Senator BRANDIS (Queensland—Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate, Vice-President of the Executive Council, Minister for Arts and Attorney-General) (14:33): Thank you, Senator Waters. I am familiar with Ms Bishop's remarks and I agree with them. We know that the Great Barrier Reef is under pressure. We have made and continue to make significant progress in addressing those pressures. But the conclusion that the Great Barrier Reef is in danger is a technical assessment to be made by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee. The committee will make its decision on this in June next year in Bonn. We are demonstrating world's best practice in working with the World Heritage Committee to ensure that the Great Barrier Reef is preserved for generations to come. Senator Milne interjecting— Senator BRANDIS: Senator Milne, you may not want to see the Australian government achieve its objectives in protecting the Great Barrier Reef. The PRESIDENT: Through the chair! Senator BRANDIS: I know you are a senator who only likes bad news, but I have good news for you. The Australian and the Queensland governments are jointly investing around $180 million a year to preserve and conserve the Great Barrier Reef. The PRESIDENT: Pause the clock! Senator Waters: I rise on a point of order regarding relevance. I appreciate the background, but I am actually interested in whether the minister will update her advice to the US President about the recent changes to Queensland's water laws. The PRESIDENT: The minister has 48 seconds in which to answer the question. I remind him of the question. Senator BRANDIS: I am addressing the very issue, Senator Waters, about which you asked me. We have prepared a draft Reef 2050 long-term sustainability plan that maps out the pathway for the next 35 years. This plan has been developed with relevant stakeholders, including WWF and the Australian Academy of Science. The government is working with stakeholders, including UNESCO's World Heritage Committee and the technical adviser to make sure we get this long-term plan right. The Australian government and the Queensland government are determined to preserve the Great Barrier Reef for the benefit of future generations. We are taking the steps necessary to do so and, as I said, we are cooperating with UNESCO in that regard. (Time expired)