Environment Minister Sussan Ley says tourism operators have been sheltered from the potential fallout from listing the Great Barrier Reef as endangered.

A UNESCO World Heritage Committee draft report had issued a recommendation to list the Great Barrier Reef as a world heritage site “in danger” because of successive reef bleaching events.

But UNESCO has given Australia another eight months to upgrade its protection of the reef before making a ruling next year.

Ms Ley told Ben Fordham “Team Australia put in a lot of hard work” for the outcome.

“An ‘in danger’ listing would have been a real kick in the teeth for our tourism operators.”

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