AUSTRALIA PLANS TO DUMP ONE MILLION TONS OF SLUDGE IN THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

SOURCE:BBC
Great Barrier ReefImage copyrightEYESWIDEOPEN/GETTY IMAGES
Image captionThe Great Barrier Reef in 2015

Australia plans to dump one million tonnes of sludge in the Great Barrier Reef.

Despite strict laws on dumping waste, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) gave the go-ahead.

A loophole was found - the laws don't apply to materials generated from port maintenance work.

It comes one week after flood water from Queensland spread into the reef, which scientists say will "smother" the coral.

Great Barrier ReefImage copyrightWILLIAM WEST/GETTY IMAGES

The industrial residue is dredged from the bottom of the sea floor near Hay Point Port - one of the world's largest coal exports and a substantial economic source for the country.

Larissa Waters, senator for Queensland and co-deputy leader of the Greens Party, called for the license to be revoked.

"The last thing the reef needs is more sludge dumped on it, after being slammed by the floods recently," she told the Guardian.

"One million tonnes of dumping dredged sludge into world heritage waters treats our reef like a rubbish tip."

Fine sediment plumes from the Burdekin River start hit Old ReefImage copyrightMATT CURNOCK/TROPWATER JCU
Image captionLast week, floodwaters spread more than 60km (37 miles) offshore

It's just "another nail in the coffin" for the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, which is already under stress due to climate change, according to Dr Simon Boxall from the National Oceanography Centre Southampton.

"If they are dumping it over the coral reef itself, it will have quite a devastating effect. The sludge is basically blanketing over the coral.

"The coral relies on the algae, that's what give them their colour and what helps them feed - without this partnership the coral will suffer dramatically."

Dr Boxall says his worries about sludge-dumping are short-term - with the current Australian summer a time for "rapid algae growth".

Leather coral in the Great Barrier ReefImage copyrightULLSTEIN BILD/GETTY IMAGES

The North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation, which looks after Hay Point, said dumping the sludge will have a minor environmental impact.

In a statement issued online, the corporation claimed its reports showed the risks to be "predominantly low with some temporary short-term impacts".

Dr Boxall says the impact will be lessened if the sludge is taken far enough offshore, but that it will still contain high amounts of harmful materials such as trace metals.

"If it's put into shallow water it will smother sea life," he says.

"It's important they get it right.

"It'll cost more money but that's not the environment's problem - that's the port authorities' problem."

Last year, Australia pledged A$500 million (£275m) to protect the Great Barrier Reef - which has lost 30% of its coral due to bleaching linked to rising sea temperatures and damage from crown-of-thorns starfish.

One of the threats listed at the time was "large amounts of sediment".

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Comment by Chris of the family Masters on February 26, 2019 at 4:19pm

Ha ha... Good one mate!

Comment by dogitydog on February 26, 2019 at 4:09pm

In related news: Australia's tourist industry now includes "Turd Snorkling"

Coincidence? I think not!

Comment by Ragnarok on February 24, 2019 at 9:22pm

Nick looks like the kinda guy who doesn't even know how to tie his own shoe....

Comment by cheeki kea on February 24, 2019 at 2:25am

Comment by cheeki kea on February 24, 2019 at 2:21am

Resolution Carried ! -and in the ideal world you have the capacity to do it Chris, single-handed, or option to employ others, and be seconded to a supervisory role for the transfer to Canberra. 

Comment by Chris of the family Masters on February 23, 2019 at 11:43pm
I move 1 million tonnes of sludge to be dumped on the Parliament House in City State Canberra. Preferably while the pirates are at 'session'
Anyone seconds?

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