I'M very lucky to have a special connection to the Great Barrier Reef. I grew up in the tropical paradise of Green Island - a small coral cay, about an hour boat ride out of Cairns. I was remote schooled through correspondence, allowing me to snorkel, free dive and explore the Reef since I was a little girl.
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Until recently, my parents owned and operated Marineland Melanesia, a crocodile and marine life habitat on the island. My extended family still live and work on the island and I worked with them for many years. I always wanted to be on the water, so eventually I moved to scuba diving and working on tourist boats.
The pandemic has been a disaster for the tourism industry here in Far North Queensland. I lost my job and my parents lost their business. Luckily for mum and dad, they were going into retirement anyway; but a lot of us have a long, hard road ahead.
Losing my job gave me time to think about my career and priorities, and it gave me a new determination to do all I can to help protect our wonderful Reef. It has made me realise how important it is, and I am thankful for everything it has given to me.
I want to see Far North Queensland candidates in the upcoming Queensland state election really commit to, and fight for, policies that will help our Reef - at the same time as creating jobs for people like me.
Most importantly, we need to address climate change, which is making marine heatwaves more frequent, and leading to three mass bleaching events on our Reef in five years. By advocating for and committing to renewable energy projects both big and small that bring in jobs and skills, our local politicians can ensure our city and region plays its role in protecting our Reef.
Transitioning from the burning of dirty fossil fuels to clean renewable energy will also help futureproof the tens of thousands of tourism jobs our Reef supports.
In the short and medium term, we need to find alternative employment for thousands of tourism workers. Divers like myself and boat captains can help with important scientific monitoring projects so we can build an accurate picture of how our Reef is recovering from the latest mass bleaching event. Work on restoring Reef catchments will also improve water quality, addressing one of the major threats to our Reef.
We need to let politicians know what's important to us as Cairns locals, as Queenslanders, and as those that rely on the Great Barrier Reef for our livelihood. We need to make sure our candidates are making steps in the right direction that will benefit us all.
Jemma Craig is a dive instructor at the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns.
