The decision on a plan which could make Queensland’s Abbot Point the largest coal port in the world has been delayed.
According to reports from AAP, the new federal Environment Minister, Mark Butler, has put off making a decision on a large dredging project in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area until August 9 – a decision had been expected this week.
North Queensland Bulk Ports wants to dredge three million tonnes of seabed at the port to allow it to expand however environmental organisations are opposing the project saying it will damage the reef and those who rely on it for work such as tourism operators.
Bulk Ports boss Brad Fish claims the dredging will make the water cloudy over a short period and damage or destroy seagrass but will be unlikely to affect other flora or fauna.
However Australian Marine Conservation Society spokeswoman, Felicity Wishart, has called on the Environment Minister to reject the application stating the sediment will drift through the water and suffocate the coral reefs chocking the habitat.
“It would mean we are one step closer to Abbot Point becoming the biggest coal port in the world,” she said.
WWF Australia has called on the minister to scrap the dredging plan and ensure the reef is protected for the long-term.
Applications to dredge the seabed are considered separate to the port expansion, which has been proposed but not approved.
