Australia is dedicating all its diplomatic resources to help avoid having the UN downgrade the status of the Great Barrier Reef.

A Senate estimates hearing this week heard that Australian ambassadors in all 21 countries on the UNESCO world heritage committee have been told to join the lobbying effort.

They aim to correct “misinformation” about risks to the Great Barrier Reef, including criticism of the Abbot Point coal port dredge spoil plan.

“We have asked our ambassadors in countries that are on the world heritage committee, this is a whole of government effort, we will use our diplomatic resources to best effect,” secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Varghese told Queensland Greens senator and environment spokesperson Larissa Waters.

“There is currently a campaign to list the Great Barrier Reef as in danger; we are doing all that we can to ensure the campaign does not succeed,” he said.

“In the course of that campaign we think there are a number of assertions about the management of the Great Barrier Reef and its vulnerability which are not grounded in fact and which need to be rebutted.

“We have tasked several of our heads of mission and in the case of [New York consul general and former Howard government minister, Nick] Minchin, heads of post to make that clear to the investment community.”

Australia is fighting back against imminent economic risks from its treatment of the Reef.

It has been lobbying foreign banks that are considering pulling out of plans to finance the Abbot Point coal export terminal expansion.

“Those representations are not asking banks to endorse any particular project, they are setting out the views of the Australian government on the question of whether the Great Barrier Reef is in danger and ... the government’s approach to ... the effective management of the Great Barrier Reef,” Varghese said.

Attorney General George Brandis - representing the foreign minister at the estimates committee hearing – was surprised at Senator Waters’ line of questioning.

“I understand you have a particular view about this development that is not widely shared and certainly not shared by the Queensland public ... but it is the core role of our representatives overseas to promote the interests of Australian business,” Brandis told Senator Waters.

“I see no reason at all why ... that might not extent to assisting them securing project financing ... for businesses that bring jobs and employment to the Queenslanders you are meant to be representing.”

Waters said the solution can be found at home.

“Instead of lobbying its way out of embarrassment, the Abbott government should actually do what the World Heritage Committee has asked to save the Reef from an ‘in danger’ listing,” she said.


“I’ve had a bill before the federal Parliament to adopt Unesco’s clear recommendations since they first expressed concern about the Great Barrier Reef’s future.

“To keep the Reef on the World Heritage list, the Government should simply pass my bill to adopt UNESCO’s recommendations on restricting ports, dredging and dumping in the Great Barrier Reef.”

The fate of the Reef in relation to the UN’s list will be decided at UNESCO’s World Heritage committee meeting in the German city of Bonn in June.