| Hi NEVILLE,
Over 12 months of wrangling, countless twists and turns, two legal cases, and one Great Barrier Reef: decisions around Abbot Point have been confusing – and that’s no accident.
But the short of it is this: the Queensland Government plans to dump dredge spoil from Abbot Point on the majestic Caley Valley wetland, right beside the Reef World Heritage Area.
The three million cubic metres of dredge spoil – enough to fill dump trucks end-to-end from Melbourne to Brisbane – was originally approved for dumping in the Reef’s World Heritage Waters. The community united and said no, and then, the Queensland Government changed tack. They cancelled plans to dump dredge spoil at sea, and instead proposed dumping on… the wetland.
The Queensland Government knows that when people learn about the new plan they’re horrified – the government’s own research shows them that Australians are opposed to dumping on the sensitive wetlands.1 That’s why now, they’re trying to fast-track the process – and a decision could come as early as Christmas!
They want this to happen quickly, so we need to move fast to get the message out – dumping on wetlands beside the Reef is a terrible idea. We’ve put together this diagram to make it clear – check it out, and forward this email, so others can see what could happen if we don’t protect Australia’s Great Barrier Reef:
Thanks for your help, NEVILLE
Louise Matthiesson
Great Barrier Reef Campaigner
WWF-Australia |
