Last year mainstream media reported that Australian Prime Minister & Liberal MP for Wentworth Malcolm Turnbull (former director Goldman Sachs), Minister for Environment and Energy & Liberal MP for Kooyong Josh Frydenberg (former director Deutsche Bank Australia) and Chair of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation & Member of the Business Council of Australia John Schubert (former chair Commonwealth Bank) met on 9 April 2018 to discuss the allocation of a grant valued at in excess of AU$487.6 million to the foundation.
The grant had not been advertised or put to tender.
It was further reported that Great Barrier Reef scientists were told they would need to make “trade-offs” to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, including focusing on projects that would look good for the government and encourage more corporate donations, emails tabled in the Senate reveal.
A Senate report of the Great Barrier Reef 2050 Partnership Program has just been published here.
The question now is will the Senate and the House bring on a vote to reverse this grant?
The
Senate committee looking at the Great Barrier Reef Foundation $444 million
grant has handed down it’s report.
From Peter
Whish-Wilson:
The
Senate Environment & Communications References Committee inquiry report
into the Great Barrier Reef 2050 Partnership Program was tabled today by the
Chair of the inquiry, Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson.
Senator
Whish-Wilson said, “This was the Senate at its best, acting swiftly and working
cooperatively to scrutinise, in full, government policy of significant public
importance.
“This
grant was a desperate attempt to cover up this Government’s legacy of reef
mismanagement, years of chronic underfunding and disregard for climate change,
in the context of an imminent World Heritage ‘in danger’ listing.
“It
was clearly a political decision made with no consultation, due diligence or
regard for proper process.
“It’s
a textbook case of how not to implement public policy, and a perfect example of
why we shouldn’t trust the future of a dying reef to a government intent on
outsourcing public policy.
“This
report and its recommendations are a good opportunity to press reset and build
the best blueprint for future reef management, in full consultation with all
stakeholders.
Some
of the conclusions from the Committee were:
“The
granting of $444 million to the Reef Foundation was a highly irresponsible
decision, hastily concocted by relevant ministers, without proper consideration
of risks and potential effectiveness, no consultation with key stakeholders,
and without having undertaken due diligence.”
“This
‘off-the-cuff’ decision has caused massive disruption to existing policy and
program delivery, including by existing government agencies. It has all the
hallmarks of a government that is not properly managing its responsibility as
the guardian of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef.”
“There
were widespread concerns about “whether the Foundation was the right organisation
to manage such a significant investment,” including “the Foundation’s ability
to handle such a rapid increase in size and responsibilities, the high cost of
administration, and the duplication and governance complexities the Partnership
introduces.”
“The
most appropriate action for the Commonwealth to take is to terminate the
Foundation Partnership. The committee believes this is necessary to help
restore trust in the process of Commonwealth funding for the Reef, if not the
entire Commonwealth grants process. The committee also considers that this is
necessary to ensure that Commonwealth funding is spent in the best possible way
to help protect and preserve the world’s largest coral reef system.”
And
the recommendations:
o
That
all unspent Foundation Partnership funds be returned to the Commonwealth
immediately; and that these funds be earmarked for expenditure on projects to
protect and preserve the Reef, to be expended by 30 June 2024.
o
That
a review, to be completed by 1 July 2019, be undertaken of the structure of
Commonwealth funding to protect and preserve the Reef; the committee further
recommends that the expenditure of unspent Foundation Partnership funds be
guided by the outcome of this review.
o
That
the Australian and Queensland Governments publish an updated Reef 2050 Plan
Investment Framework that provides current figures on established funding by
source and priority area.
o
Should
a future Government decide to maintain the Foundation Agreement, the committee
recommends that all necessary steps be undertaken to ensure that the
Foundation’s investment of public funds precludes investment in sectors or
funds that directly or indirectly contribute to climate change, particularly
companies that generate energy from or undertake mining of fossil fuels.
o
Should
a future Government decide to maintain the Foundation Agreement, the committee
recommends that the Senate order: That — (a) There be laid on the table by the
Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Energy, by no later
than 31 October each year; (i) an annual performance statement for the previous
financial year that provides information about the Great Barrier Reef
Foundation’s performance in achieving the purposes of the Great Barrier Reef
2050 Partnership Program; and; (ii) independent and audited financial
statements for the previous financial year for all receipts and payments
relating to the Great Barrier Reef 2050 Partnership Program funds, including
any co financed contributions; (b) If the Senate is not sitting when a
statement is ready for presentation, the statement is to be presented to the
President under standing order 166; (c) This order has effect until the end of
the last financial year in which the Agreement is operative, following the
cessation of the Partnership.
o
Should
a future government decide to maintain the Foundation Agreement, that the
Auditor-General undertake a second audit of the Partnership in late 2019–20
once the final design aspects of the Partnership have been finalised.
o
That
the Australian Government take steps to address and effectively tackle climate
change as an underlying cause of economic, social and environmental damage to
the Reef and the Australian environment more broadly.
