The Australian government is pledging more cash and effort to protect the Great Barrier Reef to prevent the United Nations from stripping its world heritage status away.
But the moves have failed to please green groups, who plan to protest in Brisbane on Friday over the threats they believe the reef faces from proposed coal and gas developments, AAP reports.
UNESCO raised concerns about the reef last year when it sent a team to Queensland to investigate the likely impact of expanded port development and shipping along the coast.
It made a number of recommendations to the government, prompting green groups to warn the reef could be bumped to the danger list if UNESCO didn't receive a response by 1 February.
Environment Minister Tony Burke said on Friday the government had made "substantial progress" in addressing the UNESCO recommendations.
In a statement, Mr Burke pledged a further $A800,000 to fight the crown-of-thorns starfish, a major threat both to the reef ecosystem and the $A6 billion tourism industry it supports.
The reef was granted world heritage status in 1981, but has since faced coral bleaching, cyclones, runoff, crown-of-thorns starfish and commercial activity.
The Australian Marine Conservation Society and the World Wildlife Fund are campaigning against 45 proposed development projects that could bring thousands more ships to the reef.
