The Albanese Labor Government is helping more students experience the Great Barrier Reef, with applications opening today for the $6 million Kids for the Reef School Excursion Rebate Program.
Part of the $10 million Reef Educational Experience Fund (REEF) this program will subsidise the cost of excursions to the Great Barrier Reef for eligible schools and registered home educators.
The rebates will give students in years 4 to 12 first-hand understanding of the Reef's ecological significance through immersive educational experiences.
Rebates will be distance-based, with higher payments available for schools in outer regional, remote and very remote areas, schools with lower socio-educational scores, and schools taking First Nations students on eligible excursions. The program will run until June 2028, or until funding is fully allocated.
REEF has already contributed $1 million in grants for local Reef tourism operators and delivered $3 million of funding for Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) to deliver marketing and education campaigns about the Reef in overseas markets.
The Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators (AMPTO) is using REEF funding to develop and deliver a specialised Train-the-Trainer Program for Great Barrier Reef tourism operators.
The Reef Educational Experience Fund is part of the Albanese Government's $18.5 million targeted regional support, including $8.5 million to support Central Australia, to grow and strengthen Australia's tourism industry.
