Great Barrier Reef Foundation

The Great Barrier Reef Foundation is an Australian non-profit organisation established in 1999[2] to help protect and preserve the Great Barrier Reef. The foundation was formed in response to the first mass coral bleaching of the reef in 1998.[3][4]

Great Barrier Reef Foundation
FormerlyGreat Barrier Reef Research Foundation
TypeNon-profit
IndustryEnvironmentalism
Founded19 November 1999 (1999-11-19) in Newstead, Queensland, Australia
Headquarters
Australia 
Area served
Australia
Key people
  • John Michael Schubert AO (Chairman)
  • Anna Catherine Marsden (Managing Director)
Revenue AUD$ 7,715,306[1] (2017)
AUD$ -1,339,246 (2017)
AUD$ -1,339,246 (2017)
Total assets AUD$ 3,297,679 (2017)
Members127
Number of employees
6 (2017)
Websitebarrierreef.org

2018 Government grant controversy

In 2018 the Turnbull Government announced an unprecedented AUD$443 million grant to the foundation. The grant was met with backlash and questions of corruption, as the grant was not properly tendered and failed to follow transparency rules.[5][6] The Australia Broadcasting Corporation noted that when the government awarded the foundation the grant, it had just 6 full-time employees, whereas the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, another organization working in the same field, had over 200 full-time employees.[7] They also noted that the grant's decision was made after a private closed-door meeting between Malcolm Turnbull, Josh Frydenberg, and the foundation's chair, and that there was no competitive process for this grant.[7] The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the organization refused to disclose its founders, which included shale oil developer Ian McFarlane, and asbestos magnate John B. Reid.[8]

References
  1. "Annual Report 2017" (PDF). Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Retrieved 14 September 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ASIC Company Record; ACN 090 616 443
  3. "The Foundation". Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  4. Science, jurisdiction=Commonwealth of Australia; corporateName=Australian Institute of Marine. "About the Australian Institute of Marine Science". www.aims.gov.au. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  5. environment; science; Slezak, technology reporter Michael (16 January 2019). "Government's $444m grant to reef body did not comply with transparency rules, Audit Office says". ABC News. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  6. Chen, David; Gartry, Laura (22 May 2018). "Labor slams $444m reef funding to foundation with 'six full-time staff' without tender". ABC News. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  7. Purtill, James; Tilley, Tom (8 August 2018). "We spoke to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation that may have to give back $444m". www.abc.net.au. Australia Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  8. Hannam, Peter (1 August 2018). "Secretive Great Barrier Reef Foundation reveals four founding leaders". www.smh.com.au. The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.