Queensland to limit port development
No new ports will be permitted for the next ten years under the Queensland government’s Great Barrier Reef Ports Strategy.
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Expansion in or adjoining the Great Barrier Reef Heritage Area will be confined to existing major ports where there is “scope for future developmentâ€, according to deputy premier Jeff Seeney, who is also minister for state development, infrastructure and planning.
He nominated Abbot Point, Dudgeon Point in the port of Hay Point and several locations in the port of Gladstone, such as Balaclava Island and Port Alma.
“Port development is essential for the growth of the state’s economy but so too is the protection of our greatest natural asset, the Great Barrier Reef,†Mr Seeney said. “Through this strategy the government will balance environmental protection and economic prosperity. Exotic species are likely to get more protection from Queensland restrictions on port development.
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“We are going to support the economic development of Queensland but we will also make sure that we protect the environment as new projects come up for assessment.
“It is clear the reef needs protection.
“This strategy is about working with the ports and industry to appropriately manage their future sustainability, taking into consideration the impacts of development.â€
The strategy was immediately attacked by representatives of the environment movement, including the Capricorn Conservation Council which claimed the government was using “trickery†in its definition of existing ports and showing contempt for UNESCO’s World Heritage Area concerns.
Source: Lloyds List Aust Nov 2012