I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet today and pay my respects to Elders past and present.
Thank you, Anna, for the invitation to be part of your annual State of the Reef event.
I'd like to acknowledge Kerri-Anne Dooley MP representing the Queensland Government.
It is wonderful to be here with you all. Working in and around the Reef in recent years really has been special.
I have shared boardrooms, the back of boats, cane farms, and rooms like this with some incredibly smart, talented and driven people who care deeply about the Reef and its future. Thank you for your contributions in this field and for being here today.
I have been to a few State of the Reef events now – each in a slightly different capacity. Last time I was here as Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef.
Today, I am here as Assistant Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, I am going to talk to you about the Pacific and how coral reefs are helping to build climate resilience in our region.
The ocean, its ecosystems, and its coral reefs, underpin the culture, livelihoods, security and resilience of our Blue Pacific.
As Prime Minister Feleti Teo of Tuvalu has said, while the ocean is home to the Pacific, it also represents its greatest vulnerability.
I had the opportunity to spend time with the Prime Minister this week, at a Climate Talona about gender and climate. He is a fierce advocate for all women in the Pacific.
But I think about the women of Tuvalu, who for generations, have collected shells, to make necklaces and jewellery.
They wait for the days when the tide is the lowest, days which reveal small islands and shores – otherwise out of sight, and there, the shells of the best quality, collected at the right time, and without damaging the delicate coral of the reef.
These days only come a few times a year. Women consult tide calendars to know these days. Drawing on knowledge that has been passed down through generations.
These calendars integrate traditional knowledge with scientific monitoring – and are produced with the support of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
And because it is 2026 there is also an app – which tracks the tide, and moon, and sun-phases across the Pacific.
These women know their ocean better than anyone and they know it is changing.
Our Pacific region holds some 27 per cent of the world's coral reefs, spread over vast areas, which some 8 million people rely upon, including for their food and livelihood.
These reefs are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet.
Supporting not only the communities of the nations and territories they border, but they're recognised globally for their contribution to tourism, industry, cultural and heritage values.
But coral reefs are facing unprecedented challenges, with climate change the most serious threat. This isn't just a challenge for our Reef but all of them.
Coral bleaching events, cyclones, and human impacts like overfishing are already changing the composition and cover of reefs that communities rely on.
Now more than ever, it is critical that we work together to support each other to manage our reefs, to ensure their resilience in the face of a changing climate.
Of course, the Great Barrier Reef is the best managed reef in the world. This incredible UNESCO World Heritage site has inspired brilliant minds, driven investment in science, a supported a tourism industry built upon the Reef. That's why Australian's care deeply about the Reef.
And here at home in Australia, our government is taking action to protect the Great Barrier Reef for generations to come.
We are world leaders in resilience-based management - it is science-led, industry-supported and government-backed. That's why we are investing a record $1.2 billion in protection and restoration programs for our Great Barrier Reef.
But if we look beyond our shores and past the Great Barrier Reef, there are sites across the Pacific that are just as spectacular and ecologically diverse. And all across our region communities are coming together great to protect these precious sites.
Take the Rock Islands in Palau, another UNESCO World Heritage listed site, recognized for its natural and cultural heritage.
It includes the highest concentration of marine lakes in the world, which continue to yield new species discoveries.
The terrestrial environment supports numerous endemic and endangered species.
There is rock art and there are burials sites, and the area continues today to be an important part of the Palauan national identity.
Acknowledging the changing climate, the increasing threat of rising sea levels and more frequent heat waves, local authorities in Palau developed a resilience strategy in a truly collaborative effort to protect their Rock Islands.
The Foundation has been integral to this work, collaborating closely with UNESCO, universities and the private sector.
There has already been tangible results from this initiative in Palau, particularly in the application of traditional knowledge to guide coastal fisheries management planning in the Rock Islands Southern lagoon.
In 2021, the local management authority adopted its coastal fisheries management plan, a blueprint for restoring reef fish and invertebrate populations, promoting sustainable harvesting in harmony with robust ecosystems, and ensuring the enduring well-being of the local community through its coastal fisheries.
Anna and her team at the Foundation continue to collaborate with many of our Pacific neighbours to strengthen the resilience of the region's marine environment.
- Resilient Reefs Pasifika is a $15 million initiative supporting Pacific-led action to strengthen reef resilience.
- The program is grounded in partnership with Pacific communities, ensuring solutions are locally driven, culturally informed, and built to last.
- Three regional hubs will anchor this effort—in Samoa, FSM, and a third location currently under assessment.
- These hubs will fund and coordinate on-the-ground reef projects, while building local capacity and enabling knowledge-sharing across the region.
- An Accelerator Program will connect high-impact Pacific initiatives with global funding, helping scale proven solutions and unlock long-term investment.
This is about strengthening reef resilience and regional resilience—supporting livelihoods, food security, and climate adaptation across the Pacific.
There are many more collaborations occurring across the region.
From the Reef Authority's Pacific Coral Collective to the Australian Institute of Marine Science's Reefseed and Reefcloud programs.
We are sharing, collaborating and learning at the same time. In true partnership.
I encourage you to continue this work and do more. We're not just custodians of the Great Barrier Reef, we are part of the Blue Pacific and we have an important role to play.
Later this year, we will play that role when all eyes are on the Pacific for the pre-COP meeting. This presents one the strongest opportunities for the world to listen to the Pacific priorities and voices.
To understand the very real consequences of climate change, and to share their wealth of knowledge, history, cultural connection and experience as we seek to address the challenges that confront all coral reefs.
The Pacific-identified priorities for the meeting are about ensuring the survival of the Pacific communities in the face of climate adversity and closing the gap between ambition and action, including the ocean-climate nexus.
Australia's role in the ocean-climate nexus is to elevate ocean-based climate action and pursue opportunities for sustainable ocean management.
Protecting coral reefs is just one component of the conversation, but it is one of the most tangible, where we can deliver practical outcomes and real results.
Of course this work requires innovative approaches, locally, regionally and globally.
By working cooperatively as a region, we can achieve better outcomes for all. Together we are stronger.
2026 has the potential to be a turning point for the Pacific and its ocean communities.
Thank you to the Foundation for hosting today's event and facilitating these important discussions, and thank you all for the work you do.
There is always more work to do.