Please read help us avert another 'Gladstone' catastrophe on the GBR

[devocean]

Hi Everyone


Whilst I realise the majority on this Forum reside and fish in the SE corner and the area of immediate concern is the Central Queensland I am hoping the fact that we are all fishermen will be enough to get on board.

Unbeknownst to many (including locals in the affected area), plans and tenders ahve been put out to begin dredging the Abbot Point Coal Loading Facility so larger coal carriers can begin docking and loading coal. This proposal has outlined that a minimum of 3 million cubic tonnes of soil will be dredged from the in front of the loading facility. The dredging in itself has the potential to be disastrous as the plume from this will spread over a large area which includes sea grass beds, dugongs areas and most important just about the entire inshore fishing area of Bowen. Basically they are planning to do what they did in Gladstone again. I will post with this appeal the plume maps (these are actually from the company who is doing the dredging not GRMPA which have told me these are in fact very conservative).

On top of this instead of dumping the acid sulphate soils on land they are planning on driving it out to sea and dumping it about 14km from Holbourne Island. The plume from this dunping will also spread to encompass Holbourne Island Nares Rock and right out to the Great Barrier Reef. We have been told the soil will be to toxic to dump on land but it is fine to dump it in the water :(
This will destroy much of prawn trawler operations, offeshore red fishing and possibly do major damage to the reef.

I have also included the plume map for this as well.

Whilst we have been told fighting this is a waste of time because when tenders are called it is generally means its going to happen - I urge everyone reading this to take 10 minutes and go to http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/about-us/consultation/current-proposals/abbot-point-coal-export-terminal-expansion and complete the PER to fight against this. We have all seen what has happened to Gladstone lets' not make the same mistake twice.

[devocean]

The first map shows the plume map of expected spread of soil on the initial dredging of the jetty. This shows one direction. The second map shows the plume spread if the waves and wind goes the other way.
The third map shows where the soil will be dunped. Pleas ekeep in mind the square is estimated at 45 hectares in size and this plume map is ecpected to spread a lot further than this area outlined

[SatNav]

1. I have an open mind on all of this and totally disassociated with any current events but maybe you could explain exactly why you believe there is a direct link between dredging and the "Gladstone" catastrophe?

2. In 1981/82 Gladstone harbour was dedged from the fairway buoy to fishermans landing, a distance of approx 38km, 183 metres wide and 5 metres deep (all averages) but equated to around 700 hectares and will let you work out the total metres moved for yourself.

3. There were absolutely no issues in 1981/82 ..... Why are there now issues in 2012/13? What has changed?

[rocklobster]

There has been 30 years for heavy industry to contribute to the harbour since 81 and we will never be told the truth reguardless of what anyone says . Some thing has been dormant for a long time and has been stirred up with dredging . It is amazing how the Curtis island LNG site has been bulldozed, mangroves and all and no one says a word . Cut one mangrove branch off or scare away a fruit bat anywhere else and an individual will face serious prosecution . Money talks . I wish we would see all the greeny groups like PEW and others telling the government to stop development due to the turtle , dolphin and fish deaths . The greenys are are interested in easy things they can control like shutting the reef to recreational fishing or stopping you driving your fourwheel drive on the beach . The developers of Keppel island have been desperately trying to have a proposal passed to build a new resort and the lastest setback is the amount of aircraft traffic which may have some effect to the environment with the fumes from the aircraft . I dont understand how one project is a" do whatever you want project " and the other very restricted . The mines releasing water into the Fitzroy river is another example of big industry doing as they wish . Everytime the water goes to a sickly looking green and tastes funny ,everything goes quiet and no one comments . It is simply swept under the table.

[cuzzamundi]

Like you said, Rocklobster - an open wallet hushes all. Always has been the way, always will be.

Good info, Devocean. By the way, I saw a BCF ad with a boat called 'Devocean' in the background. Get onto 'em for some royalties, mate - they're flogging your name!!!

Cuzza

[Feral]

Acid sulphate soil only "fires off" when exposed to the air. Thats why dredged material should always be dumped back at sea, preferably never having been exposed to the air during the process.

[finga]

Acid sulphate soil only "fires off" when exposed to the air. Thats why dredged material should always be dumped back at sea, preferably never having been exposed to the air during the process.
That's exactly what I thought and that's why the acid sulphate soils from the SE Freeway are dumped at the sand dredging place into those ponds near the golf course at Carbrook.

[devocean]

What really has got up my nose about all this is in the PER document it actually says in black and white that no recreational or commercial fishery will be affected as there are non of value in the area! We only have the highest number of recreational fishing boats per capita in Bowen and also one of the largest fishing commercial operations in Bowen!

Whilst this is very different in some aspects of Gladstone the principal remains. For a little bit of extra money they could just extend the jetty and require no dredging at all but it seems our waterways are worth nothing.

Basically n a netshell how would you like someone to dump huge amounts of dredged soil over Moreton Bay!

[warti]

Feral, in regards to air exposure, what is the time frame where it starts turning nasty. The soil is transported out of Gladstone harbour ontop of barges with full exposure to the elements. I am also aware that these soils have also been dumped (accidentally!) in non allocated areas and on one occasion in an actual Seagrass monitoring area. We use to dive out the front of the islands here and now it is no longer clean enough dive comfortably. Even in winter when it usually cleans up was not dive able.