The United Nations world heritage body has expressed ‘‘concern’’ and ‘‘regret’’ about Australia’s approval of the dredging and dumping of millions of tonnes of sludge for new coal ports in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

But UNESCO has recommended Australia get a one-year stay on putting the Barrier Reef on a list of world heritage sites that are deemed ‘‘in danger’’, saying consideration of such a move should occur next year.

UNESCO has been concerned about the health of the Great Barrier Reef – a world heritage protected site since 1981 – in recent years as a result of numerous threats including agricultural run-off, large-scale industrial development and climate change.

In draft recommendations to the World Heritage Committee, released overnight Thursday, UNESCO ‘‘notes with concern’’ recent approvals for major industrial projects on the reef before long-term strategies were finalised to guide where and how development should go ahead.