- The Prime Minister has announced a $10 million funding boost to protect and promote the Great Barrier Reef, signalling national attention on the Reef's future.
- The package includes $6 million for a new 'Kids for the Reef' program that will subsidise school trips, helping students experience the Reef firsthand and learn about its ecological importance.
- While education is important, the Reef's long-term survival remains at risk without urgent action to cut emissions and stop the expansion of fossil fuels.
The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) welcomes Prime Minister Albanese's $10 million funding pledge to protect and promote the Great Barrier Reef, announced today during his visit to Far North Queensland. The package includes a new school excursion rebate to help young Australians experience the Reef and understand its importance.
However, the organisation stresses that education alone is insufficient to secure the Reef's future and we need bigger and bolder election commitments. The Great Barrier Reef is under growing pressure from warming oceans, coral bleaching, and poor water quality, driven by climate change and pollution.
Dr Lissa Schindler said: "We support efforts to educate and inspire young Australians, but the Reef also needs strong, science-backed policies to cut emissions, improve water quality and end fossil fuel expansion. We can't inspire the next generation to care for the Reef while failing to protect it ourselves."
"We owe kids more than a field trip; we owe them a future where the Reef still exists"
"The number one thing the government must do is adopt reef-safe climate policies. That means cutting climate pollution by 90 percent by 2035 and stopping approvals for new fossil fuel projects. Without tackling the root cause of the problem, the Reef's long-term health and resilience are seriously jeopardised."
"The Reef also urgently needs an emergency response plan, which the government implements in response to events that push reefs beyond their limits."
An emergency response plan would establish clear protocols for supporting reefs before, during, and after extreme events. This includes quickly deploying resources and fast-tracking recovery efforts to give damaged reefs the best chance of bouncing back.
AMCS Great Barrier Reef Community Campaigner, and dive instructor, Tanya Murphy said:
"When people see the Reef for themselves, they connect with it, and once they care about it, they want to protect it. Programs like this, that help Australians, especially young people, experience the Reef, are a vital investment in its future."
"However, right now our Reef is once again suffering from coral bleaching, with reefs in the north and far northern sections of the Great Barrier Reef seemingly the worst affected. Our Reef simply isn't getting a respite, with bleaching following hot on the heels of the 2024 mass bleaching event, the most severe and widespread event on record. Tourism operators in Cairns, Port Douglas, Cooktown and Lizard Island are watching their livelihoods being impacted by climate change year after year."
"This is the sixth consecutive year of bleaching on Lizard Island. In some areas, bleaching is occurring every year – decades ahead of scientific predictions. Australia's own Reef Outlook Report clearly states that "only the strongest and fastest possible actions to decrease global greenhouse gas emissions" will protect our reef and multi-billion dollar tourism industry."
The Australian Marine Conservation Society calls on all parties to commit to strong climate policies and real emissions reductions, along with increased investment in water quality programs and habitat restoration to ensure a thriving Reef for generations to come.
Images: Coral bleaching, March 2025.
