Abbot Point coal port expansion in north Queensland approved amid new rules to protect Barrier Reef

Updated

The Federal Government has approved the creation of one of the world's largest coal ports near the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, sparking outrage from conservationists and the Greens.

Late yesterday, Environment Minister Greg Hunt gave the go-ahead to the Abbot Point coal terminal expansion at Bowen in north Queensland.

Mr Hunt likewise approved Arrow Energy's Liquefied Natural Gas project on Curtis Island in central Queensland, and a transmission pipeline to the island.

He says he has also advised the Queensland Government of new plans designed to protect the long-term future of the Great Barrier Reef.

Millions of cubic metres of spoil must be dredged and dumped near the reef for the coal port to be constructed.

Mr Hunt says he is imposing strict environmental conditions on the project.

"It is my intention that the first priority for all future capital dredging projects within the central and north Queensland coastal zone will be for shoreline, near-to-shore or land reclamation disposal," he said.

"This follows my recent agreement with the Gladstone Ports Authority that they will not dispose of up to 12 million cubic metres of spoil within the marine park, but will instead use this material for land infill.

"This is a significant step towards improving and protecting the marine park for future generations.

"For Abbot Point, perhaps the most important condition is that any dredging would be limited to 1.3 million cubic metres of sediment a year.

"That is down from a 38 million cubic metre proposal under the previous government, so a radical decrease in what was going to be the case.

"We've also made conditions that dredging and any relocation can only be undertaken in a small window of opportunity, which the environmental scientists consider to be the best, from March 1 to June 30."

Mr Hunt says big improvements to water quality are also required as a condition of the projects.

"There's a 150 per cent net benefit requirement for water quality. It means that we'll make permanent improvement to the Burdekin and the Don rivers, which will mean a permanent net benefit to the quality of water in the reef," he said.

Approval 'invites reef in danger' listing

The approval of the expansion, which involves several major new terminals, has angered the Greens.

Queensland Greens Senator Larissa Waters says the approvals show criminal disregard for the Barrier Reef.

"The Abbott Government has sacrificed the climate and the Great Barrier Reef for overseas mining companies with its approval today of the world's largest coal port and another CSG plant in our Great Barrier Reef," she said.

"The Prime Minister is ignoring the World Heritage committee's warnings about the mass industrialisation of the reef, and is inviting a World Heritage 'in danger' listing.

"The coal to be mined from the Galilee Basin and exported through Abbot Point each year which will create more CO2 emissions a year than produced by both Denmark and Portugal combined."

Senator Waters say she will move that the Abbot Point approval be raised in the Senate today as a matter of public importance.

But Mr Hunt denies his approval of the contentious projects will pose any threat to the reef's World Heritage status.

"We have had the Queensland Ports Strategy minimise quite dramatically the footprint of the ports, which was considered as a fundamental issue for UNESCO," he said.

"We've put in place strategic assessments for the world heritage area and for the reef."

Mixed reaction from local businesses

The Abbot Point approval comes with a condition requiring the nearby water to contain less sediment than at present.

Wendy Tubman from the North Queensland Conservation Council says that is unachievable.

"You've got water of a certain clarity, then you add three million cubic metres of dredge spoil, finds, sands, sludge," she said.

"Now I don't know about you but I can't see how that's going to improve water quality."

Whitsunday diving instructor Tony Fontes is preparing for a slump in tourist numbers, and says Mr Hunt's promise the water quality will improve is ridiculous.

"He actually makes it sound like approving Abbot Point is going to be good for the reef. And to me that just smells of complete arrogance," he said.

But Bowen Chamber of Commerce chairman Bruce Heddich is thrilled.

"Bowen, being adjacent to Abbot Point, is the real winner in this decision. It can only go well for the future of the town," he said.

Minister 'overcomes environmental hysteria'

Queensland Resources Council chief executive Michael Roche praised Mr Hunt for using the weight of scientific evidence to put Queenslanders ahead of "increasingly hysterical environmental activists".

"The trading ports working alongside the Great Barrier Reef are responsible for the export of commodities worth $40 billion a year to the Australian economy," he said.

It's produced the toughest environmental conditions in Australia's history but that is right and proper given that we are dealing with Australia's greatest asset, the Great Barrier Reef. Queensland Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney

"North Queenslanders are also looking to them to play a bigger role in supporting inbound tourism, particularly the cruise ship industry."

Queensland Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney also welcomed Mr Hunt's decision.

"It's the conclusion of the most rigorous assessment process in Australia's history," he said.

"It's produced the toughest environmental conditions in Australia's history, but that is right and proper given that we are dealing with Australia's greatest asset, the Great Barrier Reef."

Topics: great-barrier-reef, mining-environmental-issues, environmental-policy, business-economics-and-finance, coal, oil-and-gas, gladstone-4680, townsville-4810, bowen-4805, mackay-4740

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