MELBOURNE — Is the Australian mining industry destroying one the world’s most treasured ecosystems? When it comes to the future of the Great Barrier Reef, it boils down to economic growth versus environmental impact.
Conservation experts from the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) arrived in Australia today to assess the impact of recent port expansion along the Great Barrier Reef in central and northern Queensland.
The UNESCO investigation follows a report, prepared by John Tanzer, ex-CEO of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), which claimed that a coal and gas boom are threatening the Reef’s heritage title.
The Australian Government confirmed that currently the ports are operating at just over 150 million tonnes annually, and have estimated that by the end of the decade, their capacity will be close to a billion [Source: ABC’s 7.30 Report].
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