Minister for the Great Barrier Reef named in new Queensland Cabinet
Queensland's first Minister for the Great Barrier Reef has been sworn in as part of new Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's first cabinet.
The new ministry includes a mix of experience and fresh parliamentarians, with the following Ministers having responsibility for leisure portfolios:
• Annastacia Palaszczuk - Premier, Minister for the Arts
• Kate Jones - Minister for Education, Minister for Tourism, Major Events and Small Business, Minister for Commonwealth Games
• Bill Byrne - Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Minister for Sport and Racing
• Steven Miles - Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection, Minister for National Parks and the Great Barrier Reef
The new role of Minister for the Great Barrier Reef will be responsible for delivering ALP environmental commitments including: a ban on dumping dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area; an 80% reduction in pollution run-off into the reef by 2025; and the reinstatement of key legal safeguards.
With Australia under global pressure to take better care of the world’s largest coral reef system, whose biggest threat, the appointment of Minister Miles is seen as being particularly timely
The move has been welcomed by World Wildlife Fund Australia, whose Chief Executive Dermot O’Gorman stated “having a Minister for the Reef is an important signal that saving our national icon is a priority for this new administration
“It is a matter of urgency that (a) long term plan to save the Reef ... be submitted to UNESCO.
“WWF-Australia stands ready to work with Minister Miles and the new Queensland Government to turn around the decline of the Reef.”
At its annual meeting in June, the World Heritage Committee will consider whether to declare the Great Barrier Reef 'World Heritage in danger'.
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