The government has not backed down over its reef management, but Mr Powell said its 2050 plan took in all elements threatening the reef – not just the port. The Reef 2050 plan sets out a series of proposals, including greater protections for marine life such as dugongs and turtles and improving water quality by reducing the amount of pesticides that wash into some areas of the reef by at least 60 per cent. But on the subject of the dumping of dredge spoil, the plan stops short of recommending limits on existing port activities. Instead, it suggests dredging be banned in the World Heritage area and adjoining areas for new port developments, or for any ports looking to expand. "It does address port development and it does address the work we have been doing as the Queensland government around ensuring big developments like Abbot Point are done sensibly and environmentally responsibly," Mr Powell told Fairfax Radio 4BC.

"But to focus only on ports would really do a disservice to the reef and what the plan does is look at the key causes of decline – that is water quality, but more so it is the water quality coming down from the catchments adjacent to the reef, each and every year. "It focuses our attention on ensuring the sediment, the nutrient nitrogen that goes out to the reef, that feeds the crown of thorn starfish and the like are really reined in." The World Wildlife Fund, which has run an extensive campaign highlighting threats to the reef, often earning the ire of the Queensland government, said the plan, over which it was consulted*, "falls short of delivering the bold new action required to save the reef". "WWF recognises that Reef 2050 is a more co-ordinated approach to turning around the reef's health," WWF-Australia CEO Dermot O'Gorman said in a statement. "We also applaud that Reef 2050 rules out port development in the undeveloped areas of Keppel Bay, Fitzroy Delta and North Curtis Island - something the local community has pursued for many years.

"But at this stage Reef 2050 lacks the suite of bold new actions needed to halt the reef's decline. "However, this plan is a draft and now is the time for people to get involved and have a say in saving the reef." Echoing Mr O'Gorman's comments, Australian Marine Conservation Society's Felicity Wishart said the plan was "too little" and likely "too late". "If the reef were a sinking ship it feels like they are trying to bail it out with a thimble," she said."And the plan admits it is doing nothing to address the biggest long term threat to the reef, namely climate change which leads to sea level rise, warmer water, more acidic water and more storms, all bad news for the reef." The previous government's expansion plans included 38-million cubic metres of dredging, a point the current state government has been keen to point out while defending its three-million cubic plan.

But state Labor's environmental spokeswoman Jackie Trad said the latest proposal from the government was "not going far enough, fast enough". "We haven't met our own targets in relation to improving water run-off, so efforts in relation to that needs to be re-doubled," she said. "We do know that some of the key environmental protection measures that the former Labor government put in, including protecting native vegetation and riparian vegetation, both of which are critical for keeping soil intact and minimising run-off, we do know the Queensland government wound that back and they need to be brought back into legislation so that we can ensure a minimal run-off into the reef." But Mr Powell said all decisions regarding the reef had been made based on science. "The decision was based on science and some groups make very emotive claims and make slogans in newspapers and on air, but the reality is the science is often quite different from that and if you understand the science then you can make very sensible and smart decisions," he said.

"… what we've got to make sure and what Queenslanders need to ensure happens is that we all work together. At the end of the day, the reef is there, it is a natural wonder of the world, it is so important to us as Queenslanders, it is iconic to us as Australians and we do need to all work together to ensure it is there for my kids, for your kids, for our grandkids." Loading *Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated WWF was not consulted on the plan. It was. With Lisa Cox