Shorten to scuttle Turnbull’s reef deal

Bill Shorten will tear up a controversial $444 million contract with a Cairns-based Great Barrier Reef charity.

Bill Shorten and his wife Chloe are seen at an Easter egg hunt event at Bulimba Golf Club in Brisbane, yesterday. Picture: AAP

Bill Shorten will tear up a controversial $444 million contract with a Cairns-based Great Barrier Reef charity and hand the money to public agencies under Labor’s rescue plan for the natural wonder and tourist attraction.

The policy comes as the Opposition Leader also promises to pump nearly $200m into boosting regional tourism, including a $20m handout to the nation’s peak tourism body once headed by Scott Morrison.

Labor, which has long criticised the Great Barrier Reef Foundation contract signed off by Malcolm Turnbull, will today announce the funds will be redirected to strengthen environmental standards governing the reef and restore the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

“Labor will terminate this dodgy Liberal contract for $444m to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and return the balance of the funding to our public agencies, ensuring every dollar is spent on the conservation of our reef,” Mr Shorten said before today’s ­announcement.

“The reef supports 64,000 jobs and unique marine life — Australia has a responsibility to ensure the reef survives and thrives, and we will start this job by ensuring reef protection is the work of our public agencies and science experts.”

The federal government awarded the grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation after Mr Turnbull and then environment minister Josh Frydenberg held a private meeting with its chairman, John Schubert, last April.

The Australian revealed Mr Turnbull met Dr Schubert to tell him of the grant just 11 days after cabinet’s expenditure review committee decided to “seek a commercial partner” for a reef plan. The foundation had just six full-time staff members at the time.

Labor will also give out $40m in grants to improve infrastructure at existing tourism attractions, $30m to expand tourism opportunities, and $20m for Tourism Australia to improve how it markets Australia to both international and domestic audiences.

A Shorten government would also set up a $100m fund for local councils and help them look after regional airports.

The $20m boost for Tourism Australia will ramp up the capabilities of the agency, which the Prime Minister ran in the early 2000s, signing off on its infamous “Where the Bloody Hell Are You?” campaign.

Mr Morrison was later sacked from Tourism Australia after he fell out with then tourism minister Fran Bailey.

“Australia’s tourism offerings are among the best in the world. However, retaining Australia’s competitive advantage as a tourism destination requires investment in high-quality, accessible infrastructure, particularly in ­regional areas,” Mr Shorten said.

“This makes a significant difference to the local economies of ­regional and rural towns across the nation. Labor’s investment in regional tourism will grow the number of international and domestic visit­ors to regional Australia, supporting local businesses and growing local jobs.”

As part of its plan to protect the Great Barrier Reef, Labor will invest in real-time monitoring of reef-safe water quality targets and whether other environmental standards should be introduced to maintain the reef.

A Shorten government would also add more indigenous rangers, include more indigenous elders on scientific research projects and consult with First Nations representatives on how to expand ­Traditional Use of Marine ­Resources Agreements to protect turtles and dugongs.