A new report setting out a vision for the Great Barrier Reef held by its Traditional Owners has been released as part of the Department of the Environment and Energy’s Reef 2050 Plan.
The Department said the report was the result of a consortium of Indigenous and research organisations led by the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre to engage with Great Barrier Reef Traditional Owners to understand better and reflect their aspirations for the reef.
“The consortium has prepared the report Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef: The Next Generation of Reef 2050 Actions,” the Department said.
“The Reef 2050 Plan Investment Framework identifies Traditional Owner actions as one of six priority areas for future investment,” the Department said.
“Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef: The Next Generation of Reef 2050 Actions is an important contribution to the comprehensive review of the Reef 2050 Plan, due for completion in 2020.”
It said an updated Reef 2050 Plan was released by the Australian and Queensland Governments in July 2018 and is the overarching framework for protecting and managing the reef until 2050.
“In light of the mass coral bleaching of 2016 and 2017 and the deteriorating outlook for the reef, the Great Barrier Reef Ministerial Forum brought forward the scheduled mid-term review of the plan to ensure it addresses current pressures and remains effective,” the Department said.
“The plan is a world-first document that outlines concrete management measures for 35 years to ensure the outstanding universal value of the reef is preserved now and for generations to come.”
The Department said the plan sets clear actions, targets, objectives and outcomes to drive and guide the short, medium and long-term management of the reef.
“The plan firmly responds to the pressures facing the reef and will address cumulative impacts and increase the reef’s resilience to longer term threats such as climate change,” it said.
The consortium’s 145-page report can be accessed at this PS News link.
