THE Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to protecting the Great Barrier Reef was reaffirmed today at a positive meeting with UNESCO in Paris.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning Jackie Trad said that the meeting provided an opportunity to outline the actions the Palaszczuk Government was taking to implement the Reef 2050 Long Term Sustainability Plan.

“The Great Barrier Reef is an incredible world icon and the Palaszczuk Government has made a firm commitment to protect it,” Ms Trad said.

“While UNESCO provided positive feedback on the work already underway, they recognised the importance of strengthening our vegetation protections laws – one of the Palaszczuk Government’s key commitments to protect the Great Barrier Reef.”

“Despite recent setbacks in Parliament the....Government is still resolutely committed to protecting our Reef and will reinstate our nation leading vegetation protection laws if we are returned at the next election.

“We’ve been undertaking work to build the resilience of the reef and helping it recover from events like recent coral bleaching.

“We are investing an additional $22 million on reef water quality programs this year and I am confident this will reap widespread benefits.

“We have also allocated $33 million over four years to projects that will work with graziers and sugarcane growers to reduce the runoff of nutrients, sediment and pesticides from pollutant hot spots.”

A progress update on implementation of the Reef 2050 Plan to the World Heritage Centre and International Union for Conservation of Nature is due to be submitted in December.

“I acknowledge the World Heritage Centre will then undertake a robust scientific assessment of this report to ensure the Australian and Queensland Governments keep faith with their commitments in Bonn last year, when UNESCO considered listing the Great Barrier Reef as ‘in danger’,” Trad said.

The Deputy Premier met with Dr Fanny Douvere, the Senior Project Officer and Coordinator of the Marine Program for the World Heritage Centre, UNESCO, in Paris.