Government ‘blindsided’ after UNESCO recommends listing Great Barrier Reef as ‘in danger’

Australia will contest a draft recommendation to list the Great Barrier Reef as a world heritage site “in danger” after United Nations body called for more government action on climate change.

Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley says the government was “blindsided” by the report by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, which cited successive reef bleaching events as being of particular concern.

The long term outlook for the reef had deteriorated from “poor to very poor”, the draft decision says, but the government strongly opposes the move which could put its world heritage status at risk, impacting tourism and other ventures.

“This is a complete subversion of normal process,” Ms Ley told journalists on Tuesday, describing the government’s strong disappointment and bewilderment at the decision. 

She agreed climate change was the biggest threat to the reef but said Australia had the best reef management practices in the world.

Australia’s views on the draft decision were made “very clear” to the Director General of UNESCO by Ms Ley and Foreign Minister Maurice Payne during a phone call on Monday night.

“Countries, including European countries, have got strong views about what policies different countries should have on climate change … but this is not the convention in which to have those conversations,” she said.

“This decision was made without due process. It was made on the basis of a desktop review. It hasn’t even used the latest data.

“Clearly there were politics behind it. Clearly, those politics have subverted a proper process and for the World Heritage Committee to not even foreshadow this listing is, I think, appalling.”

The UNESCO recommendation means it’s critical for countries, including Australia, to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees, the World Wide Fund for Nature’s head of oceans in Australia, Richard Leck, said.

“Clearly, the significant coral mortality has prompted UNESCO to urge the Australian government to do more on climate,” he said.

The UNESCO committee draft report “strongly invites” the government “to undertake actions to address climate change under the Paris agreement” to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

Ms Ley said the government would challenge the decision when it comes up for final consideration in July.