Developments will have to pass reef test

NEW mine and port developments in Queensland would automatically be judged on the potential impact of increased shipping on the Great Barrier Reef.

AUSTRALIA-MINING-IRON ORE-RIO TINTO

NEW mine and port developments in Queensland would automatically be judged on the potential impact of increased shipping on the Great Barrier Reef, federal environment minister, Tony Burke, said yesterday.

In a strong signal that he would increase his powers over Rio Tinto's proposed $1.3 billion South of Emberley bauxite mine on Cape York, Mr Burke said shipping was central to any development decision.

The federal government has been asked to reopen the environmental assessment of the South of Emberley Project because shipping was not listed on Rio Tinto's original application.

The company has said the South of Emberley mine and port would not put additional pressure on the World Heritage area.

Mr Burke said he had not yet made a decision.

"But as a general principle I fail to see how you can you can have an expansion of any port where vessels will be going through a World Heritage area without those shipping movements being significant to any approval," Mr Burke said.

"I think potentially the most important impact both on the environment and the amenity for the purpose of tourism will be on the number of shipping movements through the Reef," Mr Burke said.

Mr Burke said there were differences of opinion over what his legal role was but he had a strong personal view that he had an obligation consider in full detail what the shipping outcomes would be not only what the development would mean within a port.

"I won't be approving anything unless I am satisfied that the reef is being appropriately protected," Mr Burke said.

"I believe I have a full legal entitlement to be able to look at the impacts of shipping that goes not only to the number of movements but also to the pace of movements and where vessels were allowed to moor while waiting for a berth," he said.

Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive, Don Henry, said the government should consider development pressures and their potential impacts on the Great Barrier Reef as a whole.

"Whether it is gas industrialization at Gladstone or proposals for a coal mine or a coal port we might miss the big picture impact of them all put together,' Mr Henry said.

"It I time we put our foot down as a nation and said just because a ship can save one or two hours steaming time is no excuse to put our Great Barrier Reef at risk," he said.

Wilderness Society national campaign director, Lyndon Schneiders said Mr Burke had clear responsibilities for the good management of all World Heritage properties.

"For the past 40 years the government has had the best of both worlds," Mr Schneiders said.

"They have got this tourism icon an because it is such a big system they have been able to pretend all these other industries co-existing with tourism were not having an impact on the reef when clearly they are."

Mr Schneiders said Queensland governments had been retrospectively adding increased protection for the reef over a 40 year period and that process would continue.