Report

Great Barrier Reef 2050 Partnership Program

13 February 2019

© Commonwealth of Australia 2019
ISBN 978-1-76010-869-4

View the report as a single document - (PDF 1047KB)


View the report as separate downloadable parts:

Committee membership (PDF 18KB)

Committee members
Former member
Committee secretariat

List of recommendations (PDF 13KB)
Chapter 1 - Introduction (PDF 147KB)

Conduct of the inquiry
Acknowledgements
Overview of the Great Barrier Reef 2050 Partnership Program
Stakeholders in the Reef management sector
2017–18 Government measures for Reef-related activities
Australian National Audit Office audit of the Partnership

Chapter 2 - The Great Barrier Reef Foundation and the $444 million Foundation Partnership (PDF 146KB)

The Great Barrier Reef Foundation
The approach to the Foundation for the $444 million Partnership
Development of Collaboration Principles for the Partnership
Approval of the grant
The Grant Agreement
Delivery of funding to the Foundation

Chapter 3 - The decision to fund the Foundation Partnership (PDF 136KB)

Initial consideration of funding for the Reef
A lack of consultation with Reef stakeholders
Lack of evidence of due diligence in the Government's decision
The use of a grant mechanism to award funding
The delivery of funds in the 2017–18 year as a single payment
Size of other Commonwealth grants awarded in 2018

Chapter 4 - Matters raised in evidence about the $444 million Foundation Partnership (PDF 397KB)

Choice of an organisation outside of government
Potential loss of the Reef's World Heritage status
Concerns about Partnership delivery and administration
Addressing critical underlying causes of damage to the Reef

Chapter 5 - Audit of the award of the grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (PDF 81KB)

Departmental advice
Program guidelines
Approval of grant funding
Evaluation of the Foundation's proposal by the department
Entity response and implications for the department

Chapter 6 - Committee view and recommendations (PDF 83KB)

A hastily and poorly designed approach
Capacity of the Foundation and Commonwealth assessment of risk
Meeting Australia's World Heritage commitments
Parliamentary oversight of the Agreement
Addressing climate change

Coalition Senators' dissenting report (PDF 24KB)
Appendix 1 - Submissions, tabled documents, additional information, answers to questions on notice, correspondence and media release (PDF 20KB)
Appendix 2 - Public hearings (PDF 12KB)

Tuesday, 18 September 2018 – Canberra
Friday, 21 September 2018 – Canberra

Committee Secretariat contact:

Committee Secretary
Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: +61 2 6277 3526
ec.sen@aph.gov.au