A Queensland Government report has found there is no need to build any more ports along the Reef coastline in the next decade because existing infrastructure is being under-utilised.
WWF-Australia spokesperson, Nick Heath, said the recently released Great Barrier Reef Ports Strategy Economic Analysis shows Queensland’s three major coal ports are only operating at 52% capacity. Despite this, large port expansions are planned for Abbot Point near the Whitsundays, and new ports are planned for the environmentally sensitive Keppel Bay and Fitzroy Delta in Central Queensland, a home for Australia’s snubfin dolphin.
“Utilisation of Abbot Point, in particular, has been declining over the past three years. It was operating at just 27% capacity last year,” Mr Heath said. “This is frank and fearless advice from the Government’s own department,” he said.
Just days after the report was released, the Government issued a press release calling for registrations of interest to expand Abbot Point.”Making plans to expand Abbot Point when two thirds of the port is already sitting idle is ludicrous,” Mr Heath said.
The report shows the total number of ships on the Great Barrier Reef is expected to increase by 3% per year, according to historical trends. Even if that doubles to 6%, the maximum number of ships will be 6100 by 2022.
Source: WWF
The Great Barrier Reef Ports Strategy Economic Analysis was posted on the Queensland Governments website in late December.
Go to http://www.dsdip.qld.gov.au/resources/plan/gbr-economic-analysis.pdf