Analysis of an Environmental Policy Context

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ANALYSIS OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY CONTEXT
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Environmental Policy analysis
Environmental policies are introduced at the national level and detail their consequences
in relation to areas such as water, land, and food. The objective of every environmental policy is
to promote sustainable development and control pollution. Environmental policies have far-
reaching impacts on the environment. It is a fundamental requirement to understand the social
and geographical structure of the area before creating environmental policy. As a policy analyst
for an organization, I have been assigned an environmental issue of the agricultural runoff and
the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and make a background analysis of the environmental policy,
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act.
The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is a diverse ecosystem that is located on along the
northeast coast of Australia and extends for more than 2,300 km1. The diversity of GBR
encompasses 2,000 sponge species, 620 fish species, 410 hard coral species, 14 sea snakes
species, 300 mollusk species, 500 marine alga species, 630 echinoderm species and seven
species of marine turtle. It was concluded that many communities of coral reef are tolerant of
sediment and turbidity. Recent geological and palaeoecological data from the GBR suggests that
the equilibrium between sedimentation and resuspension of the deposit impacts the reef growth.
What is more favorable for coral reef initiation and distribution are low sediment deposition
rates2. Improvement in agricultural practices can prevent the chemicals flowing onto the reef3.
The farmers need to make fundamental changes in their agricultural and land use practices.
1 Richards, Zoe T., and Jon C. Day. “Biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef?” PeerJ. 2.
2 Browne, N.K., S.G. Smithers, and C.T. Perry. “Coral Reefs of the Turbid Inner-Shelf” Earth-
Science Reviews16 (2012): 1–20.
3 Goldberg, Jeremy A., Nadine A. Marshall, Alastair Birtles, Peter Case, Matthew I. Curnock,
and Georgina G. Gurney. “On the Relationship between Attitudes and Environmental
Behaviors” Ecology & Society 175.

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50% of the live coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef has already been lost and
documented for over the last 30 years. The most significant challenges for GBR management
include anthropogenic threats such as climate change, coral-eating starfish and poor water
quality4. The Great Barrier Reef must be protected and managed for current and future
generations. Every year, about $200 million is spent by the Australian and Queensland
governments on the protection of the reef5.
The Australian government is working hard to manage the Great Barrier Reef and control
pollution. The Great Barrier Reef Committee and the Royal Society of London performed the
first comprehensive assessment of the GBR in 19286. The Australian Labor Party and the
Liberal Party of Australia are the two major Australian political parties who have contributed to
the climate policies7. These policies have varied significantly over the years. The unpredictable
nature of Australian climate policy can be attributed to the nature of the political party in power.
Several plans and programs are run for the safety and protection of the Great Barrier Reef such
as Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan, The Reef Trust, Great Barrier Reef Gully, and
Streambank Joint Program8. Reef Trust worth over $700 million remains committed to improve
quality of water, restore health of coastal ecosystem and protect the species in the Great Barrier
Reef. Great Barrier Reef Gully and Streambank Joint Program places its focus on sediment run-
off and control the erosion. Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan designs a framework to
safeguard the Reef in both short term and long term.
4 Goldberg, 175.
5 Australian Government. “Managing and protecting the Great Barrier Reef.” Department of
environment and energy (March 2019) https://www.environment.gov.au/marine/gbr/protecting-the-
reef
6 Browne, N.K., S.G. Smithers, and C.T. Perry ,2.
7 Anita Talberg, Simeon Hui and Kate Loynes. “Australian climate change policy”, Parliament
of Australia 1
8 Australian Government.