Plan to load coal ships at sea in middle of Great Barrier Reef risks damage to reef, says UNESCO

Updated

A plan to load coal ships in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef raises the risk of collisions and damage to the reef, says the United Nations' peak scientific and cultural body.

UNESCO has told the ABC that a proposal for ship-to-ship movement of coal, currently before the Federal Environment Department, could be referred to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

In an interview with the ABC in Paris, UNESCO's co-ordinator of the World Heritage Centre Marine program, Fanny Douvere, raised concerns about a plan by Queensland company Mitchell Ports to operate coal barges, trans-shipper loaders and large ships in the World Heritage area.

"It is common sense that when there are more ships passing through a particular area that there is more potential for more damage to the reef," she said.

"There is also more potential for collisions. So whenever any activity will impact, or could impact potentially on those exceptional values for which it is inscribed on the World Heritage list, then it needs to be raised.

"Those issues need to be addressed and it is our role as UNESCO, as a standard-setting organisation, to raise those issues with the government."

It is common sense that when there are more ships passing through a particular area that there is more potential for more damage to the reef. Fanny Douvere of UNESCO

Ship-to-ship coal loading proposed in waters off Mackay

Mitchell Ports has applied to the Federal Department of Environment for approval to use barges to transport coal off Hay Point south of Mackay.

The company argues that ship-to-ship coal loading in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park would be better for the environment than seabed dredging of ports, which a recent study found can more than double the level of coral disease in reefs.

But conservationists and the Greens fear that trans-shipping could damage the reef and marine species in other ways.

"Increased ship traffic increases the risk of ship accidents and spillages of coal dust into the marine environment, and there's been some work done showing we already have very high levels of toxic coal dust because of the existing port facilities here," said Ellen Roberts from the Mackay Conservation Group.

"There are a lot of dugongs in the area. Turtles, humpback whales will be disturbed by that increased shipping, the noise and the light. So we think there's a host of environmental problems and impacts on the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area."

Greens environment spokesperson Larissa Waters said trans-shipping was "not safe" in the marine environment.

"You can't simply load one ship from another and be able to contain the dust that will blow off and smother corals and seagrasses below the surface," she said.

"The World Heritage Committee has warned against trans-shipping in the Fitzroy Basin further south, and I think that’s the right call."

Project will operate 24/7 if weather permits

In its submission to the Environment Department, Mitchell Ports states that the project "will be capable of operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week taking into account climatic limitations such as cyclones".

Barges would dock with a so-called trans-shipper anchored in the World Heritage area, which would then use enclosed buckets and covered conveyors to load the coal onto a waiting ship.

The project would be constructed in stages, beginning by loading up to 15 million tonnes a year from 2018, before growing to 30 million tonnes if there was market demand.

The World Heritage Committee has warned against trans-shipping in the Fitzroy Basin further south and I think that’s the right call. Greens senator Larissa Waters.

Mitchell Ports’ submission to the department concedes there could be impacts.

"There are Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES) within the proposed project area including the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and National Heritage Place, listed threatened species and ecological communities, listed migratory species, and listed marine species," it states.

"The proposed action is expected to result in minimal impact on MNES."

If approved, the proposal would also see coal conveyors and a terminal built on the southern side of Hay Point.

Fishermen are also concerned about the trans-shipping proposal.

"The main concern is they may put an exclusion zone around the whole area," explained David Caracciolo from Mackay Reef Fish Supplies.

"If that happens it will stop all the prawn trawling fleet from working that area which produces probably 90 per cent of Mackay’s king prawn [output]."

The ABC had arranged an interview about the proposal with Mitchell Ports executive director Ben King, but a few hours before the scheduled interview he called to cancel.

The Federal Environment Department and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority will make an initial assessment of the project.

If, as expected, the project is likely to impact on "matters of national environmental significance", the project can only proceed with the approval of the Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt and if the Marine Park Authority grants a permit.

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Topics: mining-environmental-issues, marine-parks, mackay-4740, qld, australia

First posted