| Dear NEVILLE,
I’ve got some exciting news:
Last night in Queensland, the Government announced a new Sustainable Ports Bill that makes crucial progress on their promise to rein-in industrial dredging and dumping in the Reef’s World Heritage Area. The Bill will ensure that magnificent parts of the Reef coastline like the Fitzroy Delta and Cape York Peninsula are protected from massive industrial expansion.
It’s a huge step in the right direction for the reef, for tourism operators, for fishers and for the snubfin dolphins who call the Delta home.
Today’s a day to be really proud of: this wouldn’t have happened without you.
There are still some loopholes that must be closed – like the ones that allow trans-shipping and dumping for big marina developments to continue. Also, these new laws won’t stop all port expansions, like the new coal megaport planned for Abbot Point, but they make other parts of the coast much safer.
And the Australian Government have taken an important step forward this week too.
On Tuesday, the new regulations that ban dredge spoil dumping in the Marine Park Area came into effect, finally bringing the law in line with community expectations.
That means that together, this week, we’ve made massive progress to protect the Reef.
But we’re not done yet. Stay tuned for an important update tonight about the next step in the campaign to ensure the World Heritage Committee stands strong and holds the Government to account when it meets in Bonn in less than four weeks time.
You’ve helped us make change happen, and with your help we can – and we will – win the protection we need for our Great Barrier Reef.
Louise Matthiesson
Great Barrier Reef Campaigner
WWF-Australia
P.S. There’s a lot going on at the moment, if you want more details, you can read WWFs full statements on UNESCOs decision to put the Government on probation here, our statement on the Australian Government’s ban on Marine Park dumping here, and the news about the Queensland Bill here. |
