Green concerns over Oz shipping boom

The party says that ship traffic needs to be better regulated through the Great Barrier Reef.

This has been made even more apparent in the wake of the bulk carrier grounding of ID Integrity last week when the vessel narrowly avoided being run aground off of Shark Reef after losing power.

On the party’s website, Australian Green’s spokesperson, Larissa Waters, said, “This incident demonstrates how reckless and foolhardy the Australian Government has been in rushing ahead with plans to massively increase shipping traffic for fossil fuels exports out of Queensland, and turning the Reef into a coal and gas superhighway.”

The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage site, which employs more than 50,000 Australians and contributes more than AUS$5bn to the economy every year through sustainable tourism.

It is hoped that the vessel can be rescued before it creates a disastrous spill.

According to the Green’s website, the Australian Government should now take responsibility for the Great Barrier Reef and “stop this headlong rush to boost fossil fuels exports at the expense of the economy, the climate and the environment.”

The UNESCO report is due to be released next week, according to AAP.