Australia: Greens Calls for Transparency of Abbot Point Plan

The Senate has passed the Greens’ order for production of documents today to establish whether the Environment Minister was aware of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s internal warnings against approving the Abbot Point coal port expansion.

Documents released under Freedom of Information show the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority internally found the Abbot Point coal port expansion would cause irreversible damage that would be impossible to offset.

“We need to know whether the current Environment Minister saw these documents before approving the Abbot Point coal port expansion,” Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens environment spokesperson, said.

“If Minister Hunt didn’t see the documents, he must now consider this new information and reconsider his approval.

“Under our national environment law, where new information comes to light, approval decisions can be revisited.

“If Minister Hunt did know about these documents, and yet ignored the science saying the Reef damage could not be offset, it shows he is unfit to be the Environment Minister,” Senator Waters said.

[mappress]

Press Release, March 18, 2014