Conservation, tourism and recreational fisher representatives have welcomed new federal nature law reforms that close long-standing loopholes that have allowed large areas of vegetation in Reef catchments to be cleared without oversight.
The reform bills passed by the Albanese government and the Australian Greens deliver two major wins for the Great Barrier Reef; vegetation over 15 years old and riparian vegetation along watercourses can no longer be cleared without federal government approval.
Between 2018 and 2022, almost 700,000 hectares of vegetation was cleared in Reef catchments, contributing to sediment pollution and declining inshore water quality. Until last week, a further three million hectares of vegetation across the catchments was exempt from clearing laws and could have been cleared without any assessment by any level of government.
The reforms mean around 80 percent of that vegetation will now require approval for clearing.
AMCS Great Barrier Reef Campaign Manager Dr Lissa Schindler said: “Vegetation along waterways is the last line of defence for the Great Barrier Reef. When it is removed, erosion causes huge volumes of soil and pollutants to wash straight into the Reef’s waters, smothering the corals and seagrass that rely on clean water to survive and provide a vital food source for threatened dugongs. Protecting these areas helps farmers by keeping productive soil on their land rather than washing out to sea.
“The Great Barrier Reef has suffered six mass coral bleaching events in the last nine years and is being pushed to its limits by climate change. Federal oversight of clearing in the Reef’s catchments is a significant step toward improving water quality, which is the second biggest threat to the Reef after climate change. Our focus now needs to be on strong compliance and enforcement to make sure these laws do what they are intended to do.”
Retired Whitsundays Dive instructor and tourism operator, Tony Fontes, said: “I ran a dive operation in the Whitsundays since 1979, and poor water quality has been an issue for over four decades.
“I can’t count the number of visitors who, after a snorkel or dive on the Reef, have expressed their disappointment in the poor water clarity or the lack of colourful coral due to algae growth.
“Protecting vegetation in place across the catchments is essential for clear water and a healthy Reef. These reforms are a good step to improving water clarity and will help the Reef cope with the impacts from global climate change. We are forty years late, but better late than never.”
Founder of CAREFISH Cairns, Paul Aubin, said: “Clearing of vegetation along waterways creates enormous erosion and the sediment flows contaminate the estuaries, mangroves, seagrass beds and inshore coral that all fish depend on.
“We need healthy riparian systems to offset monsoonal weather and heavy runoff. Even after these events, we should have clear natural water quality, not water loaded with sediment. A significant reason why fish stocks are disappearing.
“Healthy fishing starts with healthy rivers and creeks. If we want healthy fish stocks, we must protect the nursery grounds in our creeks and rivers. The new EPBC measures are a definite improvement and finally recognise how vital these habitats are. These reforms will help set the foundations for healthier fisheries into the future.”