Avaaz Petition to Protect the Great Barrier Reef: An Update

This video presents Australia’s coal expansion and its risk to the Great Barrier Reef.

Image extracted from video above.
Image extracted from video above.

This is an update to the previous blog, Please Protect the Great Barrier Reef by Saying No to Hugely Damaging Dredging and Dumping.

Australia wants to create the world’s biggest coal port.

Today, Australian Financial Review reported that Australia will reverse its decision to dump 3 million cubic meters of dredged sand into the Great Barrier Reef area.

“Australia will abandon plans to dump 3 million cubic meters of dredged sand into the Great Barrier Reef area in its effort to create the world’s biggest coal port, the Australian Financial Review reported on Tuesday….

On Tuesday, the paper said North Queensland Bulk Ports, Adani Group and GVK would re-submit a proposal as early as this week to Environment Minister Greg Hunt offering alternative dumping sites on land.

The change is designed to defuse controversy over potential damage to the reef and avoid a court case launched by the North Queensland Conservation Council, it added.

“If the reports are true, the cheapest, most destructive option for expanding Abbot Point may have been taken off the table,” said Adam Walters, head of research for environmental group Greenpeace.

A spokesman for Hunt declined to confirm the newspaper’s report, saying no new proposals had been received yet.

“There was no option available at the time of the decision,” Hunt told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio on Tuesday. “There may well be one opening up. It’s up to the proponents to submit it. We haven’t seen any documentation.”

Reuters
Yahoo News Canada – September 2, 2013

Please click here to read the full news report.

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