Former Telstra chief executive David Thodey – who has been appointed the new chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, with former public service mandarin Martin Parkinson as deputy chairman – says he wants to move to a more sustainable model for helping save the natural wonder.

While the United Nations continues to threaten to put the Great Barrier Reef on an endangered site list, Mr Thodey said greater collaboration between government and business was needed to help save the reef from the ravages of climate change.