A Great Barrier Reef Economic Zone: A Strategy for Regional Resilience

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is a national icon, World Heritage Area, and under sustained threat from climate change and terrestrial land-use. It is also a complex AUD 95 billion asset generating 77,000 jobs and contributing AUD 9 billion annually to Australia’s economy, a 69% increase over the 2017 valuation despite climate pressures and coral bleaching events. With 1.2 million residents in the GBR catchment, reef health directly impacts local economies and communities. We propose that alignment of reef investments with collaborative regional resilience through a Great Barrier Reef Economic Zone will improve the resilience of the regions sustained by and who care for the GBR. More inclusive than standard linear mechanistic thinking, this circular approach will leverage the GBR’s international status to attract continuing investment in regional resilience and sustainable growth and improve GBR management outcomes.