article_snippet: The Australian government has rallied behind a plan to protect the Great Barrier Reef from future degradation, releasing a long-term plan to prevent the World Heritage Site from being declared 'in danger'.
article_snippet: The World Heritage Committee is to decide whether The Reef is on the 'in danger' list in June, and in a bid to ensure the long-term health of the national treasure, the Federal and Queensland governments released The Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan.
article_snippet: The Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan was announced by Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Saturday .
article_snippet: Queensland Environment Minister Steven Miles said run-off of sediment, nutrients and pesticides was the biggest medium term threat to the reef, which The plan addressed. '
article_snippet: With The plan, we will be able to convince the World Heritage Committee that not only should the World Heritage Committee not list the Great Barrier Reef as in-danger but that we will actually keep the Great Barrier Reef from being in danger,' Queensland Environment Minister Steven Miles said.
article_snippet: Greenpeace labelled The plan weak, as The plan still allows for massive coal port expansion and did not address climate change to a deserved extent, despite the report declaring this the main threat facing the Great Barrier Reef.
article_snippet: The work that’s being undertaken to improve water quality builds on the Commonwealth Government’s total and permanent ban on the dumping of capital dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park,' the statement said. '
highlights_snippet: The Federal and Queensland governments released The Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan on Saturday .
  
highlights_snippet: Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that Australia is 'utterly committed to the protection of The Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan includes a ban on dumping dredge spoil and an aim for better water quality .