The Great Barrier Reef is worth $56 billion — that’s the price tag put on the global value of our biggest living natural treasure.

 

The valuation equates to 12 Sydney Opera Houses or the cost of building Australia’s new fleet of submarines.

 

It is a bigger full-time “employer” than many of Australia’s corporate giants, including National Australia Bank, Qantas and Telstra.

 

The report also found more than half of Australians are willing to pay a new “reef tax” of $1.30 a week to help save the Reef and protect it for future generations.