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IN PHOTO: Australia's Great Barrier Reef in seen in this undated aerial file picture. Scientists say climate change could devastate Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The tourism industry fears the natural wonder could badly damaged or even extinct in 40 years. The 2,300 km (1,400 miles) reef is Australia's top tourist drawcard, attracting 4.9 million visitors a year, generating about 60,000 jobs and more than A$5.4 billion ($4.5 billion) a year for the economy. REUTERS/HO/Great Barrier Reef National Park Authority

One of Britain's highest profile billionaires, Sir Richard Branson is reportedly withdrawing his stand urging the United Nations' World Heritage Committee to place the Great Barrier Reef on its in-danger list.

In a blog post on the Virgin website, Mr. Branson wrote that the reef's condition to be "unbearably sad", saying it was being turned into an "industrial dumping ground" and under "severe threat". He previously allowed his name to be used in a campaign by the advocacy group 1MillionWomen, requesting the reef's status reduced to protect it from threats posed mainly by climate changes.

However, in the wake of a political outburst, he backed away from commenting on the issue, said, he wasn’t aware of the Australian Government’s efforts to safeguard the reef.

Meanwhile, Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt informed he would speak to the aviation bigwig later on Monday to point out "the incorrect claims being made by green groups".

Facing Worst Criticism

The Queensland Resources Council (QRC), a mining lobby group is said to be strongest among the billionaire’s critics. Its chief alleged Sir Richard of “trashing” the reef’s reputation.

"This is a very shabby intervention by a very rich businessman who makes a lot of money out of the Queensland economy and then has turned on the Queensland economy and set us up for a very bad outcome from the World Heritage Committee," the QRC head said.

But leading independent campaign organisation, Greenpeace’s spokeswoman Jess Panegyres said, "I think it's consistent with a lot of debate about the Great Barrier Reef where critics of the Australian Government's approach are often attacked, rather than all of us working together to protect the reef which, after all, is what matters most," she said.

In any case, the UN committee will decide whether to include the Great Barrier Reef on the in-danger list in June this year.

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