Australia's Reef Authority had $80 million to repair and refurbish its showpiece aquarium in Townsville, but scrapped the project for a grander design it knew it could not pay for.
Reef HQ is billed as the world's largest living coral reef exhibit and is the national centre for reef education.
"Everyone who came to Townsville ended up at Reef HQ — it is millions of dollars our economy is missing." In mid-2024 the aquarium is yet to be demolished although other buildings flagged for redevelopment in the initial $80 million plan have been torn down.GBRMPA project manager Ian Walker said the authority decided that it would need more funding in July 2022 when experts identified non-compliance issues and found the aquarium roof was leaking.
No money has been allocated to the project since the 2021-22 federal budget when $40 million was allocated for capital works matched by $40 million in City Deal money.
Great Barrier Reef Reef Hq Aquarium Funding Federal Government Reef Authority Tanya Plibersek Fish Coral Sharks Turtles Environment Museum Politics Tourism
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