The ConversationAlana and Bob, with Rob Coles, have a piece just out in The Conversation.

It all adds up: port development on the Great Barrier Reef

mo_coal_port_gladstone_800x600By Alana Grech, Macquarie University

Do we consider the cumulative impact of ports on the Great Barrier Reef when deciding whether or not to allow a development the green light? The answer is no.

The Australian and Queensland Government’s assessment process suffers from serious weaknesses. Environmental impact statements (EIS) are fundamentally flawed as they do not incorporate past, present and future impacts external to ports. Even when information is shared amongst port developers, the assessment of cumulative impacts remains weak. The lack of clear guidelines for assessing cumulative impacts in EIS indicates regulatory inadequacy at multiple levels of Government.

We provide recommendations that will fix this problem without increasing the dreaded ‘green tape’.

Read the full article at The Conversation.

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