So, in preparing for this stakeholder meeting, one thing that I found interesting in my preliminary research of the issue was how environmentalists did not support the decision made by the environmental government agency in Australia. The obvious question is this—when, in theory, both the environmentalists and the environmental government agency should both be acting in the interest of the environment, how are they not seeing eye-to-eye?
The Australian government approved a dredging operation, in which 106 million cubic feet of mud would be deposited within a marine park to make room for the expansion of the Abbot Point coal port in northern Queensland. Environmentalists say this activity will be extremely dangerous for the already fragile ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef. Environmental Minister Greg Hunt says that “some of the strictest conditions in Australian history” will be enforced to ensure safe living conditions for the Great Barrier Reef’s plants and animals. Environmentalists say the dredging will put coral and seagrass at risk of being smothered. Furthermore, the entire reef system will be under increased risk of damage from accidents resulting from increased shipping traffic. The environmental government agency says the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) only permits the dumping of sediment in a marine location without any coral or seagrass beds.
Bruce Elliot, general manager for the GBRMPA’s biodiversity, conservation, and sustainable use division says, “By granting this permit application with rigorous safeguards, we believe we are able to provide certainty to both the community and the proponent while seeking to ensure transparent and best practice environmental management of the project.” So, this means that while environmentalists are solely concerned with the welfare of the environment, environmental government agencies are concerned with the best possible environmental management of a project that is also most beneficial to all parties involved.
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2014/02/03/australia-approves-dumping-dredged-mud-great-barrier-reef/