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Dear Prime Minister

The Great Barrier Reef is a site of remarkable variety and beauty on the north-

east coast of Australia. It contains the orld!s lar"est collection of coral reefs#

ith $%% ty&es of coral# '#(%% s&ecies of )sh and $#%%% ty&es of mollusc. It also

holds "reat scienti)c interest as the habitat of s&ecies such as the du"on" and

the lar"e "reen turtle# hich are threatened ith e*tinction.

The Great Barrier Reef# and in &articular the northern sector# is im&ortant in the

historic and contem&orary culture of the Abori"inal and Torres +trait Islander

"rou&s of the coastal areas of north-east Australia. There is a stron" s&iritual

connection ith the ocean and its inhabitants.

The Great Barrier Reef ill be so de"raded by armin" aters that it ill be

unreco"ni,able ithin % years# accordin" harlie /eron# former chief scientist of

the Australian Institute of Marine +cience# at a conference in 0ondon1 The Great

Barrier Reef ill be over ithin % years or so. They ould be the orld!s )rst

"lobal ecosystem to colla&se. I have the backin" of every coral reef scientist#every research or"ani,ation.

After bein" a hi"hly successful life form for (% million years# disru&tions in the

biolo"ical and communication systems of coral reefs have been found to be the

underlyin" cause of the coral bleachin" and colla&se of reef ecosystems around

the orld.

oral reefs form the orld2s bi""est sin"le structure made by livin" or"anisms#

Australia2s Great Barrier Reef# hich is visible from outer s&ace. The reef is

com&osed of over #3%% individual reefs and 3%% islands stretchin" for over

4#%%% kilometres over an area of a&&ro*imately 4$$#$%% s5uare kilometres.

They are bein" &ressured by chan"es in ocean tem&erature# &ollution#

over)shin"# sedimentation# acidi)cation# o*idative stress and disease# and the

syner"istic e6ect of some of these &roblems may destroy reefs even hen one

cause by itself ould not. +ome estimates have su""ested % &ercent of the

orld2s coral reefs are already dead and an additional $ &ercent are "ravely

threatened.

In December of last year# your 7nvironment Minister Gre" 8unt "ave the "o-

ahead to the Abbot Point coal terminal e*&ansion at Boen in north 9ueensland.

Millions of cubic metres of soil must be dred"ed and dum&ed near the reef for

the coal &ort to be constructed.

The best available science makes it very clear that e*&ansion of the &ort at

Abbot Point ill have detrimental e6ects on the Great Barrier Reef. +ediment

from dred"in" can smother corals and sea"rasses and e*&ose them to &oisons

and elevated nutrients. Dred"in" sediment smothers corals# e*&oses them to

&oisons and reduces &hotosynthesis.

If the ater is not clear# if it2s turbid throu"h too much sediment it cuts don on

the amount of li"ht and reduces the amount of "roth and health of those corals.

Research from Gladstone shos dred"e s&oil moves much further than

&reviously thou"ht. A &a&er came out in %' that shoed &lumes of sediment

can reach the Great Barrier Reef 5uite easily.

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The actions of your "overnment and cor&orate lobbyists &uts this natural onder

at a further risk. I im&lore that you look at the situation lo"ically and ith lon"

term conse5uences in mind. :our "overnment and the Australian &eo&le have

more to lose if you "o ahead ith this treacherously senseless &lan. The &eo&le

of Australia on!t take the decision lyin" don# I can "uarantee that.

:ours faithfully#A concerned citi,en

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