Tourism operators gain partial victories in protecting the Great Barrier Reef

Stakeholders looking to protect the Great Barrier Reef, Australia’s most significant natural tourism asset, have been buoyed by two recent decisions.

Deutsche Bank, one of the world’s biggest investment banks, has advised that it will not finance the planned expansion of Abbot Point, near Bowen in north Queensland without further assurances the expansion project will not damage the Great Barrier Reef.

The Abbot Point coal port expansion will see three million metres3 of dredge spoil and sludge dumped into the Great Barrier Reef marine park.

The giant German bank’s decision to step back from funding the project followed UNESCO having condemned the Federal Government's backing of the dumping of dredge spoil on Reef.

With UNESCO recommending that the Reef be added to the World Heritage in Danger list in 2015, unless the Government further protects the reef a statement from Deutsche Bank advised that it "observes that there is no consensus between UNESCO and the Australian government regarding the expansion of Abbot Point.

"Since our guidance requires such a consensus as a minimum, we would not consider a financing request".

The Australian Marine Conservation Society's Felicity Wishart, says the decision by Deutsche Bank demonstrates the multi-billion dollar coal port expansion project isn't viable, economically or environmentally.

Wishart told the ABC "they are essentially recognising that the Great Barrier Reef is a very important world heritage site and that they will not be funding or supporting the development at Abbot Point.

"The decision from Deutsche Bank sends a message, particularly to European investors but hopefully also the big banks in Australia, that getting involved in port expansions along the reef is bad for business."

Threats to the Great Barrier Reef were also repeatedly raised by international journalists at Australian Tourism Exchange 2014 in Cairns earlier this month.

Tourism operators in the Tropical North Queensland region have also launched their third legal action against the Abbot Point project, taking on the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority over the approval.

The action, launched by the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators, is the third separate legal action against various aspects of the project’s approval.

It follows two other separate challenges by environmental groups to both the authority and Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt’s approvals of the project.

With major fears that the Abbot Point project will have a major affect on tourism in Far North Queensland, Ecotourism Australia Chief Executive Rod Hillman recently told the ABC that the dredging decision will affect more than just Reef tourism.

Hillman stated “you look at all the marketing collateral and the campaigns that Tourism Australia use, and the main feature is Australia’s natural advantage; we’ve got all these national parks, we’ve got the unique animals, fantastic landscapes.

“People will only read the headlines from overseas, they will see that these kinds of decisions seem to be saying that the Australian Government doesn’t care.

“So if the Australian Government doesn’t care, why should they?”

3rd May 2014 - UNESCO WANTS GREAT BARRIER REEF ON DANGER LIST OVER DREDGING FEARS

3rd February 2014 - TOURISM OPERATORS DISAPPOINTED BY GREAT BARRIER REEF DREDGING DECISION

21st June 2013 - UNITED NATIONS DEFERS DECISION ON LISTING GREAT BARRIER REEF AS ‘IN DANGER’

4th February 2013 - NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE FOR ECOTOURISM AUSTRALIA

3rd June 2013 - CAIRNS TOURISM TECHNOLOGY ON SHOW TO AUSTRALIA 

30th March 2012 - UN POWERLESS TO FORCE REEF PROTECTION

3rd March 2012 - GREAT BARRIER REEF CONFIRMED AS A ‘NATIONAL LANDSCAPE’ 

23rd January 2012 - PROPOSED NEW DIVE AND SNORKEL LAWS TO ENSURE SAFETY

10th November 2011 - GREAT BARRIER REEF TOURISM OPERATORS RECOGNISED FOR GOING THE EXTRA MILE

17th August 2009 - REEF TOURISM STRATEGY TO TACKLE A CHANGING CLIMATE

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