More..... Greenpeace said the wetlands were home to 40,000 water birds, many of them migrating annually to east Asia. A colander has fewer holes than this dredging proposal, Greenpeace Reef campaigner Shani Tager said. There has been no assessment on the impacts of dumping this acid sulphate dredge spoil on vulnerable species such as the Australian painted snipe, or endangered turtle breeding habitat. International campaigners have targeted Abbot Point and the related mega-coal mines in the Galilee Basin that will make use of the ports expansion. The ventures may cost more than $25 billion, a total that may be difficult for proponents to raise amid weak coal prices and opposition from environmental groups. This week, these groups claimed more success in their campaign to discourage global banks from funding projects they say will create a huge new source of greenhouse gas emissions while undermining the World Heritage values of the Great Barrier Reef. All up, the mines could produce as much as 330 million tonnes of coal per year, creating more carbon dioxide than Australias current emissions. US-based banks, Citi and Morgan Stanley this week said they would not participate in financing the port expansion, while Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan indicated they would also avoid it. The Rainforest Action Network said on Wednesday it would target Bank of America in a bid to discourage it from involvement in the projects. Adani and GVK insist that their projects will proceed, rejecting claims that banks are steering clear of them. Adani said it expected to finalise a management contract on Wednesday for part of its $16.5 billion share of the projects. Dredging extension Ms Wishart, of the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said another concern is that the Queensland government wants dredging to be permitted for a longer period than originally planned. Instead of dredging during April and June to limit the plume, the proponents are now pushing for approval to dredge until October, Ms Wishart said. They also want to start dredging as soon as January - in the middle of the wet season. The Queensland government is seeking the changes on behalf of the miners, she said.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 09:35:42 +0000
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