Do decision-makers listen to stakeholders?

The Reef 2050 Plan is a joint Federal and Queensland Government plan for protecting and managing the Great Barrier Reef from 2015 to 2050. Its overarching framework is based on the vision; ‘to ensure the Great Barrier Reef continues to improve on its Outstanding Universal Value every decade between now and 2050 to be a natural wonder for each successive generation to come.’ The framework aims to address the key threats identified in the 2014 Outlook Report by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, which included climate change, coastal development, runoff and fishing. While there was a thorough consultation process with stakeholders in the early stages of the policy formation, it ultimately failed to translate these theoretical concerns into practical effect. The result of which has been the development of a sustainability project which is insufficient to maintain the ‘natural wonder’ of the Great Barrier Reef for future generations. The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system, and extends over 3000km from Bundaberg in Queensland to the northern tip of Cape York, there are a large number of stakeholders who have a vested interest, right or claim in the Reef. A stakeholder in this context can……