Email Minister Hunt
Horrendous news for the Great Barrier Reef. Environment Minister Greg Hunt just approved a massive dredging project at Abbot Point - putting the Reef in danger against the wishes of Australians everywhere.
The pressure he has been facing is huge. Gina Rinehart, Clive Palmer and Indian magnates Guatam Adani and GVK Reddy all have plans to develop mega-mines in the Galilee Basin. They were counting on Minister Hunt - but so were we.
The Reef is for all Australians, and today's decision has neglected to protect the Reef for future generations - as our Environment Minister ought to do.
Standing up to the mining industry is hard, but betraying our 6,000 year old Great Barrier Reef is inexcusable.
When in opposition, Minister Hunt campaigned against dredging in Port Phillip Bay and referred to dredge spoil as dangerous "toxic sludge" that harms the marine environment and would devastate the local tourism industry.
Will you take moment to email Minister Hunt and tell him you're disappointed he has failed to stand up for the Great Barrier Reef as he did for Port Phillip Bay?
The pressure he has been facing is huge. Gina Rinehart, Clive Palmer and Indian magnates Guatam Adani and GVK Reddy all have plans to develop mega-mines in the Galilee Basin. They were counting on Minister Hunt - but so were we.
The Reef is for all Australians, and today's decision has neglected to protect the Reef for future generations - as our Environment Minister ought to do.
Standing up to the mining industry is hard, but betraying our 6,000 year old Great Barrier Reef is inexcusable.
When in opposition, Minister Hunt campaigned against dredging in Port Phillip Bay and referred to dredge spoil as dangerous "toxic sludge" that harms the marine environment and would devastate the local tourism industry.
Will you take moment to email Minister Hunt and tell him you're disappointed he has failed to stand up for the Great Barrier Reef as he did for Port Phillip Bay?
Want to call instead? Between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, you can contact Minister Hunt's office on (02) 6277 7920.
- The project will 3 million cubic metres of seabed dredged and dumped in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
- Dredging and dumping in Reef waters churns up sediment which travels long distances, choking coral and marine life.
- Minister Hunt campaigned hard against dredging in Port Phillip Bay when he was in opposition. He repeatedly referred to dredge spoil as "toxic sludge" that would have serious impacts on the environment and local industry, including tourism and fishing (see his opinion piece here).
- This dredging project will make way for the largest coal port in the world at Abbot Point and facilitate the development of mega-mines in Queensland's Galilee Basin. If these mine go ahead the annual carbon emissions which will result from mining the Galilee Basin could exceed Australia's yearly emissions.
- The project directly threatens the Great Barrier Reef's $6 billion tourism industry and 60,000 jobs that rely on a healthy reef.