So, the Great Barrier Reef isn't "in danger"... but for how long?

UNESCO's draft decision may seem like good news, but Australia has been put on notice. It's clear that more must be done to protect the Reef - and that means tackling the biggest threats, not tinkering around the edges.

While billions of dollars have been directed towards reef protection over the past decade, two elephants in the room remain largely unaddressed: climate change and deforestation.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority clearly states that "Climate change is the greatest threat to the Reef". Yet Australia's ambition on climate action is internationally woeful, and the Queensland Government's Energy Roadmap locks in fossil fuels for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, according to a recent report from the Australian Climate & Biodiversity Foundation (ACBF), "Sediment from deforestation remains the major unsolved impact on Great Barrier Reef water quality." The solution here? Enforcement of laws that already exist.

Our Reef is more than "the backbone of Queensland's economy" - it protects our coastline and supports more biodiversity than any other World Heritage Area. It's also Sea Country for around 70 Traditional Owner groups, whose ongoing connection and management has endured for thousands of years.

It's crucial that Senator Murray Watt and Minister Andrew Powell don't let this draft decision be a sigh of relief. This is an urgent call to stop just tinkering around the edges and start taking systemic threats seriously - for the sake of our Reef.

What you can do:

Share ACBF's report (linked above) and tag Senator Murray Watt and Minister Andrew Powell. Some of the biggest threats to our Reef are preventable - but only if the political will exists.