World Bulletin / News Desk

 A heritage committee of the UNESCO cultural agency stopped short on Friday of placing Australia's Great Barrier Reef on an "in danger" list, while raising longer term concerns about its future.

A draft decision issued by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee welcomed Australian efforts to maintain the environmentally sensitive region while noting its outlook was "poor" and that "climate change, poor water quality and impacts from coastal development are major threats to the property's health".