Australia: Concerns Grow Over GBR Dredging Plans

The Australian Marine Conservation Society has rejected Ports Australia’s report into dredging and dumping at state owned ports along the Great Barrier Reef as self-interested.

Felicity Wishart, AMCS Great Barrier Reef campaign director, said that the Ports Australia report appeared to have been produced to try to counter overwhelming public criticism of the environmental impacts of dredging and dumping in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

“No one will be shocked to learn that the ports corporations think they are doing a fine job when it comes to allowing more dredging and dumping in the Reef’s waters.

“Hundreds of scientists, fishers, tourist operators and the public are deeply worried about the impacts of the massive expansion of ports along the Reef’s coastline.

“There’s never been such large scale dredging plans along the Reef’s coastline, with over one hundred millions tonnes currently in the pipeline, so a report stating that previous impacts have not been significant is meaningless.

“Whilst the report suggests the impacts of dredging and dumping are well understood and well-managed, the environmental disaster that has occurred in Gladstone reveals this is not the case,” Wishart said.

[mappress]

Press Release, April 29, 2014