This updated reef plan, released by the Australian and Queensland governments, is the overarching framework for protecting and managing the Great Barrier Reef until 2050.

This plan incorporates new actions needed to abate the listed key threatening process, particularly actions to develop understanding about microplastic impacts and the potential role of new technologies in waste management.

The purpose of this review is to advise on a governance model for the Australian Antarctic Science Program (AASP) as currently administered by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD).

Like reefs all over the world, the Great Barrier Reef is under pressure. A big challenge demands a big response and, during the International Year of the Reef 2018, the Australian government is investing an additional half a billion dollars in its health and resilience.

In September 2017, the Department of the Environment and Energy commissioned Blue Environment and sub-consultants to manage its waste data and reporting needs until 2019. An early project requirement was to research and propose improvements to the previous versions of the core waste reports, particularly the national waste report. The work program to explore potential...