GBRMP... dumping ground ! must read. !

[Lucky_Phill]

Disposal of dredge material in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

The Australian Government is proposing to introduce an Environmental Management Charge (EMC) (http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/zoning-permits-and-plans/environmental-management-charge) for the disposal of dredge material into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

A charge is to be determined, from $5 to $15 for each cubic metre of material disposed of into the Marine Park. This charge would be applied to all permissions granted under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/media/external-links/external/acts-and-policy/great-barrier-reef-marine-park-act-1975) that allow such disposal to occur.

The charge is proposed to take effect from 1 July 2012 and would apply to all actions from that point onwards.

This approach is consistent with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's general principles that users of the Marine Park contribute to the management of the Marine Park. Revenue from the EMC will contribute to the long-term sustainable management of the Marine Park.

For more information, please contact: Adam Smith (07) 4750 00734 or Andrew Skeat (07) 4750 0821 by 23 February 2012.


This is dircetly from the GBRMP website......

http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/zoning-permits-and-plans/environmental-management-charge/disposal-of-dredge-material-in-the-great-barrier-reef-marine-park

Now, everyone knows the water quality in the GBRMP and other areas are determined and affected by landbased activities, now it appears that you can't flush your onboard toilet into the sea, but if you PAY you can dump whatever you like. :-?

This is BS !!!>:( >:(

LP

[Bros]

Money fixes everything.

[netmaker]

it sucks. you cant shit out there but you can fill the joint up with shit. how to turn a green zone into a brown zone. it really is a sick joke. a marine park should be just that.

[robtarr]

gobsmacked!!! so by that logic if we pay a fee does that mean we get to fish in the marine park? I'm sure we'd do a lot less damage than these guys dumping their dredge waste

Phill have you tried giving Adam Smith (07) 4750 00734 or Andrew Skeat (07) 4750 0821 a call to ask?

bet I know their response...."nothing to see here...move along"....

[Lucky_Phill]

Not yet Rob, but I have it sent directly to Campbell who is in Townsville today, and just so happens, Capt Bligh is as well.

Newsworthy ?................. Hell Yes. !

I know they are State people, but the GBRMP sits in our State despite it being a Federal Government proposal.

Cheers

[pescados]

Thanks Phil, Like the B/S, just goes to show that " Marine Parks" are probably just another cash cow for the Governments.
And to dump the crap on the Great Barrier Reef shows they don't give a crap.
I am in SA and thought the Great Barrier Reef was a no no for anything ???

[mowerman]

I pay more to dump grass clippings at Birkdale.

Time to load them in the boat.

Rod

.

[marto78]

So where exactly does all the dredge waiste go at the moment. Does it get dumped on land or does it just get dumped somewhere out in deeper water.
If it is the later aren't they already dumping it for free in the GBRMP and all this is, is just another grab for money from the government?

[Lucky_Phill]

Further,

The new info is the submission period is due to close tomorrow. There was a 10 day............ yes people, you read it right........... a 10 DAY period open for submissions. :o :o

The couple of submissions were made but they were in response to the minimal time allowed for submissions.

The Chairman, Russell Reichlt, through his spokesperson, Mel Cowlishaw, stated the time allowed for submissions came from a higher power and he accepts that responsibility.

Seems strange that with all these issues with the Port of Gladstone dredging and turbidity, now comes a " get out of jail free card ". Not saying this is why this approach has been adopted, but, one has to wonder ? :-? 8-)

The GBRMP website also states, the new EMC will come in on 1st July. Jeez, these people can get things done when it suits them... :-X

More to come on this.

LP

[Boat Hog]

It's all quite logical really. You see, they are going to need the money raised by the levy to commission a study into what happened to all the marine life! Maybe even fund a new Govt Department to 'look into it'.

All part of the fertilizer that is growing the current political landscape.

Where are the Greens? They should be all over this like Highway Patrol behind a speeding P Plate Driver.

[TREVELLY]

You guys just don't seem to get it really - if they tax it it's okay and will somehow fix itself. :-?

Phil did you send this info to Mark and Mike our devoted and earnest fishing polys?

Ah yes "Greens" the one eyed monster - ever so quiet on critical matters and screaming from the media on touchy feely meaningless stuff.

[gpz1991]

Being from the sunny south I thought a marine park was a marine park? Aren't there enought issues with the GBR with out this, it borders on legal vandalism.

[Lucky_Phill]

The federal government has told a World Heritage committee of the impacts of dumping dredge spoils on the Great Barrier Reef. Source: The Australian

MILLIONS of tonnes of potentially toxic dredge spoils from coal and gas port expansions along the Queensland coast have been earmarked to be dumped into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

The federal government has told the park authority to raise working capital by imposing a dumping fee of between $5 and $15 per cubic metre.

The proposal has enraged fishing and conservation groups, which have called it "pay to pollute" environmental vandalism.

The plan coincides with long-running concerns over the impact on marine life of dredging at Gladstone Harbour to make way for the $70 billion liquefied natural gas export industry.

An outbreak of fish disease at Gladstone following the start of dredging has not been fully explained.

Alarm over the potential for a massive increase in dumping of dredging material into the Great Barrier Reef also coincides with a planned visit next month by a World Heritage delegation that has already expressed concerns over the Gladstone Port expansion.

The UN World Heritage body has called on the Australian and Queensland governments to explain how they plan to safeguard the Great Barrier Reef from the impact of the mining boom.

The Gladstone Port expansion and a planned massive upgrade of the Abbot Point coal terminal near Mackay are taking place within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area.

Opposition to dumping has united recreational fishing and environmental groups.
Barrier Reef fishing charter operator Daniel McCarthy said the dumping charge was a key issue for marine tourism groups. "I have been asking the question: is the marine park authority saying it is OK if we get money?" he said.

"There is a lot of dodging going on. There are a lot of views, between 'This is ridiculous, it can't happen', to 'It's OK if it is safe', to 'What's wrong, let's get the money off the bastards'."

Judy Lynne, executive officer of peak recreational fishing group Sunfish Queensland, said the plan "betrays the trust that Australians have in the authority and the federal government to protect a world-recognised icon which is not only a marine park and World Heritage area but designated one of the natural wonders of the world".
"If dredge spoil is allowed to be dumped in the Great Barrier Reef marine environment, these plumes could be carried for 100km or more in average weather conditions and continually stirred up any time there is a rough sea," Ms Lynne said.
"We see this as the start of paid pollution right along the eastern Queensland seaboard and affecting the whole inshore area of the GBR World Heritage area."
Mackay Conservation Group co-ordinator Patricia Julien said planned port expansions at Gladstone, Hay Point and Abbot Point meant there would be hundreds of millions of tonnes of dredge spoil that must be disposed of.

Not all of it would be dumped offshore.

However, Ms Julien said the marine park authority was being pressured to accept millions of tonnes of dredge spoil for a token "handling fee".

She said because the coal ports were on narrow coastal plains and in some cases next to nationally listed wetlands, the capacity for onshore dumping was restricted.
Calling for submissions on the proposal, GBRMPA chairman Russell Reichelt said the federal government had proposed a charge of between $5 and $15 for each cubic metre of spoil disposed of into the GBRMP.

Revenue from the dumping charge, to take effect from July, would contribute to the park's long-term sustainable management.

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke is responsible for the park authority, but environment groups last night claimed Resources, Energy and Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson was behind the levy plan.
In a statement, the authority said the charge was consistent with its "general principles that users of the marine park contribute to the management of the marine park".
Marine park authority general manager Andrew Skeat said disposing of dredge material in the park was a "last option only".

"A proponent must demonstrate all alternative options have been fully explored, for example options of reuse or disposal on land," Mr Skeat said.

"All proposals are subject to a rigorous environmental impact permit assessment process."

He said the proposed fee would act as an incentive to reduce the volume of dredge material being disposed of in the marine park.


Regards



Judy Lynne
Executive Officer
Sunfish Queensland Inc


my bit ....He said the proposed fee would act as an incentive to reduce the volume of dredge material being disposed of in the marine park.

This bloke is off his tree. ::) ::) incentive to reduce....... BS! that is simply a stamp of approval to dump shit into the GBRMP.

cheers LP

[gpz1991]

If the proposed fee was meant to be an incentive to minimise waste the fee should be $ 500 m3. Lock up the coral sea so a few fishermen do not destroy it but if you have enough money dump as much crap on the GBR as you want, what has the tourism industry said about this. As an educated country you would think that we would learn from other countries mistakes, we have on of the greatest marine wonders in the world and the fact that our government agencies are even contemplating this astounds me!

[whiteman]

If you want something done you've got to pester the local pollies and environment ministers. GBRMPA monitors the current dumping (currently for free) but the pollies are the ones who allow this to happen. The question they have to work on is do they want big ships to sustain the massive trade that keeps Australia's economy afloat that need deep channels dredged or do they want pristine water for the reef and environs? The charge is to pay for the monitoring and may make some companies think twice but in the end this will need people power to fix it. Help the governments choose which way to move on this as they set the agendas.

[snapperdan]

If the proposed fee was meant to be an incentive to minimise waste the fee should be $ 500 m3. Lock up the coral sea so a few fishermen do not destroy it but if you have enough money dump as much crap on the GBR as you want, what has the tourism industry said about this. As an educated country you would think that we would learn from other countries mistakes, we have on of the greatest marine wonders in the world and the fact that our government agencies are even contemplating this astounds me!


Exactly, plus make them sign a waiver that if they spilll / dump / loose control of / mismanage the waste produced by mining there company will be seized and make them put a chunk off cash (min 1 billion, no pay no play) upfront incase of any disaster. Lets see how the shareholders like that.

I love mining, farming, fishing and forestry however nothing shits me more than deliberate ecological terrorism like this.

[nigelr]

Hmmm, sounds to me like the Fed govt. is maybe shy of scaring off the foreign developers......bit more foresight would not have gone astray, to put it mildly.
Interesting indeed to see the strength of the Green response.
Martin Ferguson, didn't he used to be head of a relevent Union?
As others have said, it's a disaster in waiting.

[Qlder1]

If you read the policy it seems that the Qld Port Authority have been given the green light to dump without paying anyway.. sounds like the Qld Govt have been paid off for this to go through quietly???





10. The environmental levy (para 9) will not apply to Queensland Department of Transport and Queensland ports that are party to a program of environmental enhancement and management activities that result in ongoing improvement to dredging and dredge material management practices in the Marine Park.

[Stik-ugly]

I am absolutely stunned that they would even think of doing this!

[Lucky_Phill]

I have dropped this issue in the laps of a " lobby group ".

This group are " green " orientated, but have clout on all fronts.

I'll see where they take it !


LP

[Black_Rat]

I know the Wildernes Society is on to it.

[gpz1991]

LP it would good if you could if you could keep us informed of where this group goes with this, as much as I am a southerner I am Australian and would hate the see this AUSSIE icon damaged by this sort of thing

[Lucky_Phill]

LP it would good if you could if you could keep us informed of where this group goes with this, as much as I am a southerner I am Australian and would hate the see this AUSSIE icon damaged by this sort of thing


will do................

It will hit the rec fishing print media as well here in Qld.

LP

[chop duster]

If you read the policy it seems that the Qld Port Authority have been given the green light to dump without paying anyway.. sounds like the Qld Govt have been paid off for this to go through quietly???





10. The environmental levy (para 9) will not apply to Queensland Department of Transport and Queensland ports that are party to a program of environmental enhancement and management activities that result in ongoing improvement to dredging and dredge material management practices in the Marine Park.


Read it again mate. Management programs are already in place to deal with works undertaken by the Department of Transport. Do you really suggest the government should be taxing itself?
Industry up here depends on the ports being dregded.

[gpz1991]

Read it again mate. Management programs are already in place to deal with works undertaken by the Department of Transport. Do you really suggest the government should be taxing itself?
Industry up here depends on the ports being dregded.

We need to be realistic with our approach to this sort of issue, I am based in Melbourne and we have had the channel dredged to deepen and widened to allow for the new larger freight linners to be able to access our port, as time moves forward this may be a ongoing issue for all ports.

There where considerable concerns to the effect this would have on the marine life in the bay, at one stage there was reports of snapper with some lesions, but this was short lived. Now the bay appears to have suffered Nil effect, at least for now.

As mentioned earlier in this post we are a country that relies on our export and this will need to continue for our economic stability and I can see the need to dredge and develop out ports systems in nth Australia, but as I have mentioned previously the dumping of spoil in the GBR should not continue levy or no levy, other avenues for the disposal of this need to be utilised, this includes any dumping that is already occurring .

[Qlder1]

Read it again mate. Management programs are already in place to deal with works undertaken by the Department of Transport. Do you really suggest the government should be taxing itself?
Industry up here depends on the ports being dregded.

You say industry depends on it... you are correct but dredging on the scale of Gladstone is a little more than what has previously been done.

It doesn't make it OK to cause massive enviromental damage that will affect all of us that live and work here. Is all this money thats going to be made by multinational companies going to be worth the loss of our way of life?

The scale of the Gladstone project is frightening and the effects of the pollution caused are really unknown atm. What IS known is that we will suffer a massive loss of marine park areas around the Narrows etc when its finished.

The fact that the mining companies continue to dump massive amounts of toxic waste into our river systems is proof that these giant companies don't give a shit. Then the govt. say its Ok because the money they are bringing in makes us all rich... F#ck that I would rather live a little more modestly and have somewhere to go fishing .

Only yesterday I was 35nm offshore from Yeppoon and a bulk carrier ship passed only a few miles east of us... usually they either pass in closer or have to go well out from the shoals. When the gas ships increase traffic x 20 times there will be another disaster here at the shoals or the Swains I bet.

Pretty hard to unf#ck a coral reef......>:(

[gpz1991]

"but as I have mentioned previously the dumping of spoil in the GBR should not continue levy or no levy, other avenues for the disposal of this need to be utilised, this includes any dumping that is already occurring."

I have many friends who live in the area and was shocked To see the reports of the barra with the lesions

I am all for making money for ou country but not at the expense of our marine environment

What is the spin in the local media?

Have there been full environmental impact studies done?

[Tumbo59]

http://www.mysunshinecoast.com.au/articles/article-display/katters-australian-party-says-no-dumping-in-reef,24967


http://www.ausparty.org.au/

Save our State.

[Qlder1]

There is some interesting reading here. Looks like greenpeace have waded in on the Keppel Bay/Gladstone disaster about to happen.

http://www.protectkeppelbay.org/Welcome.html