Weekend Today interview with Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek

SUBJECTS: Great Barrier Reef coral cover, emissions reduction

BELINDA RUSSELL, HOST: All right, it is time now for our weekend cover story. And this week, some good news for Australia's crown jewel. For the first time in 36 years, the Great Barrier Reef setting a new record with coral cover increasing from Cape York to Mackay.

CHARLES CROUCHER, HOST: And while some scientists say the result is cause for national celebration, there are others that are warning the reef is still vulnerable. This morning to discuss, we're joined by the CEO of the Australia Institute of Marine Science, Dr Paul Hardisty and Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. Good morning to you both. Paul, we're going to start with you. What do these findings mean?

DR PAUL HARDISTY: Well, it is certainly good news that we've got the best coral cover that we've seen in the 36 years that AIMS has been conducting the long-term monitoring of the roof. And it is a reason to celebrate, but we have to be balancing that with the other side of the coin, that the recovery that we've been seeing is from fast-growing, relatively fragile corals and that recovery could be undone very quickly. So while we're seeing conditions that are similar to the 80s in terms of coral cover, nobody should think that the conditions on the reef are the same as they were in 1985. In terms of temperatures and environmental conditions, they're not. Not at all. We're very, very close to the bleaching threshold. We've had four major bleaching events in the last six years, that's going to continue, so we cannot be complacent with this result.

RUSSELL: Yeah, the damage certainly has been done going forward. What impact will global warming have on the reef's recovery? How can we address this?

DR HARDISTY: Well, our models currently show that under current global emissions trajectories, the plight of coral reefs, not only the Great Barrier Reef, but across the world is pretty dire. So by 2060 to 2070, if we don't get our emissions seriously under control, we will probably have almost no healthy reefs on the planet.

CROUCHER: Tanya, hearing what the doctor has just said and knowing how important the coral reef is to Australia in terms of our economy, our environment, so many things, what steps is your government taking to ensure the future of the reef?

TANYA PLIBERSEK, MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER: Well, I think this report shows that the reef can bounce back, but that we should take nothing for granted. And as Paul said, it shows why it's so very important that Australia and the world, acts on climate change. One of the first things we did with the new government is pass our stronger emission reduction targets. That's really important to get carbon pollution down. But as well as that, our government is investing $1.2 billion between now and 2030 on reef restoration and protection. The work that Paul and his team at the Australian Institute of Marine Science do is absolutely world-leading and we want to back them and our other scientists and also traditional owners that are working to protect and restore the reef. Climate change is obviously the biggest threat, but water quality, crown of thorns starfish, these are all threats to the reef that we need to tackle.

RUSSELL: But is that enough? Do you need to do more than that? Because the government's climate target to cut emissions by 2030 is not in line with global action needed to protect these coral reefs properly.

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Look, I think that the whole world needs to act with urgency on climate change. As Paul has said, it's not just our beautiful Great Barrier Reef that's a threat, it's reefs around the world and it's other vulnerable ecological communities as well. I think that what we're seeing now is the beginning of a really strong period of action, not just from the Australian government, but globally. We can be a renewable energy superpower here in Australia, we can be exporting green hydrogen, we're looking at projects like Sun Cable where we're exporting our solar energy to Southeast Asia. We have so many great opportunities, so many great job opportunities that come from this transition and we need to do it to protect our beautiful natural environment like the Great Barrier Reef too.

CROUCHER: Finally, Doctor, just quickly, what's your message to Aussies that are feeling that now could be a time or thinking about checking out the reef themselves?

DR HARDISTY: Fantastic. Wherever you are in the world, it is a really good time to come and see the reef and pretty much wherever you go, you're going to see beautiful, healthy, diverse reef with lots of turtles and sharks and fish. So wonderful opportunity.

CROUCHER: Doctor, Minister, we appreciate both your time this morning.

ENDS