Great Barrier Reef
Australian Government Does Not Have a Climate Duty of Care, Says Federal Court
The Australian government owes no legal obligation to protect individuals from supposed harm from climate change, the Federal Court of Australia has ruled. On March 15, the full bench of the court overturned an earlier decision that recognised that Environment Minister Sussan Ley had to consider the potential harm from climate change when deciding whether […]
UNESCO Keeps Great Barrier Reef Off ‘In Danger’ List After Pushback From Australia
The Great Barrier Reef will not be added to a list of World Heritage Sites that are “in danger” after a UN panel on Friday agreed to defer a vote until 2022 amid pushback from Australia. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee was held virtually in the Chinese city of Fuzhou. The committee members agreed to an […]
Australia Says UN Recommendation of Great Barrier Reef Be Listed ‘In Danger’ Is Politically Motivated
CANBERRA—The Great Barrier Reef should be added to a list of World Heritage Sites that are “in danger,” a United Nations panel said on Tuesday, drawing an angry response from Australia, which called the recommendation politically motivated. Australia has lobbied furiously for years to stay off the endangered list as it could lead to the […]
Australia Announces $379 Million Funding for Great Barrier Reef
SYDNEY–Australia’s Great Barrier Reef will receive A$500 million ($379.10 million) in new funding to restore water quality and protect the coral from starfish attacks, government ministers announced on Sunday. Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said in a televised interview that some of the money would go directly to farmers to modify their practices “to ensure that […]
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is a valuable resource—$56 billion valuable
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is valuable—and now everyone knows how valuable. The Great Barrier Reef Foundation commissioned a study by the Deloitte Access Economics to place a monetary value on the reef. The reef, it reports, is worth AU$56 billion, about US$42.3 billion. Deloitte Access Economics’ John O’Mahony tried to explain the number. The reef […]
Thousands take shelter as Cyclone Debbie lashes Australia’s northeast coast
A category 4 cyclone, dubbed Cyclone Debbie, takes its toll on Australia’s northeast coast, with winds reaching more than 230 kilometers per hour (140 miles per hour), and flash flooding from torrential rain. By lunchtime on Tuesday, March 28, islands off the Sunshine State of Queensland were in the eye of the storm. Popular resorts […]