CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT

Following the new findings that by Deloitte Access Economics that suggest the Great Barrier Reef has a total asset value of $56 billion, which is predominantly driven by tourism, the Government has today announced plans to help transition tour operators to continue their trade elsewhere.

Deloitte has calculated the economic, social and iconic value of the world heritage site in a report commissioned by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Tourism is the biggest contributor to the total asset value making up $29 billion – and generates 64,000 jobs in Australia and contributes $6.4 billion dollars to the national economy.

This puts The Great Barrier Reef in direct competition with the imminent Central Queensland Adani Mine, which is expected to be worth $16 billion and roughly 1,500 jobs.

This report has left the remaining Australian politicians who believe in science finding themselves between a rock and a hard place, as many scientists feel the Adani mine will ruin the already fragile Great Barrier Reef entirely.

Speaking to the media today Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, says she understands the discrepancies between the reef’s $56 billion values and 64,000 jobs and the coal mines $16 billion and 1,500 jobs, but is willing to hear out both sides.

“The bottom line is, these foreign mining companies can promise new jobs to unskilled people, whereas the reef’s jobs have always existed”

“Not to mention the fact that the reef has never really taken a politician out to lunch…”

While Palaszczuk says she can see a compromise in redirecting tourism from the Great Barrier Reef towards the open-cut coal mine industry, the Queensland government is still not sure what to do with the recreational users, including divers and boaters, who make up $3 billion of the $56 billion valuation.

“The Great Barrier Reef may be a world renowned wonder of nature, but I daresay we can attract the same numbers to a world renowned wonder of fossil fuel”

“Adani is the new Great Barrier Reef. It’s as simple as that”