The Australian Greens today wrote to the Environment Minster urging him to reject the dredging and dumping proposal to expand Abbot Point coal port in the Great Barrier Reef, after Labor supported a Greens motion to stop Reef dumping in the Senate yesterday.
“ After approving millions of tonnes of sediment to be dumped in the Great Barrier Reef, Labor appeared to have a sudden change of heart in the Senate yesterday and supported my motion to stop Reef dumping ,” Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens environment spokesperson , said.
“ Labor has left it too late to change the law to prohibit Reef dumping before the election, but the Environment Minister can still reject the proposal sitting on his desk to dredge and dump at Abbot Point, near the Whitsundays, planned to become the world’s largest coal port .
“ I’ve written to the Environment Minister, urging Labor to follow through on its apparent change of heart by rejecting the dredging and dumping for the Abbot Point port expansion.
“ As a Queenslander, there’s another type of Abbott for Kevin Rudd to oppose. The Abbot Point project risks our $5 billion Reef tourism industry and the 54 000 jobs that rely on a healthy Reef.
“ The coal port would also significantly increase our contribution to climate change, with the exported coal destined to intensify the extreme weather events we’re all too familiar with in Queensland.
“ The Greens are standing up for the Great Barrier Reef against the big mining companies with a policy of no new Reef dumping or dredging ,” Senator Waters said.
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Press Release, June 27, 2013