NEVILLE.

It’s a terrible moment for the reef — but we have a plan.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has caved to the pressure of the mining industry and the Federal Government. The agency charged with “the protection, wise use, understanding and enjoyment of the Great Barrier Reef in perpetuity” has allowed it to be sold out for short-term profits.

Late yesterday, they granted a permit to dump five million tonnes of dredge spoil inside the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

This destructive project is now allowed to go-ahead — unless we make a last ditch effort to challenge it in court. Click here to learn more, and help fund the legal challenge to save our Reef:

https://www.getup.org.au/reef-legal-battle

We’re not lawyers, but we’ve taken on big legal fights before — and won. In 2010, GetUp members challenged Howard-era electoral laws in the High Court. Together, and with the help of some of the best legal brains in the country, we stopped hundreds of thousands of Australians from losing their right to vote. Now we can step up again, this time to protect our Reef.

Our lawyers will be the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) of Queensland, an independent community law centre dedicated to public interest advocacy in environmental matters. They’ll be representing North Queensland Conservation Council. Both groups have got what it takes to tackle the project, but need the backing of GetUp members from right across Australia.

It’s as if the Federal Government saw this fight coming. Just before Christmas, and without warning, they inexplicably cancelled $10 million in federal funding to EDOs nationwide. But they aren’t expecting people to fight back. Let’s unite, and gather the resources we need to use the full power of the law to protect our Reef. Click here to make it happen: https://www.getup.org.au/reef-legal-battle

The best legal analysis says this case is strong, and we won’t be alone. Other environmental groups are planning to chip in as well.

We all know legal battles can be long and expensive. If we can raise $80k together as GetUp members – that’s about 16,000 of us chipping in $5 or more — the project will be confident of covering the considerable legal fees involved in a long fight. That money pays for court fees, printing and overhead costs, and allowing expert witnesses to provide evidence.

If we raise more than $80k together, we will use the extra to build our Reef Fighting Fund to power further campaigning, or for further legal costs.

Can you chip in as little as $5 to kick off the all-in citizen-funded legal fight to protect our Great Barrier Reef?

https://www.getup.org.au/reef-legal-battle

The mining industry, the Abbott Government, Campbell Newman and everyone else with vested interests expect this decision will be a kick in the guts for the environment movement – something that will deflate us, put us in our place and mark the end of this campaign.

They obviously don’t know us well enough.

For everything you’ve done so far — thank you. Now here’s to our Reef and the fight ahead,