Why do the anti coal activist groups , such as Greenpeace, WWF, Fight for the Reef and various others allow dredging at other Ports?? Why do we never hear anything about that in the media. Dredging is Dredging, no matter where it is done, the seabed floor is disturbed and the water will have a sediment plume. We know that the impact from dredging is more at the dredging site compared to the disposal site as was proven by a recent study done on a dredging site at Western Australia.
Let's look at the Port of Brisbane -
The Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd (PBPL) is responsible for the maintenance
of 90km of navigational shipping channel, stretching from the northern
tip of Bribie Island, across Moreton Bay, and into the Brisbane
River. They need to ensure safe, deep-water access to the port is maintained.
Source: Port of Brisbane
Now, the Great Barrier Reef is no where near Brisbane, but, there are other significant environmental areas around the Moreton Bay area. Seagrass, mangroves, turtles, reefs, wetlands!!
Dredging takes place within the Nationally Important Wetland area.
The Moreton Bay Ramsar site is located in and around Moreton Bay, east
of Brisbane in Queensland. Moreton Bay is a semi-enclosed basin bounded
on its eastern side by two large sand islands. Islands in the site
include all of Moreton Island, and parts of North and South Stradbroke
Islands, Bribie Island and the Southern Bay Islands.
The seagrass areas provide food and habitat for fish, crustaceans, the
internationally vulnerable Dugong, and the nationally threatened
Loggerhead Turtles, Hawksbill Turtle and Green Turtle. Other nationally
threatened species that occupy the site include the Oxleyan Pygmy Perch
and Honey Blue-eye, Water Mouse and the Australia Painted Snipe.
The site supports more than 50,000 migratory waders during their
non-breeding season. At least 43 species of wading birds use the
intertidal habitats, including 30 migratory species listed on
international conservation agreements.
Moreton Bay supports large numbers of the nationally threatened Green
Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle, Loggerhead Turtle. Other nationally
threatened species that the site supports are the Oxleyan Pygmy Perch,
Honey Blue-eye, Water Mouse and the Australia Painted Snipe. The site
is ranked among the top ten habitats in Queensland for the
Internationally vulnerable Dugong.
Source: Queensland Government
43 species of waterbirds
Mangroves
Fishing
Why are the green groups not jumping up and down when the Port of Brisbane dredges. Aren't the seagrass beds and turtles, fishing grounds etc important around the Brisbane area?? Ofcourse they are. They are just as important as the seagrass and turtles and corals in Northern Queensland where the coal ports need to dredge.
This is proof enough, that it was never about dredging, it was always about the coal industry!!
Clearly the Port of Brisbane has dredged many times and not once did the Activist Groups complain about the dredging damaging the environment there. The dredging there had little impact on the surrounding area just as it will have minimal impact around the coal ports in Northern Queensland when they need to dredge.
Don't believe the lies and hysteria spread by the anti coal activist organizations. They have hidden agendas.
If dredging at other ports have no impact on the environment - then dredging at Abbot Point will have minimal impact!!
For anyone who is also interested, here are a couple more examples of major dredgings at other ports and marinas that we never heard about from the anti coal activist organizations. Each of these places have major significant habitat around the dredging and disposal areas. Clearly , more proof that dredging has minimal impacts on the environment.
Port of Darwin:- LNG Project Dredging Campaign Darwin Harbour - sites of Conservation Significance
Port of Bundaberg:- Port gets go ahead to Dredge
Bundaberg Port Dredging
Bundabergs Natural Assets
Port of Airlie:- Dredging Photo from 2008
GHD Report
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