Great Barrier Reef dragged into row with China

“We have the best managed reef in the world, the gold standard and no one has contradicted me yet. So this decision was flawed,” Ms Ley said.

“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 World Heritage Committee will consider the draft recommendation in the second half of July at an online meeting, chaired by the head of the World Heritage Committee, China’s Vice Minister of Education Tien Xuejen.

Other Chinese bureaucrats to occupy key positions include head of the World Heritage Centre’s Asia and Pacific Unit Feng Jing, deputy director-general of UNESCO Xing Qu and president of International Union for Conservation of Nature Xhang Xinsheng.

The Morrison government has been concerned about China using its sway in international bodies which are responsible for decisions and standard settings. Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised to counter “negative globalism” by stepping up Australian engagement with such bodies.

However, the reef has long been on UNESCO’s watch list because of the threat posed by climate change, water pollution and coastal development.

In 2015, the body flirted with putting the reef on the in danger list but opted against after Canberra and the Queensland government came up with a rescue plan.

There have been three instances of coral bleaching since that time, damaging the reef.

Ms Ley said she acknowledged climate change was the greatest risk to the reef but the government was spending $3 billion on managing the reef and had made improvements.

She said UN officials had not visited the reef since 2012 and the committee had made its draft recommendation on the basis of a desktop review.

“This decision was made without due process. It hasn’t even used the latest data,” she said.

“We have got Australian Institute of Marine Science data coming out that is showing really strong work in the recovery from the bleaching events that have occurred. We have got traditional owners managing crown of thorning star fish.”

Ms Ley warned an in danger listing could threaten tourism, one of the economic lifeblood’s for north Queensland.

“It sends the wrong message. We’ve heard that message sent to the international community before and it has affected tourism,” she said.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific spokesman Martin Zavan said the draft recommendation showed the Morrison government needed to take its role as an environmental custodian seriously and cut emissions by 75 per cent this decade to give the reef a fighting chance.

“The UNESCO warning could not be any clearer, the Great Barrier Reef is in danger because of the Morrison Government’s failure to act on climate change,” he said.