The Reef 2050 Plan

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Category: Executive

Document Type: Plan

Role: Main

Australia's Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan for the Great Barrier Reef, Updated 2018

The Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan, updated in July 2018, serves as the Australian government's overarching strategy to protect and sustain the Outstanding Universal Value of the Great Barrier Reef, recognized as a World Heritage property. The plan acknowledges the Reef's ecological significance, its deep cultural connection to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Owners, and its substantial economic contribution through sustainable industries like tourism, while addressing the significant pressures it faces, including climate change. Key functions and components of the plan include the establishment of an Independent Expert Panel and a Reef Advisory Committee to assess the Reef's health and provide governmental advice; support for scientific research, particularly concerning the impacts of climate change; the setting of quantitative targets aimed at improving water quality in the surrounding areas; the creation of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation Reef Funding Program to provide financial support for projects aligned with the plan's objectives; initiatives to support Indigenous peoples' involvement in the management of the Great Barrier Reef; measures for controlling and reducing pollution, alongside efforts for conservation and restoration; promotion of capacity building and cooperation among different levels of government; and support for education and awareness campaigns highlighting the importance of the Great Barrier Reef among Australians. The plan is designed for long-term implementation through 2050. Specific statutory names or detailed compliance deadlines are not provided in this excerpt, beyond the plan's title and the July 2018 update date.

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Full text:

Reef 2050 Long-Term
Sustainability Plan
JULY 2018

© Copyright Commonwealth of Australia, 2018.
Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan—July 2018 is licensed by the Commonwealth of Australia
for use under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia licence with the exception of the Coat
of Arms of the Commonwealth of Australia, the logo of the agency responsible for publishing the
report, content supplied by third parties, and any images depicting people. For licence conditions
see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This report should be attributed as ‘Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan—July 2018,
Commonwealth of Australia 2018’.
The Commonwealth of Australia has made all reasonable efforts to identify content supplied by
third parties using the following format ‘© Copyright, [name of third party]’.
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for the
Environment and Energy.
While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are
factually correct, the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or
completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be
occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this publication.
Images courtesy of the Australian Department of Environment and Energy, Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park Authority and the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.

Reef 2050 Long-Term
Sustainability Plan
JULY 2018

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
are the Traditional Owners of the
Great Barrier Reef area and have a continuing
connection to their land and sea country.
ii | REEF 2050 LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY PLAN—JULY 2018

FOREWORD
Australians are passionate about the Great Barrier Reef. It is an Australian and international icon
and is one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. It has special significance to people
around the globe and this is recognised through its status as a World Heritage property. Our
mission is to protect and sustain the Outstanding Universal Value of the Great Barrier Reef.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef
Region. Their sea country connections go back millennia through their Dreaming and these
connections continue strongly today.
The Reef’s value to the Australian economy is substantial. Over two million visitors come to the
Reef each year to witness its natural beauty. The Reef supports 64,000 jobs and generates
economic activity estimated at $6.4 billion per year through the sustainably managed industries
that operate in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
It is no secret that the Reef is under pressure—and that is why the Reef 2050 Long-Term
Sustainability Plan (Reef 2050 Plan) was launched in 2015 with unanimous support from the World
Heritage Committee. Since then back-to-back coral bleaching events in 2016 and 2017, Tropical
Cyclone Debbie and an outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish have caused unprecedented damage

Tags: Adaptation, Adaptation Planning, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change Risks, Education, Environmental Degradation, Finance, Funding, Governance, Indigenous People, Institutions / Administrative Arrangements, Investment, Oceans, Planning, Regulation, Report, Research, Tourism, Update, Water, Water Management

Sector: Buildings;Health;Water

Original Source