A loophole was found,the laws don't apply to materials generated from port maintenance work.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has approved the dumping of more than 1m tonnes of dredge spoil near the reef, using a loophole in federal laws that were supposed to protect the marine park.

The Greens senator Larissa Waters has called for the permit – which allows maintenance dredging to be carried out over 10 years at Mackay’s Hay Point port and the sludge to be dumped within the marine park’s boundaries – to be revoked.

“The last thing the reef needs is more sludge dumped on it, after being slammed by the floods recently,” Waters said. “One million tonnes of dumping dredged sludge into world heritage waters treats our reef like a rubbish tip.”

Acting on concerns from environmentalists, the federal government banned the disposal of dredge spoil near the reef in 2015. But the ban applied only to capital dredging. Maintenance work at ports – designed to remove sediment from shipping lanes as it accumulates – is not subject to it.

On 29 January the marine park authority granted conditional approval for North Queensland Bulk Ports to continue to dump maintenance dredge spoil within the park’s boundaries. The permit was issued just days before extensive flooding hit north and central Queensland, spilling large amounts of sediment into the marine environment.

Waters said the distinction between capital and maintenance dredging made little difference to the reef.

“The backflip by state and federal Labor and Liberal governments several years ago, after sustained pressure from the Greens and the community, to ban offshore dumping from capital dredging shows they understand the damage this sludge can do to the marine environment.

“Government policy needs to change to ban all offshore dumping, so GBRMPA is not allowed to permit the reef’s waters to be used as a cheaper alternative to treating the sludge and disposing of it safely onshore.”

North Queensland Bulk Ports, in a statement posted online shortly after the permit was issued, said it had to meet conditions to protect the marine environment.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/20/great-barrier-reef-authority-gives-green-light-to-dump-dredging-sludge?CMP=soc_567&fbclid=IwAR1KffCe7X5L6zSnMc56KSst8Tgwv-kcOo63rhqCnyIyoyVKud-LEIYgz4w

With the article is a photo ( The Hay Point coal terminal south of Mackay. Sludge from maintenance dredging is to be dumped in the Great Barrier Reef marine park. )

If so it would be highly possible there would be a lot of coal dust mixed in with the other debris that will be dumped somewhere where it will do environmental damage.

Well, Turnbull's $444million to GBR research are at work !

Would the receivers of the $444million grant please enlighten us what has been done thus far with that funding ?

individual - Every msm outlet should be following the $444 million, every year the books should be audited to make sure no money goes to any person or company associated with any of the Turnbulls.

It defies logic to give that much to a group that said they did not even ask for it and has no plans or experience in the field the money was allocated.

Philip S,
Yes, that's what makes it so interesting & that's why it'd be good to get some feedback !
I'm dumbfounded at the Left's silence on this. Could it have something to do with academics profiting from the money ?