NEVILLE,

Not so long ago, Environment Minister Greg Hunt fought against dredging in Port Phillip Bay.

He led from the front, referring to dredge spoil as dangerous “toxic sludge” that harms the marine environment and would devastate the local tourism industry.¹

Now, he faces a decision to allow millions of tonnes of this toxic sludge to be dug up and dumped in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area at Abbot Point.

A decision is due by this Friday, December 13. We’ve compiled a list of quick, easy actions you can take to keep the pressure on between now and the decision deadline.

Can you email Minister Hunt and ask him to stand up for the Great Barrier Reef against dredging the same way he did for Port Phillip Bay? http://www.getup.org.au/contact-hunt

Click here to tweet Minister Hunt and show him your support.

Click here to spread the word over Facebook

If it goes ahead, the dredging will make way for the world’s largest coal port at Abbot Point. It will facilitate massive coal mining projects in the Galilee Basin, with frightening consequences for our climate.

All the usual suspects are involved. Gina Rinehart, Clive Palmer and Indian magnates Guatam Adani and GVK Reddy all have plans to develop mega-mines in the Galilee Basin, most of which rely on this dredging to be approved. Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has staked his reputation on getting the mines in operation. So much so, he has decided to reduce the mining royalties the fossil fuel industry will have to pay to open these mines.

You can see the pressure Minister Hunt is facing. It’s huge. That’s why it’s our job to do everything we can to show him how much Australians care about protecting our Great Barrier Reef.

Picking up the phone and calling a Minister’s office is an incredibly effective way of putting pressure on decision makers.

Can you take two minutes to call Minister Hunt and show him there will always be more support for the protection of the Reef, than for its destruction? http://www.getup.org.au/call-hunt

Click here to tweet Minister Hunt and show him your support.

Click here to spread the word over Facebook

GetUp members and other environmental groups have been fighting against this project for a long time. As a movement, we’ve seen three delays from two different Environment Ministers on this decision. The decision, ominously scheduled for Friday the 13th, is one of many that will need to be approved before coal from the Galilee Basin ever leaves our shore. Whatever happens, we’ll be there, fighting it every step of the way. But this is our chance to strike a crippling blow against these mega-mines early.

Already, more than 15,000 GetUp members have written emails and made phone calls to Minister Hunt. They have written thousands of postcards, built a petition of over 243,000 signatures and marched with other environmental groups as part of a 3,000-strong crowd through the streets of Brisbane.

Let’s keep up the pressure. http://www.getup.org.au/contact-hunt

the GetUp team