Reef hysteria

4. The 40 kilometre wide shipping channel, forms a natural buffer zone between Queenslands “coastal developments” and the coral reef outcrops.

5. Just south of Mackay at "Hay Point", a similar port expansion to "Abbot Point" was completed back in 2006. Seven years later and "guess what", there has been "no reported damage" to the coral reef.

6. The coal port of "Hay Point" commenced operations on the 20th of October 1971. Over the last 43years, it has grown into one of the largest coal ports in the world. You know what I'm going to say next. In all that time there has been "no reported damage" to the coral reef.

Coal

When the leader of the Greens party proclaims, "the coal must stay in the ground" it is clear to me, that their agenda is not to save the reef, but to "wage a war" on coal. Hence all the reef -hysteria. Despite what the Greens think, we don't hold a monopoly on coal. The coal industry is no different to any other business. To remain competitive, it needs to expand to survive.Coal mining benefits all Australians and iscurrently our second biggest export.With these new port expansions completed, coal is set to become our number one export earner. Coal has a very strong future with the world "turning back to coal" as the prime energy source.Japan, China and India (and others) all plan to build new coal plants. Germany a world leader in the "renewable-energy fad" is leading the way, by building 10 new coal fired stations and 27 gas-fired stations.

Conclusion

Abbot Point coal-port and its shipping operation, started way back in 1984. After 30years of operations, it has had no adverse effect on the coral reef or its inhabitants. To satisfy your own curiosity, why not fly up to Hamilton Island in the Whitsunday Passage and have a look. You won't be disappointed it's pristine.

Compared to the natural runoff (flood-spoils) produced by Queenslands monsoonal floods and cyclones, the dumping of dredge-spoils is an insignificant amount of material.In the unlikely event of any dredged silt encroaching on coral outcrops "40kilometres away"; the self-cleaning action of the ocean tides will quickly sweep the coral clean. This is how the modern reef has been cleaning itself for the last 8,000years or so.

The reef is now in good hands: "The Minister For The Environment" (Greg Hunt) is committed to improving the health of the reef by implementing a wide range of new programs, targeting "the reel threats" to the reef. After reviewing the evidence presented here you will realise that, the Greens reef-hysteria is unwarranted.