Category: Australian News

The National Cabinet met today to discuss Australia’s COVID-19 response, recent outbreaks of COVID-19 and the Australian COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy.
National Cabinet continues to work together to address issues and find solutions for the health and economic consequences of COVID-19.
Across Australia a number of new community outbreaks have appeared in Greater Sydney, Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, the Darwin region and the Perth-Peel region. Concerningly a number of these outbreaks are linked to the delta variant which has significantly higher transmissibility.
Health measures put in place by National Cabinet throughout the pandemic have been effective in bringing outbreaks under control and reducing the severity of the health impacts. While there are now over 270 active cases in Australia (166 in NSW, 45 in Vic, 40 in Qld, 9 in SA, 8 in NT, 3 in WA), there are only 2 cases in ICU and no Australian is on a ventilator.
Since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 30,528 confirmed cases in Australia and, sadly, 910 people have died. More than 20.4 million tests have been undertaken in Australia. Testing has increased nationally over recent days with 628,000 tests reported in the past 7 days.
Globally there have been over 181 million cases and sadly over 3.9 million deaths, with 318,555 new cases and 6,422 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge in many countries around the world.
Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues to expand. To date 7,374,666 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Australia, including 48,346 doses in the previous 24 hours. In the previous 7 days, 783,925 vaccines have been administered in Australia. To date 28.6 per cent of the Australian population aged 16 and over have now had at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including over 68.1 per cent of over 70 year olds.
COVID-19 vaccinations are working to reduce transmission. National Cabinet noted that in a recent exposure event in NSW, of the 30 people that were at the event, 24 unvaccinated people have now tested positive for COVID, but six vaccinated people who attended the event have not been infected at this stage with the COVID-19 virus.
National Cabinet agreed on the imperative to work together to administer COVID-19 vaccinations to Australians as quickly as possible.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly provided an update on current outbreaks of COVID-19 in a number of locations and of both the Alpha and Delta variants.
National Cabinet noted the importance of national coordination and that the Commonwealth Department of Health National Incident Centre will continue to coordinate action across Australia.
Lieutenant General John Frewen, Coordinator General of Operation COVID Shield, provided a detailed briefing on the vaccination program.
Lt General Frewen reaffirmed that all states and territories are provided COVID-19 vaccinations on a proportional population basis, as agreed by National Cabinet. To date over 10.8 million doses have been allocated to states and territories, general practices (GPs), Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) and community pharmacies. Lt General Frewen noted that there are more than 2.6 million doses of AstraZeneca currently available to be administered. National Cabinet encouraged the 2.3 million Australians aged 60 years and over who have not yet been vaccinated to come forward and be vaccinated now.
Around 221,000 second doses of AstraZeneca were administered last week, the week after the latest ATAGI advice.
An additional 236 GPs have been brought online to administer COVID-19 vaccines, bringing the total number of GPs administering the vaccine to 5,085 across Australia. Community pharmacists are also being bought online to support the rollout in regional Australia.
National Cabinet noted that Lt General Frewen will commence a wargaming process with states and territories to ensure that the distribution channels and access points are sufficient once the supply of vaccines further increases.
National Cabinet agreed to meet next on Friday 2 July 2021.
Mandatory Vaccinations for Aged Care Workers
The National Cabinet agreed to mandate that at least the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine be administered by mid-September 2021 for all residential aged care workforce.
The National Cabinet agreed that COVID-19 vaccinations are to be mandated for residential aged care workers as a condition of working in an aged care facility through shared state, territory and Commonwealth authorities and compliance measures.
This is the third time AHPPC has considered this matter. They will continue to look at the issue to ensure we do not encounter any unintended consequences as an outcome of this decision.
The Commonwealth will support this decision though an employee vaccination support grant.
Residential Aged Care COVID-19 Employee Vaccination Support Grant
Residential aged care workers will be supported to be vaccinated through an $11 million program to enable them to attend off-site vaccination centres and GPs.
Under the grant, Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) will be paid for the following three categories of eligible expenditure:

• Casual staff going off-site for vaccination – a flat fee of $80 payable per staff member, per dose;
• Paid leave for casual staff who become unwell after vaccination and do not have other leave entitlements – one day’s paid leave (at a rate of $185) for up to a quarter of the provider’s total number of casual staff; and
• Facilitation of off-site vaccination for employees – up to $500 per site in flexible vaccination facilitation costs per site, which may be used for activities like: transport services, arranging groups of staff to be vaccinated and or any other reasonable expenses that incentivise staff to get vaccinated.

Quarantine
National Cabinet agreed to changes to Australia’s quarantine arrangements based on AHPPC advice:

1. National Cabinet endorsed the AHPPC advice: Minimising the risk of transmission from high risk international travellers in managed quarantine facilities
   The AHPPC recommends accommodating international quarantine residents, or other high infectious risk quarantine residents, separately from other lower risk residents. This may involve designating different facilities or zoning through allocating separate areas in a facility (i.e. designated floors for international or other high risk travellers). In the event that international quarantine residents share a facility, zoning may be implemented by putting groups in cohorts according to level of risk and ensuring that staff do not work across zones.
2. National Cabinet endorsed the AHPPC advice: Testing travellers once they leave managed quarantine, and requested that AHPPC work on implementation to mandate post quarantine testing and specifications for this.
   
   AHPPC reinforced advice that all travellers leaving managed quarantine must get tested and isolate until they receive a negative test result if they develop symptoms at any time in the 14 days after leaving quarantine.
   AHPPC agreed that all international travellers should get tested at days 16 or 17 following quarantine, if there have been potential exposure sources within the quarantine facility, regardless of whether they have symptoms. Options are being explored to support post-quarantine testing at the national level. AHPPC will continue to explore the management of persons post-quarantine to reduce the risk to the community whilst testing is being undertaken.
3. National Cabinet endorsed the AHPPC advice: Vaccinating and testing quarantine workers to require vaccinations and testing for quarantine workers including those involved in transportation.
   Protecting quarantine workers is an essential part of reducing the risk of transmission and incursion into the community. The primary mechanisms through which this can be achieved is vaccinating all quarantine workers and undertaking regular routine testing of workers to identify transmission events should they occur.
   Vaccinations: All quarantine workers and their household contacts are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.
   All quarantine workers should be strongly encouraged to undergo vaccination, and jurisdictions may implement requirements for quarantine workers to receive vaccinations. This includes those directly employed in quarantine facilities under Commonwealth, state or private arrangements. Importantly, this also includes anyone who works in a red zone.
   Given recent incursions, Delta variants and the current epidemiology of clusters occurring around Australia, the AHPPC recommends mandatory vaccination for all quarantine workers.
   Testing: In November 2020, the AHPPC recommended regular testing of quarantine workers. In response to the increasing risk posed by Variants of Concern, since February 2021, daily testing of quarantine workers has been implemented nationally. However, to date this has been limited to those directly involved in managed quarantine programs.
   In response to lessons learned from recent transmission events, current epidemiology and discussion through the Continuous Improvement Framework, the AHPPC recommends extending this requirement to all workers directly and indirectly involved in managed quarantine. This includes workers involved in transport of quarantined individuals.
4. National Cabinet agreed that travellers who have been through 14 days hotel quarantine in one jurisdiction will be able to enter another jurisdiction without having to go through another 14 days quarantine. These travellers will still be required to take a post quarantine COVID-19 test at day 16 or 17.

National Cabinet further reaffirmed that managed quarantine for international arrivals continues to play a vital role in Australia’s public health response to COVID-19. Through the Continuous Improvement Framework, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) regularly considers lessons learned in managed quarantine including the outcomes of evaluations, audits and reviews. This supports a process of continuous quality improvement in line with the National Principles for Managed Quarantine.
Indemnity arrangements for COVID-19 vaccinations
National Cabinet noted that the Commonwealth will establish a COVID-19 professional indemnity scheme to provide additional certainty to healthcare practitioners who are providing advice to people in relation to COVID-19 vaccination. The scheme covers COVID-19 vaccines approved by the TGA and approved for use in the vaccine program.
National Cabinet noted that GPs can continue to administer AstraZeneca to Australians under 60 years of age with informed consent and that this measure will provide confidence to medical practitioners to administer both AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines to Australians.
Aviation, interstate freight transport and mining (FIFO) workers
National Cabinet agreed to seek advice from AHPPC on COVID-19 vaccinations for aviation, interstate freight transport and mining (FIFO) workers.

The Australian Government welcomes the appointment of Mr Robert Heferen to lead the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
With more than 30 years’ experience in the public service, Mr Heferen will take on the role of Chief Executive Officer from early July, 2021.
Mr Heferen brings a deep knowledge of policy and programs as a former Deputy Secretary in the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, the Department of the Environment and Energy, and the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. He has also held leadership roles at the Australian Tax Office, Treasury and the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
Mr Heferen’s extensive experience will be vital to the AIHW, who continue to play a critical role in health and welfare policy and program development across Australia. The independent agency is internationally recognised for its expertise and proven track record in producing information and statistics which underpin our health and welfare systems.
The Government extends its thanks to outgoing CEO, Mr Barry Sandison, who oversaw significant reforms at the agency and has positioned AIHW successfully for the future.
Mr Sandison’s contributions have transformed the agency, expanding the suite of products and services and overseeing significant improvements in the way data is presented, making it more accessible and easier to understand.
The Government congratulates Mr Heferen on his appointment, who we expect will continue this program of reform and improvement, ensuring we have access to authoritative information and statistics to underpin our world-leading health and welfare systems.

The Australian Government will extend one of the nation’s premier rural health workforce initiatives, following an evaluation of the programme highlighted its effectiveness in addressing workforce shortages.
Regional Health Minister, Mark Coulton, said Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training Program will continue to provide more than $200 million per year over three years to fund a network of rural clinical schools, university departments of rural health, and regional training hubs across rural and remote Australia.
“Extending the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) Program reaffirms the Government’s commitment to addressing health workforce shortages in rural areas.
“The RHMT is one of our most effective rural workforce initiatives and I’m pleased to see it continue with the funding and settings it needs to deliver better outcomes for rural communities,” Mr Coulton said.
“The evaluation demonstrates that universities continue to provide health students with quality rural clinical training experiences and that the presence of universities in regional, rural, and remote communities has social and economic benefits to these communities and their health services.”
The review’s recommendations aim to build on the success of the 20-year-old program. These recommendations recognise the teaching innovations and maturity of the program, while allowing for some areas of reform.
The reforms, to be phased in from 1 January 2022, will focus on key program outcomes such as student selection and quality placements, strengthening research networks, and responding to community and workforce need.
“The RHMT program has been with us for two decades,” the Minister for Regional Health, Mark Coulton, said. “These reforms will open a new chapter in its success story.”
“They will further enhance its key role in increasing the number of qualified health professionals in rural, regional and remote Australia, providing high quality training and helping to bridge the city-country divide in access to health services.”
“We will work with the stakeholders to further strengthen and develop rural training opportunities and to keep building on this program for the future.”
The RHMT program is one of several Commonwealth rural health workforce programs supporting more health professionals to work in the bush.
It funds a network of rural clinical schools, university departments of rural health, dental faculties offering extended rural placements, and the Northern Territory Medical Program. The RHMT program also supports 26 regional training hubs.
Twenty-one universities currently participate in the program and the Australian Government’s annual investment is more than $200 million.
A closed non‑competitive grant opportunity will be undertaken to facilitate this three-year extension.

The Australian Government continues to deliver on its commitment to reduce the number of younger people living in residential aged care.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck and Minister for Government Services, Linda Reynolds CSC said the Government is investing $10.1 million in a national network to help younger people and their families find age-appropriate accommodation and additional support.
“The aged care system was designed to best support the needs of senior Australians, not younger people,” Minister Colbeck said.
“We remain deeply determined to ensure younger people in need of care can find the support outside of the aged care environment.”
As part of the 2020–21 Budget, the Morrison Government committed to funding a national network of up to 40 Younger People in Residential Aged Care System Coordinators.
Minister Reynolds said thanks to a recent competitive grant opportunity Ability First Australia will bring the knowledge, skills and expertise to this important reform.
“Ability First will work with younger people and their families to help them access disability services, health services, housing and social supports,” Minister Reynolds said.
“This will ensure younger people who want to live on their own terms and with independence in the community will have the support they need to live their best life.”
Ability First Australia is one of Australia’s largest not-for-profit strategic alliances, with 14 member organisations working across all states and territories.
Its members have expertise in supporting and advocating for people with disability.
In its initial response to the Royal Commission Interim Report, the Morrison Government announced strengthened Younger People in Residential Aged Care targets and an intention to develop a strategy to meet those targets.
Apart from exceptional circumstances, the Government is committed to ensuring:

• Nobody under the age of 65 enters residential aged care by the end of 2022;
• No one under the age of 45 is living in residential aged care by the end of 2022; and
• No people under the age of 65 are living in residential aged care by the end of 2025.

Minister Colbeck said the latest steps illustrated the Government’s ongoing commitment to providing better options for what can be a deeply emotional and complex issue.
“We know the impact this can have on individuals and their families who have too often been left with no other choice,” he said.
Minister Reynolds said the Government is committed to ensuring the individual needs of younger people are met.
“This is an issue very close to my heart. The first Senate Inquiry I championed was into this issue as I firmly believe that no younger Australian with a disability should be forced to live in aged care because there is no alternative,” Minister Reynolds said.
More information about the Younger People in Residential Aged Care Strategy 2020–2025 can be found on the Department of Social Services website.

The opening of a new state-of-the-art change room and recovery facility has given Australia’s women’s hockey squad, the Hockeyroos, a huge boost ahead of the postponed Tokyo Olympic Games.
The “Roos’ Retreat” was officially opened by the Federal Member for Swan the Hon Steve Irons at Perth Hockey Stadium today on behalf of the Minister for Sport Richard Colbeck.
The $600,000 upgrade to the hockey facilities was funded as part of the Morrison Government’s $11.5 million commitment to high performance sport infrastructure.
The upgraded Perth Hockey Stadium at Curtin University now includes equal change rooms for the Australian men’s and women’s hockey squads as well as recovery areas with an ice-bath and spa area and a gymnasium.
It comes as The Hockeyroos are set to challenge for a podium finish and a fourth Olympic gold medal at next month’s Games.
Minister Colbeck and Mr Irons said the investment was key to support one of Australia’s best-loved and most successful teams.
“The Hockeyroos carry the status as one of Australia’s iconic sporting teams and they deserve world-class facilities, which the Morrison Government is proud to support,” Minister Colbeck said.
“This is more than an investment in bricks and mortar.
“It also signals confidence in the sporting champions who represent and continually inspire our nation.
“Our female athletes and teams are incredibly important role models, inspiring and empowering more young girls to see the benefits of sport participation.
The Australian Government, through the Australian Institute of Sport, has increased funding to the Hockeyroos for their Tokyo Olympic campaign, delivering more than $12 million since 2016 to support the national squad.
Mr Irons said the investment would cement Perth’s status as Australia’s home of high performance hockey.
“Perth has been home to Australia’s national hockey squads since 1984, which has attracted so many athletes to relocate here and become part of the community,” Mr Irons said.
“This stadium is also home to Hockey Western Australia and caters for developing players as well as national team members.
“These facilities will be a beacon for aspiring hockey players across the country who have dreams of representing Australia at the highest level.”

An Albanese Labor Government will improve transparency in the child care sector for Australian families and taxpayers, building on Labor’s Cheaper Child Care for Working Families policy.
The Commonwealth will spend around $9 billion on the Child Care Subsidy this year, yet there is very little oversight or public reporting of how this taxpayer money is spent.
While not-for-profit providers are already required to report to the National Charities Commission, large for-profit providers, particularly those owned by private equity, do not have the same accountability.
Part of the Morrison Government’s failed child care changes in 2018 was the introduction of www.childcarefinder.gov.au. The website does not provide real-time child care fee and quality data and some providers do not display any fee information at all.
Australian families need improved transparency around what is driving their fee increases and the ability to easily and accurately compare providers in order to make an informed decision.
The lack of oversight of the sector has also allowed for the practice of non-educational enrolment inducements, with some for-profit providers offering incentives such as cash or iPads to entice families to enrol at their centres. These marketing gimmicks are being funded by taxpayers and are an inappropriate use of government support.
Child care fees are out of control under the Morrison Government, having soared by 37 per cent since the election of the Coalition. Increased transparency about cost drivers and profits is necessary to stop this trend and put downward pressure on fees.
That is why an Albanese Labor Government will:

• Require large child care providers (more than 25 services as defined by ACECQA) and landlords owning more than 10 child care centres to publicly report their child care revenue and profit results to www.childcarefinder.gov.au;
• Mandate that www.childcarefinder.gov.au includes every Child Care Subsidy approved provider, real-time child care fee data and quality ratings and average year on year fee increases so parents can make an informed choice; and
• Ban providers from offering non-educational enrolment inducements.

This policy builds on Labor’s Cheaper Child Care for Working Families plan, in particular our commitment for the ACCC to investigate price regulation to ensure all benefit goes into the pockets of families.
Labor’s plan for cheaper child care will deliver an additional $6 billion investment in the sector, which will leave 97 per cent of families in the system better off.
We want to ensure this additional support flows through to families, which is why we want a stronger focus on transparency.
Only Labor is committed to genuine, enduring reform of the child care sector that brings costs down for families and keeps them down.
The Morrison Government’s half-hearted child care policy falls lightyears short of what is required to properly reform the system and includes nothing to keep fees down.
This Government’s poor attitude towards child care has been on display this week, with members of the Coalition party room labelling it outsourced parenting.
The difference could not be more stark – Labor is committed to ensuring every Australian child deserves access to affordable and high quality early learning.

Australian Greens Animal Welfare spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has forced the release of draft animal welfare standards for poultry through a Senate order for documents. The standards and guidelines include a phase out of battery cages for hens by 2036.
Senator Faruqi said:
“This is good news and a welcome step in the right direction but the transition should certainly happen faster.
“This process has been going on in some form or another since 2013 so there has been plenty of time for the industry to change their practices. It’s really time for some action.
“We know the vast majority of people have been really concerned about hens being kept in battery cages under such cruel and inhumane conditions.They don’t want hens trapped in A4 size spaces.
“Countries around the world have already phased out cages or have a plan to do so, including most OECD countries.
“Industry does not need up to 15 years to transition away from battery cages. It can and it should happen faster.”

Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young has today called for the Nationals to be stripped of the water portfolio following the return of Barnaby Joyce to the leadership.
“After just two days with Barnaby Joyce back in the leadership, the Nationals have launched an extraordinary attack on the River Murray and the people and environment of South Australia.
“This is a direct challenge to Scott Morrison today, stand up to the water terrorists and make sure that Barnaby Joyce never gets his hands on Australia’s water policy ever again.
“South Australians remember that last time Barnaby Joyce was in charge of the water portfolio that he oversaw rorting, water theft and the use of public money as a slush fund.
“The Nationals have always been more interested in looking after their corporate irrigator mates than the people or environment. They deny climate change, deny science and they cannot be trusted to manage the Murray Darling Basin.
“Scott Morrison must be a national leader and strip the Nationals of the water portfolio. When it comes to water he has one job, tell the National party to back off and take their hand off our water.
“As we head to an election, the people of South Australia should think carefully about who they want in control of our precious Murray. South Australians should not support the Liberal Party if they are unable to stand up to the bullies of the National Party. South Australians need representatives who will put the people and environment of South Australia above petty leadership squabbles in Canberra.
“The Murray Darling Basin Plan, including the 450GL promised to South Australia must be delivered on time and in full.”

The Labor Party last night lined up with the Greens to gut new funding to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
Labor Senators teamed up with the Australian Greens to cut $192.5 million of new funding for ARENA and disallow a regulation that expands the clean technology agency’s mandate to play a major role in driving the next generation of low-emissions technologies.
The funding included support for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and microgrid infrastructure to make energy affordable and reliable in regional and remote Australia.
ARENA welcomed the changes and calling it a “new era for ARENA” to be able to work with the next generation of energy technologies.
The Government’s approach has received wide industry support from over 28 businesses, peak bodies, and climate change groups including the Business Council of Australia, the AiGroup, the National Farmers Federation, ClimateWorks Australia and the Investor Group for Climate Change.
The loss of this funding will cost up to 1,400 new jobs in emerging industries and would have supported industries like mining, agriculture, transport, manufacturing and electricity, which employ over 2.2 million Australians.
Labor has walked away from clean tech jobs, and blue-collar jobs.
Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon – slammed the move as “nothing short of genius” for Chris Bowen to force Labor MPs to “heroically vote against carbon reduction initiatives that Labor actually supports.”
The decision showed that Anthony Albanese cannot be trusted to support the long-term future of Australia’s resources and agriculture industries.
Despite the Australian Labor Party platform explicitly supporting these technologies, every Senator in the Australian Labor Party room has now voted against them.
It has not only shown that Labor is economically reckless, but that their promises cannot be trusted.
There are only two ways to reduce emissions: through technology, or taxes. By abandoning investing in technology today, the Labor Party has shown the 2.2. million Australians working in energy intensive industries that their solution to climate change is more taxes.
Labor has shown they will always choose taxes, which means Australian families, farmers, workers and our regions will pay more.
They have sent a clear message to Australian voters that the Labor Party would prefer to play politics than support Australian jobs.

The Greens have slammed the government’s knee-jerk climate denialism as the world delivers yet another stark warning that we risk losing the Great Barrier Reef.
Quotes attributable to Greens Leader, Adam Bandt:
“It’s coal or the reef, but you can’t have both.
“The Great Barrier Reef is under threat because of the mining and burning of coal and gas.
“We have ten years to save the Reef, but on the same day the Reef is put on death watch, Liberal and Labor support opening up new gas fields.
“Barnaby Joyce has been brought back from the dead to kill the Reef. He has been brought back to fight for the billionaires, like Gina Rinehart and Clive Palmer, who want to build more coal mines in the Galilee Basin.
“If the world heats up over 1.5 degrees, the Reef will die. The only party in Australia with climate targets in line with 1.5 degrees is the Greens.
Quotes attributable to Greens Queensland Senator and co-Deputy Leader, Larissa Waters:
“It’s a cruel irony that on the day that the World Heritage Committee has, after eight years of warnings, recommended that the Great Barrier Reef be declared ‘in danger’, that a reactionary climate-denier has been elevated to the second-highest office in the land.
“The government’s claims that it’s been blindsided by this news are laughable. UNESCO has been warning since 2012 that the Reef could be placed on the ‘In Danger’ list, and while the government has twiddled its thumbs 50% of the Reef’s coral cover has been lost.
“More than 60,000 people rely on the Reef for employment and yet the government, which talks a big game about jobs, is prepared to let an entire industry die while it lets its fossil fuel donors dig and burn their way to climate catastrophe.
“Queenslanders and Australians have had enough of the Morrison government’s climate denial, they’ve had enough of them ruling for the billionaires and doing favours for big corporations, and I cannot wait until they’re condemned to the opposition benches. Bring on the election.”
Quotes attributable to Greens Environment Spokesperson, Sarah Hanson-Young:
“Australia’s Environment Minister says her government was “blindsided” by the UN declaring the Great Barrier Reef “in danger”.
“No, Ley wasn’t ‘blindsided’ she had her eyes closed, ignored the science and kept taking donations from the fossil fuel industry.
“The Great Barrier Reef is in danger. The world knows it. They’re worried. Yet here in Australia the Government constantly ignores all the warning signs.
“Climate change is the biggest threat to our environment and yet the government still doesn’t have a plan to reduce pollution.
Quotes attributable to Greens Oceans Spokesperson, Peter Whish-Wilson:
“The Government granted $443.4 million to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to avoid a UNESCO ‘in-danger’ listing, following an explicit warning in 2017 from the UNESCO Committee that this was pending.
“At the time it seemed absurd that a small private business was given the go-ahead to manage one of Australia’s greatest public assets, which is why in 2018-19 the Greens initiated and chaired a Senate inquiry into the suspicious grant.
“After months of hearing evidence, the National Audit Office disclosed the original motivation of the grant was to avoid an UNESCO World Heritage “in danger” listing.
“The whole Senate inquiry could have been avoided if the Government had come clean about the true motivations for setting up the grant. Clearly they wanted to avoid the global political embarrassment of having UNESCO downgrade the world heritage values of our planet’s greatest coral reef system.
“Having the Great Barrier Reef declared as ‘in danger’ will potentially lead to similar listings for other reefs around the world. This would be the loudest siren call ever to protect our oceans – and perhaps this is necessary for us to take the radical action needed to save our oceans.