be used, and the funding will help affected commercial fishers adjust to the new arrangements, which have not been announced.
The budget confirms the independent Climate Change Authority established by Labor is not funded to operate beyond 2017.
No detail was provided over the future of the government's key climate policy, the $2.55 billion Emissions Reduction Fund, beyond 2029. About $1.2 billion has already been spent on carbon abatement projects.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt said: "The Turnbull government is committed to preserving our natural environment for future generations."

Links

• Federal Election 2016: Labor's billion-dollar hole in renewable energy funding
• The Great Barrier Reef: 93% hit by coral bleaching, surveys reveal
• 'Perilous': Bureau of Meteorology boss Rob Vertessy exits with climate warning
• Lethal Heating Clippings