In the same week that the Great Barrier Reef has been declared as in danger of losing its world heritage listing, environmentalists say there is nothing to celebrate in Adani uncovering coal at the Carmichael mine.

The Reef’s biggest threat is climate change, with three mass bleaching events occurring over the past five years.

Adani plans to eventually scale up its mine to dig 60 million tonnes of coal each year. That will add 4.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, 2 per cent of the carbon dioxide that can be emitted globally to have a better than even chance of keeping global heating below 1.5 degrees.

“This is not a moment for celebration. Future generations of Australians will be battling the serious impacts of climate change. They will look back on today as an abject failure of policy in the face of scientific evidence,” said Mackay Conservation Group campaigner, Sunny Hungerford.

“Where politicians have failed, the public is stepping up to the challenge. Across Australia and around the world people are putting pressure on investors in the Adani project.

“Any investor or contractor supporting Adani is supporting destruction of Wangan and Jagalingou land, Queensland's precious water resources, the Great Barrier Reef and endangered species such as the beautiful Black Throated Finch.

“More than 100 companies have withdrawn support for this project already. We will continue to pressure the remaining few corporations supporting Adani to pull out.

ENDS

Media Contact

Sunny Hungerford 0499 203 431

Media Release

15 April 2021

Mackay Rally For Our Reef

Concerned community members call on Queensland Government to reject Clive-Palmer owned Central Queensland Coal Project

Mackay community members gathered for a Mackay Rally For Our Reef at Bluewater Quay today (Thursday 15 April 2021), where they called for the Queensland government to reject the proposed Clive Palmer-owned Central Queensland Coal Project, which would be located just 10 Kilometres from the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

Media Release

24 April 2020

Mackay Conservation Group is mobilising the local community to speak out about climate change and its devastating impact on the Great Barrier Reef.

Over the past five years the Reef has experienced three major coral bleaching events. The most recent coral bleaching happened over the past month and was the most widespread yet seen. Persistent or prolonged bleaching can lead to the death of coral.

Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Professor Terry Hughes, said in a media statement earlier this month “For the first time, severe bleaching has struck all three regions of the Great Barrier Reef – the northern, central and now large parts of the southern sectors.”

Widespread coral reef bleaching is linked to extremely hot sea temperatures caused by climate change. In February sea surface temperatures were the hottest on record.

For the first time ever, many reefs offshore from Mackay suffered from severe bleaching during the 2020 event. 

Whitsunday diver instructor, Tony Fontes, said “I am confident that Reef tourism will survive the COVID pandemic. It won’t be easy and many individual operators probably won’t make it. 

“But beyond this pandemic, our continued survival is entirely dependent on a healthy Great Barrier Reef, and a healthy Reef is something that we can no longer take for granted.”

Photo credit: CSIRO

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most diverse and important ecosystems on the planet, and yet it is being suffocated by chemical and sediment run-off from the terrestrial environment.  This isn’t normal.  This isn’t natural.  It’s because of us.  Humans.  How can we be doing this when we are so dependent on it?  And why isn’t more being done to help?

The reef provides 64 000 jobs and $6.4 billion directly to the Australian economy every year.  But even more than this, the reef is critical in carbon sequestration and the health of the planet.  It is nicknamed ‘the rainforest of the ocean’ for a reason and this is because it provides us with the oxygen we all breathe day in day out. 

The Great Barrier Reef is a farmer – it provides millions of people with fresh food every day, and to many, this is their main source of protein.  The Reef is a chemist – it is full of bioprospecting properties, many yet to be discovered, but is the source to some of our leading anti-cancer drugs.  The Reef is an artist – it is one of the most beautiful and unique structures on the planet and attracts over 2 million tourists every year.  This is the foundation of the tourism industry in Queensland, which produces billions of dollars for the economy.  And it doesn’t stop there.  The Great Barrier Reef is also a guard.  It protects Queensland’s precious coastlines from extreme storms and flooding.  This is especially important in a time of increasing threats from climate change and the severe consequence of rising sea levels.

We respect our human farmers, chemists, artists, and guards.  So why don’t we respect our Reef when it is doing all these things and more?

Photo credit: The Ocean Agency / XL Catlin Seaview Survey / Richard Vevers. 

A decline in water quality is one of the leading threats to the Great Barrier Reef, and is preventing the Reef from building resilience to other threats such as climate change.  

The Reef is being smothered in chemicals and sediment from the surrounding polluted water, caused by industrial, agricultural and urban development.  This is leading to a severe decline in Reef health and resilience. 

Reports have concluded that an investment of $8.2 bn is needed over the next decade to fix the water quality issues.  Yet, over the course of 5 years, the Australian and Queensland Governments are jointly investing only about $120 million a year in Reef water quality improvements.

We are therefore asking the Governments to invest $1bn for projects throughout Great Barrier Reef catchments to help improve the quality of water.  This seems like a big ask, but it’s an important investment in protecting the more than A$5 billion that the Reef generates for the Australian economy every year, alongside the other crucial roles the Reef plays in the environment, both locally and globally.

Please sign this petition asking the State and Federal Governments to allocate funds for much needed water quality projects.

https://mackayconservationgroup.good.do/reefwaterqualitycampaign/reefwaterqualitycampaign/

For decades Queensland’s sugar cane farmers have been throwing money into the creeks and rivers that flow past their properties. That’s the money spent on excess fertiliser that runs off during heavy rain and makes its way to the ocean. It’s estimated that three quarters of nitrogen fertiliser put on cane farms leaches from the soil within a few months of application.

When nitrogen and phosphorus fertiliser enters rivers and ends up in the Reef, it upsets the natural balance of the marine environment. Algae love nitrogen and phosphorus. In a high nutrient environment algae can then become so numerous that the sunlight that normally reaches the sea floor can no longer do so. That means seagrass and other light dependent bottom-dwelling organisms have trouble growing and reproducing. Crown of Thorns starfish that destroy hard corals also love nitrogen and that’s one of the reasons they are in such large numbers on the Reef at present.

The Reef is shaping up as one of the key election issues, and Laura at Mackay Conservation Group has rated all of the parties on their policies on the Reef as well as other crucial environmental issues.

 Click read more below to see the full rating for the Mirani electorate.

Mackay Conservation Group have been successful in seeking an adjournment in the trial set for the end of October. Time was sought to allow North Queensland Bulk Ports to provide details of suggested plans to switch to an alternate onshore dumping of dredging materials rather than dumping of dredged materials in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

Pictured are our lawyers Saul Holt SC (right), and Michael Berkman and Revel Pointon from the Environment Defenders Office.

Legal case against Abbot Point dumping will continue

Rumours are circulating that the companies wanting to build Abbot Point coal terminals will propose a land based dumping option to address concerns about the impact of dumping dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

In March this year MCG launched legal action against the Environment Minister Greg Hunt’s decision to approve dredging and dumping for the proposed Abbot Point coal terminal expansion.

‘We would need to see any alternative proposal to determine how far it goes towards addressing all our concerns and whether it affects the current Federal Court case.

Infrastructure company The Mitchell Group plans for a new coal port at Hay Point, this one using untested barging technologies in the Great Barrier Reef.

Last month the 7.30 Report visited Mackay, speaking with concerned locals including myself and Betty Hobbs from Mackay Conservation Group. Click on the link below to watch the story: