More ships won't damage reef: Newman
June 4, 2012

   

An increase in coal ships travelling through the Great Barrier Reef would not necessarily lead to more accidents, Queensland Premier Campbell Newman says.   

Mr Newman said the government would be “sensible” in the wake of a United Nations agency report warning continuing developing affecting the Great Barrier Reef could threaten its World Heritage status.

Mr Newman said his cabinet ministers had today strongly supported the need for a strategic assessment of development impacting on the reef and also a “proper port strategy”.


He said the Newman government had recently announced the scale-back of proposed port development at Abbot Point, as the project was “over the top” and had no doubt fuelled international concerns.

Mr Newman said there was an environmental argument that the more ships traversing the Great Barrier Reef, the greater the risk.

“Now frankly I don't agree with that. What we should be saying is that we're going to put in place the safeguards to make sure that we don't have problems with shipping on the reef, that we protect the reef in that way," he said.

“The arguments from some of the very green, left-wing green groups are frankly spurious.

“If we listen to their arguments then we would probably stop increases in international air travel because if you follow their arguments the more planes in the air the more crashes you're going to have, and that clearly isn't the case, so we need to be sensible about these things.

“I stress we're not going to hold back the economic development of Queensland but we are going to ensure we protect the environment as these new projects come forward.”   

Mr Newman said the focus should be on safeguards, such as new high-tech navigational equipment or possibly compulsory pilots through the reef.

“I don't buy the argument that just because you have more ships you're going to have more accidents,” he said.   

Mr Newman said he would not want projects currently awaiting approval to be delayed, but was looking to devise a strategy for the future.

“There are existing projects and there is the future and what we are talking about is the future,” he said.

“We don't want to see the delay of any existing projects, the things that are already if you like in the approval pipeline, but we think it is right and proper and totally agree with the need for a proper port strategy for the future and that will be developed over the next 12 months with the Commonwealth.”

Mr Newman said his government would maintain the Bligh government's legislation dealing with agricultural run-off into the reef.

“Yes we will be, but that's not to say it can't be improved in the future,” he said.

Mr Newman would not elaborate on what changes he envisaged for the legislation.

Mr Newman was speaking at a media event called to announce the appointment of the selection committee for a $10 million women's career scholarship program.

The program, promised during the election campaign, will see 500 scholarships of up to $20,000 over four years handed out to boost female enrolment in courses traditionally dominated by men, such as engineering, agricultural science, geology, architecture and building services.

Mr Newman said six times more men enrolled in engineering in Queensland last year than women.

The scholarships will become available from next year.

The selection committee comprises former Macarthur Coal chief Nicole Hollows, former agribusiness professor and CSIRO board member Beth Woods, Queensland chief scientist Geoff Garrett, Skills Queensland chief executive Rod Camm, and Radmila Desic, who is vice-president of the National Association of Women in Constriction.

Education, Training and Employment Minister John Paul-Langbroek said the committee would decide in which fields of study the scholarships would be offered, the selection process, and ways to monitor recipients' progress.

Parliament resumes tomorrow, with the three-day sitting set to debate a cost-of-living bill and changes to state industrial relations laws.

Mr Newman said cabinet was yet to receive a submission from Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie about the civil partnership laws, but one would be considered in the “next few weeks”.

comments so far

        Just keep your mouth shut Newman. The more you talk the more stupid you make the human race look.   

    Commenter
        Tunnels Newman
    Location
    Date and time
        June 04, 2012, 4:24PM

            Playing Russian roulette doesn't necessarily kill you.   

        Commenter
            Ian
        Location
            Bris
        Date and time
            June 04, 2012, 5:19PM

        Does Campbell Newman have a short term memory? Just a few weeks ago we almost had an accident with the current shipping traffic we have when a ship went adrift and almost ran aground on the reef.   

        http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/stricken-reef-ship-secured-to-tugboat-20120520-1yyiv.html

A new lefty scare tactic.

Oh dear evil boogieman CO2 concentrations are now responsible for sinking coal ships in the barrier reef.....

If Campbell Newman thinks that the short term coal industry and the mighty dollar is more important than the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef, he should have the reef taken off the World Heritage list, then he will be free to wreck the reef for all eternity.

The Qld  coastline can still look beautiful with a shipping port at ten kilometers intervals.

I wonder if he has realised that the tourism industry will outlive the coal industry and it employs more people.

I'm glad I didn't vote for him, so I can't be blamed for his evil capitalistic exploits.