Plans to use the Great Barrier Reef as a dumping site for 3 million cubic metres of dredged material from the ocean floor will be abandoned by a multinational consortium, the Australian Financial Review reports.

North Queensland Bulk Ports, GVK Hancock and Adani Group will alter plans to expand the Abbot Point coal terminal, a proposal which had already been approved by federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt.

North Queensland Bulk Ports, GVK Hancock and Adani Group will alter plans to expand the Abbot Point coal terminal. Credit:Glenn Hunt

The trio are set to re-submit a proposal as early as this week to Mr Hunt, however details of alternate dumping sites are not known.

The development comes days after Whitsundays MP George Christensen took out local newspaper advertisements telling readers he wanted an investigation into alternate, land-based dredge spoil disposal sites.