Close to $330 million will be invested by the State Government to protect the Great Barrier Reef, regenerate land, support tourism and create jobs as part of its economic recovery plan.

The multi-million dollar injection into Queensland’s environment will build on the $400 million already invested by the government in the world heritage-listed reef since 2015 and open up a second round of funding for its Australian-first Land Restoration Fund.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said her government backed the reef, backed the land and backed the thousands of jobs and industries that rely on a healthy environment.

“Making sure our environment thrives goes hand-in-hand with creating jobs as part of our plan for economic recovery from COVID-19. You simply can’t have one without the other. A healthy reef means more tourists and more tourists means more jobs,” the Premier said.

“My government will invest $270 million to continue successful Reef Water Quality Improvement programs from the Far North to Wide Bay and our commitment to protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

“We will also invest $60 million for round two of the Land Restoration Fund after we saw 18 projects in round one restore thousands of hectares of land and successfully stop 1.9 million tonnes of CO2 from entering our atmosphere, while also creating new jobs and training opportunities right across our state.”

Member for Cook Cynthia Lui said many communities and businesses from Cooktown to the northern reaches of the Cape rely on a healthy Great Barrier Reef, including dozens of tourism operators – and that the funding would ensure the reef and jobs it supports could be protected for generations to come.

“Our towns are the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef’s most beautiful coral cays and systems, with thousands of tourists visiting communities and spending dollars on local business before they explore this heritage-listed area,” Ms Lui said.

“By investing an additional $270 million to make sure the reef remains healthy and thriving means we’re investing in local jobs the reef supports.

Ms Lui welcomed additional funding for the Land Restoration Fund, with the first fund already reaping benefits for the region.

“The first round of the Land Restoration fund saw $3.74 million invested into a 16-year project in Douglas Shire to regenerate land at Saltwater Creek.

“That project alone is already creating jobs, improving water quality between local waterways and the reef, and improving ecosystems for threatened wildlife.”

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the biggest threats to our reef and the environment are water quality and greenhouse gas emissions – which is why the government is making these significant investments.

Mr Miles said the announcement follows the launch of the Palaszczuk Government’s $3.34 billion Queensland Jobs Fund, encouraging investment in job-creating industries like renewable energy and resource recovery.

“Our $500 million Land Restoration Fund will be boosted by a new Natural Capital Fund that will allow industry, business and farmers to partner and co-invest in more regenerative projects for Queensland,” Mr Miles said.

“We’re also allocating seed funding towards the Natural Capital Fund, which will help with greenhouse gas reduction, capture carbon in soil and native forest renewal, while ensuring greater job opportunities in regional Queensland.

“Investing in protecting our reef and environment is part of our Government’s economic plan, creating jobs and supporting key industries.”

Member for Cairns Michael Healy said investing in the health of the reef would support Far North Queensland’s tourism operators who showcase the region’s nature to thousands of visitors every year.

“We’ve worked very closely with tourism operators to support their recovery from COVID-19. With international borders still closed, we’ve helped them with fee relief, tourism vouchers to attract more domestics visitors and today we’re making sure the reef can continue to be a jewel in Australia’s tourism crown,” Mr Healy said.