Developers are set to submit a new proposal in which dredged sediment is disposed of on land rather than at sea
Oliver Milman theguardian.com 2 Sep 14;
A plan to dump 5m tonnes of seabed sediment into the Great Barrier Reef marine park is set to be ditched following an outcry from environmentalists and some scientists.
The developers of the Abbot Point port, near the Queensland town of Bowen, are about to submit a new proposal which will mean the dredged seabed is disposed of on land rather than at sea, according to the Australian Financial Review.
It’s understood that the proponents, North Queensland Bulk Ports, GVK Hancock and Adani Group, will forward the plan within the next two weeks to Greg Hunt, the federal environment minister. Hunt’s office said the minister hadn’t yet seen the alternate proposal.
Hunt has already approved a plan to dredge 3m cubic metres, equivalent to 5m tonnes, of seabed in order to expand Abbot Point for an increase in coal exports.
A proposal to dump the sediment within the reef’s marine park has also been approved by Hunt, although an exact site has yet to be identified.
Environmentalists have fiercely opposed the dumping, claiming it will damage the fragile coral and seagrass ecosystem. It has emerged that scientists at the Great Barrier Reef marine park authority warned against dumping in the marine park, only to be overruled.
A recent study suggests that coral disease is doubled when dredging occurs near reefs, although supporters of the dredging insist it can be done safely and that the Abbot Point sediment will be dumped around 40km from the nearest reef.
Hunt has pointed to a raft of conditions on the dumping to illustrate its viability, although he has promised a “line in the sand” to prevent future dumping within the reef’s marine park.
It’s understood that the port’s developers have been mulling over a land-based disposal for some time and have identified a new site that was previously not available. It’s unclear, however, where this site is located.
Last week, Coalition MP George Christensen took out an advert in two Whitsunday newspapers to admit that he “got it wrong” in his support for dumping within the marine park. Christensen said he would work with developers to identify a land-based option.
A spokesman for Adani, which will also be creating the enormous Carmichael mine in central Queensland to provide coal for export, said: “We’ve long said that disposal options will adhere to the best practice and the best science, based on advice from technical experts and approving authorities.
“We are committed to ensuring the best options are in place to ensure this project is achieved, together with the best possible environmental outcomes.”
Greens senator Larissa Waters said dumping near the reef must be “outlawed once and for all.”
“Onshore disposal would be a far better option environmentally and for the tourism and fishing industries, however the problems of increased shipping and export of coal to exacerbate climate change remain,” she said.
“History will look back on the decision to build the world’s largest coal port in the Great Barrier Reef as an act of climate criminality.”
Felicity Wishart, chief campaigner at the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said she’d like to see the Abbot Point developers surrendering their dumping licence.
“The reef is in dire straits and we need to stop all dumping in its waters,” she said.
A recent report by the Great Barrier Reef marine park authority warned that the reef was in poor condition and was likely to deteriorate, with climate change and pollution cited as the key threats.
Australia to scrap plan for dumping near Great Barrier Reef: AFR
James Regan PlanetArk 2 Sep 14;
Australia will abandon plans to dump 3 million cubic meters of dredged sand into the Great Barrier Reef area in its effort to create the world's biggest coal port, the Australian Financial Review reported on Tuesday.
The fragile reef, which stretches 2,300 km (1,430 miles) along Australia's east coast, and sprawls over an area half the size of Texas, was the centerpiece of a campaign by green groups and tour operators opposing the plan.
They feared that dumping soil 25 km (15 miles) from the reef would harm delicate corals and seagrasses and potentially double ship traffic through the area.
The Abbot Point port is being expanded to accommodate $16 billion worth of coal projects planned in the inland Galilee Basin by two Indian firms, Adani Enterprises and GVK, and Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart.
On Tuesday, the paper said North Queensland Bulk Ports, Adani Group and GVK would re-submit a proposal as early as this week to Environment Minister Greg Hunt offering alternative dumping sites on land.
The change is designed to defuse controversy over potential damage to the reef and avoid a court case launched by the North Queensland Conservation Council, it added.
"If the reports are true, the cheapest, most destructive option for expanding Abbot Point may have been taken off the table," said Adam Walters, head of research for environmental group Greenpeace.
A spokesman for Hunt declined to confirm the newspaper's report, saying no new proposals had been received yet.
"There was no option available at the time of the decision," Hunt told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio on Tuesday. "There may well be one opening up. It's up to the proponents to submit it. We haven't seen any documentation."
A spokesman for Adani said the company was open to viable alternatives to the dredging plan.
"We are committed to ensuring the best options are in place to ensure this project is achieved, together with the best possible environmental outcomes," he said.
In January, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority granted a permit for North Queensland Bulk Ports Corp to dump the dredged material in the park, to deepen Abbot Point for two terminals planned by Adani and GVK-Hancock.
Adani and GVK have long-term plans to ship a total of 120 million tonnes of coal through the port each year.
Last June, UNESCO's world heritage panel deferred until next year a decision on whether to designate the 300,000-sq-km reef as a site in danger.
The reef has the world's largest collection of coral reefs, with 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish, 4,000 types of mollusc, and is home to threatened species, including the dugong and large green turtle, the World Heritage list says.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation is concerned over the proposed coastal developments, and has asked Australia for an updated report on the state of conservation of the reef by next February 1.
(Reporting by James Regan; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
