The new research by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies released yesterday shows dredging doubles the frequency of coral disease, Greens Senator Larissa Waters said.
“Dredging and dumping destroys coral reefs and, even though that’s inconvenient for the big mining companies, it’s true,” she said.
“This study shows dredge spoil condemns coral to a fate worse than bleaching. While there is some hope for recovery from bleaching, dredging causes white syndrome, which kills off coral tissue so that it can’t grow back at all.
“Dredge spoil doubles the risk of diseases, mainly the deadly white syndrome, for corals, putting these irreplaceable natural wonders and important tourism assets at great risk.”
The Abbot Point coal port has been approved by the Abbott Government without adequate modelling, Waters said, adding that there had not been adequate consideration given to how far the 3 million cubic metres of dredge spoil to be dumped in the Reef’s World Heritage waters will travel.
Australia has until June next year to complete its Reef 2050 Plan, which includes input from both the resources sector and environmental groups, such as the World Wildlife Fund.
A draft plan will be ready for public comment in a few months.
Queensland Resources Council CEO Michael Roche said the resources sector and the Queensland government had now launched its own reef campaign.
“Our message is fairly boring; it’s based on facts of science. The alternative story has pictures of nemos and dugongs and turtles and implies that ports and mining are somehow going to place those wonderful animals at risk.
“We have a much harder story to tell.”
Roche said an economic argument also rang true.
“The prospect of an ‘in danger’ listing for the reef would be devastating for Australia’s reputation,” he said.
“We know that it would rattle government and regulators and we would therefore expect the clamps to come down on development approvals.
“We can’t afford that scenario to play out so the resources sector has to be ultra-careful about everything we do in terms of development and its impact on the reef.”
