Environment groups tell UN’s world heritage committee that some causes of reef’s fading health are not being addressed

The Great Barrier Reef risks being officially listed as “in danger” unless Australia provides greater funding to reduce pollution and widens a ban on dumping sediment into the reef’s waters, environment groups have told the UN.

In a joint submission to Unesco’s world heritage committee, the World Wildlife Fund and the Australian Marine Conservation Society claim that key concerns over the fading health of the reef are still not being addressed.



The groups call for an additional $500m to prevent chemicals from farmed land flowing on to the reef and better resourcing of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority so it can become a “true champion of the reef”.



The submission also urges the Australian government to ban dumping of dredged seabed material into the reef’s world heritage area. The federal government has committed to banning dumping, but only in the reef’s marine park, which does not include the port areas adjacent to the coral ecosystem.



The world heritage committee will meet in Germany in June to decide whether the reef, which has lost half its coral cover in the past 30 years, should be listed as “in danger”.



“If we lost 50% of the Taj Mahal there would be no question it would be on the world heritage in danger list, but when things are underwater they are less visible and less immediate,” said Richard Leck, a Great Barrier Reef campaigner at WWF.



“There is a strong case for listing the reef in danger but there is also a good chance it can be avoided if the federal government steps up its commitments. I’d say it’s too close to call at this stage.”



Leck, who travelled to France to deliver the submission, said there was “concern and shock” within Unesco at the decline of the reef.



“It’s one thing to present a plan to Unesco, it’s another thing to invest in it and make sure it’s implemented,” he said. “It won’t be successful unless you have that investment and the committee members understand that.”



Unesco has previously raised concern over port development alongside the reef, as well as dumped dredged spoil, which can smother and damage corals and sea grasses.



The latest government outlook for the reef, published last year, warns the condition of the world heritage-listed site is “poor, has worsened since 2009 and is expected to further deteriorate in the future”.



The reef is facing a range of threats, with climate change posing the greatest long-term risk. Pollution, cyclones and a plague of coral-eating starfish are also placing strain on the reef.



The federal government has a number of programs to aid the reef, such as the $40m Reef Trust, but WWF warned that without much greater funding, the ecosystem was at risk of being listed as in danger.



The Australian government has deployed a “whole of government” approach to lobbying the 21 countries that provide members to the world heritage committee, to help avoid the embarrassment of an in-danger listing.



A taskforce has been set up to coordinate the lobbying effort, and journalists from world heritage committee member countries have been invited on an all-expenses paid trip to the reef to report conservation efforts.



A spokesman for Greg Hunt, the federal environment minister, said more than $2bn would be spent on the reef over the next decade.



“This is a significant investment and it’s on top of the $2.55bn we’re spending to tackle climate change – one of the major long-term threats to the reef,” he said.



“Our Reef 2050 long-term sustainability plan sets a framework for investment and actions to protect the reef, and we’ll continue to work with Queensland and the community to ensure the funding is directed where it is needed.”