Laws protecting the Great Barrier Reef to be introduced next week
Laws protecting the Great Barrier Reef will be introduced into Queensland Parliament next week.
Unesco’s World Heritage Committee is threatening to list the reef as being in danger, and a draft decision is due to be handed down Friday night.
It is expected to give a two-year reprieve from the listing despite the reef facing serious threats.
They include coastal development, agricultural run-off and climate change which has resulted in 50 per cent of the reef’s coral cover disappearing in the past 30 years.
Unesco is also concerned about a port development inside the World Heritage site.
During the Queensland election campaign, Labor promised $100 million over five years to tackle water quality.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said a bill would be introduced during the next sitting week of Parliament.
The state laws go hand-in-hand with federal legislation, which is also expected to be introduced soon, banning the disposal of capital dredge spoil in the world heritage area.
When asked if it would limit port expansion to existing ports, Ms Palaszczuk said there would be good news.
“We’ve got some final consultation to happen but I’m quite sure there will be good news for Queensland,” she told Radio National.
“We want to get to a solution on those port developments as quickly as possible.
“My Government is very serious about addressing that particular issue.”
Legislation a ‘key test’ for Palaszczuk Government
Louise Mathieson, a Great Barrier Reef campaigner with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), told ABC Radio’s The World Today program that the Palaszczuk Government had indicated the new ports legislation would offer long-term protection for the reef.
“What we’re hoping is that the new legislation will make that a permanent restriction to stop port development expanding along the Great Barrier Reef coast and to give the reef the protection it deserves,” she said.
“We’re expecting that it will implement the Government’s Saving the Reef election promises in relation to ports, and that means a ban on dumping of dredge spoil in the whole world heritage area, restrictions on capital dredging, and also on the practice of trans-shipping, which is loading coal from ship to another inside the marine park.”
Ms Mathieson said the legislation was a key test of the Palaszczuk Government’s environmental credentials.
“The World Heritage Committee is going to be looking very closely,” she said.
“They want to see whether or not if Queensland Government is serious about implementing the things they’ve promised.
“I think it was welcomed, the change of policy after the state election.
“We want to see that the Government’s willing to put action behind its words.”
Unesco’s World Heritage Committee is threatening to list the reef as being in danger, and a draft decision is due to be handed down Friday night.
It is expected to give a two-year reprieve from the listing despite the reef facing serious threats.
They include coastal development, agricultural run-off and climate change which has resulted in 50 per cent of the reef’s coral cover disappearing in the past 30 years.
Unesco is also concerned about a port development inside the World Heritage site.
During the Queensland election campaign, Labor promised $100 million over five years to tackle water quality.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said a bill would be introduced during the next sitting week of Parliament.
The state laws go hand-in-hand with federal legislation, which is also expected to be introduced soon, banning the disposal of capital dredge spoil in the world heritage area.
When asked if it would limit port expansion to existing ports, Ms Palaszczuk said there would be good news.
“We’ve got some final consultation to happen but I’m quite sure there will be good news for Queensland,” she told Radio National.
“We want to get to a solution on those port developments as quickly as possible.
“My Government is very serious about addressing that particular issue.”
Legislation a ‘key test’ for Palaszczuk Government
Louise Mathieson, a Great Barrier Reef campaigner with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), told ABC Radio’s The World Today program that the Palaszczuk Government had indicated the new ports legislation would offer long-term protection for the reef.
“What we’re hoping is that the new legislation will make that a permanent restriction to stop port development expanding along the Great Barrier Reef coast and to give the reef the protection it deserves,” she said.
“We’re expecting that it will implement the Government’s Saving the Reef election promises in relation to ports, and that means a ban on dumping of dredge spoil in the whole world heritage area, restrictions on capital dredging, and also on the practice of trans-shipping, which is loading coal from ship to another inside the marine park.”
Ms Mathieson said the legislation was a key test of the Palaszczuk Government’s environmental credentials.
“The World Heritage Committee is going to be looking very closely,” she said.
“They want to see whether or not if Queensland Government is serious about implementing the things they’ve promised.
“I think it was welcomed, the change of policy after the state election.
“We want to see that the Government’s willing to put action behind its words.”
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