Is the Gladstone gas project too high a price to pay for the reef?
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The liquid natural gas facility being constructed at Gladstone is to supply liquefied coal-seam gas to China to reduce that country’s CO2 emissions. Even this fundamental proposition is in doubt, according to Colin Hunt writing in Climate Spectator:
The LNG project was approved for construction before the approval of most of the many coal-seam gas extraction proposals upon which it is reliant. The proposed port development for this and many other projects in and around the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park will require massive amounts of dredging and annual maintenance dredging. The sediment to be dredged will often, like Gladstone Harbour, be contaminated by toxins from mining, agriculture and industrial development, etc. The environment impact statement process not only failed to predict this but state and federal bureaucracies have sought to understate the health and environmental impact of dredging contaminated sediment since it became apparent. From industry’s point of view the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association states:
But will Queensland, indeed Australia, make a profit or a loss? This project will have a life of 30 years. If the fisheries and tourism of the Great Barrier Reef are worth $5 billion per annum, the impact of the Gladstone project alone could be very significant. Regardless of the causes of fish and wildlife deaths and disease, the growing bad publicity — national and international — is impacting tourism and fish sales regionally. The value of fishing and fish, recreational and commercial, has been growing as fast or faster than the rate of inflation and is likely to continue that growth — well beyond 30 years. Australia has been at least circumspect in valuing these industries, especially commercial fishing, which is simply said to be worth just the landed fish value — the first price. In the real world, commercial fishermen buy and maintain boats, nets, radars, radios, safety gear, sounders, etc. This generates considerable local employment in addition to that of deckhands and skippers. The fish are sold first from the boat, but then again to the processor, wholesaler, distributor and finally to the public on the plate. Compare the price per kilo at the fish market to the price you pay for fish per kilo as the restaurant or fish or a chip shop and you get some idea. Similarly, recreational fishing, which has been variously valued at generating between $150 and $250 per day’s fishing to the local economies in which the recreational fishfolk take their catches. These folk stay in accommodation, hire or buy boats, buy food and drinks, bait, equipment, etc. Tourism, of which recreational fishing is a subset, is even more valuable and complex — overseas visitation often based on “perception”, which is why we spend on advertising. Accommodation in Queensland ranges from tents for backpackers, who spend freely with gold credit cards, to five-star resorts. In total, the tourist industry involves massive capital investment and directly employs thousands of people. All this is at risk from a badly managing the Great Barrier Reef. The current system of environmental valuation has evolved from the ecological sustainability workshops and studies of the early 1980s. A massive amount of research as to the status of individual species, habitat mapping and management of species has been invested in by taxpayers, which has produced environmental management based on maintaining biodiversity — a Noah’s Ark-like approach. This has informed the environment impact statement process, also described by Colin Hunt on Climate Spectator:
Looking after biodiversity and protecting rare and endangered species does not maintain good fishing. It doesn’t protect and manage all mangroves, sea grass or even estuaries as critical fish nursery areas or maintain all the reefs where tourist go snorkelling. It does, however, maintain a lot of “wiggle room” for government authorities and industry proponents who seek to downplay the Gladstone LNG development impacts. It even tempts the federal opposition to propose closing commercial fisheries and pay compensation and the Queensland Fisheries Minister to advertise “all is well with the fish”. Russell Reichelt, chairman and chief executive of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, said on ABC News this morning, in a clip from tonight’s Four Corners, that:
GBRMPA has done nothing to date to address this ecological disaster and he is offering little more. The problems on the Great Barrier Reef have been growing over years as state and federal governments and GBRMPA have allowed more and more development on the reef and in its catchments. Now this accumulated inability to manage the environment may be putting the Queensland and national economy at risk. |
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23 Comments
These “skin” lesions on fish and humans - after all that dredging, after all these years of “ecological nonchalance”, the local paper reports on tests done for biological and mineral factors, but not “chemical”?
Here we are 7.42pm and one other comment, despite this being a very very important environmental story, just shows that the crikey readership neither know nor care too much about the destruction of the finest harbour in Australia. The jury was back in in Gladstone with a guilty verdict 20 odd years ago, but we still dont care. We have killed a harbour and nothing will change, the not very environmentally gas plants will be built, more coal facilities will be built, and we will pass the climate tipping point, all because some already rich b’s wanted to make more money. We do not deserve this planet, and at current rate of progress may kill the whole thing off before too long.
Michael, you’re so right, we don’t deserve this planet!
I live in a beautiful valley in Tasmania and we possibly face the same problem as Gladstone. There is, apparently, plenty of CSG beneath our beautiful green pastures and the big companies (including our State government) wants it. I, along with a relatively small amount of like-minded people, have been trying to raise awareness about our predicament, rally the people together so that we can stop the insanity, but hardly anyone is interested! They are all so apathetic! It’ll happen in their backyard (possibly literally!) and it’ll be too late; their water, land, cattle, family will be poisoned forever! What kind of a race are we that we can allow this to happen? It breaks my heart.
With governments being more tributaries of big business (from the extractive to their media PR managers), the subsequent evolution of a “throw-away environment” (and where do we “dispose” of it?) is there any doubt why The Greens become a more popular viable electoral option? Unfortunately, the way we’re going, by the time enough people realise what “modern policies” are doing to the world we inhabit (the only one), and turn to the Greens in numbers large enough to give them enough power - because there isn’t enough “sensible middle ground” being sought now - it will be too late.
We are not living within the parameters of the carrying capacity of our species, of this planet.
I wonder how far the incessant catch-cry of more jobs will go when our Aquifers & waterways are polluted beyond human use & consumption & our food is inedible due to the toxins from the very source we need to survive.
“Water is the very essence of all life & existence on this planet, does a job negate our resposnibilty to preserve life”
At no time in our short existence on this planet have we been nearer to the tipping point than we are now. So if history repeats what have we learned so far?
Absolutely nothing so it seems.
Anyone who has seen “Gasland” will know this CSG industry cannot exist in any form at all with the living things that surround it.
Sadly, it’s Queensland’s unique system of accountability, that unfortunately despite all the evidence tends to favour private interest over the public interest, thumb its nose at any external views and advice and skip from one set of ethical and integrity frameworks to the next, nothing to see here, move on - see History of the State of Queensland.
How sad is this?
Perhaps the saddest thing of all is that this is a financial decision - that is, the reef is not worth protecting to the cost of piping the gas further south. It’s not about gas or reef - it’s about how much are we willing to spend to protect it. Not bl**dy much obviously.
I wonder what we will be doing when we have no more gas, no more iron ore, no more precious dirt. A large flat brown version of Nauru? We value nothing.
Stealing by finding - and we are living on it still.
Does anyone else see the hypocrisy of a government who spent millions of taxpayers’ money to close prime marine food resource areas in the GBRMP to Commercially Fishing Families (who had been catching food for Australians for decades) under the guise of saving the environment which then proceeds to destroy Gladstone Harbour (look out Bowen and other ports) meanwhile denying it is harming the marine life, Fishing Families and the environment? How many times do they need to be hit in the face with a dead dugong, dolphin or turtle before they stop trying to sweep it under the carpet? As far as their water quality testing goes I don’t trust the government to do the right thing by the people, environment, fishing families or marine life of any port developments they do.
I just can’t believe the short sightedness of people. This project has a 30 year life span. Maybe? I suspect it won’t even last that long. Who is paying for the port construction? What will the impacts of carbon trading etc be on the viability of the port? Will the taxpayers ever get a return on the investment if it is being government funded?
In 30 years time though we will be lucky to have any other viable export sectors left and we will have a workforce that is only skilled in digging stuff up and putting it on boats, with a degraded environment and huge holes in the ground to boot.
The federal government have put a stop to a couple of dubious projects. I hope maybe some sense will prevail in this case.
And no one sees the fatuity of a carbon tax matched to the ALP-sponsored fossil-fuel rape of the Queensland coast?
Curtis Island between Gladstone and the Great Barrier Reef has become a huge industrial complex. This is happening because we have not been able to trust our elected representatives to exercise their influence in the best interest of their constituents. A developement like this in a so called heritage area is a direct result of the very same politics which permits thinking people to identify Labor and the Liberal Coalition Federal, State and Local government as the two parties not much preferred. Why are we involved in borrowing to such an extent we must rush to export our natural resources just to keep up with the interest on borrowings. I care enough to have commented on the concerns raised by fishermen working in and around Gladston Harbour. I have not noticed comments on Crikey strings from identifed politicians or party members. Politics is a team activity so it follows if the elected reps arounf the City of Gladstone dont care enough about the Gladstone natural enviornment and food resource then their fellow party members must be OK with that sort of neglect too. I understand Four Corners has picked up on this story. We the peoples do have the capacity to shake the base of government, by exercising our votes for change and change again until politicians return to representing us and put our wishes before those of the party! Edward James.
Pleased to see the increase in numbers of comments following the 4 corners programme. Very disappointed with the lack of commentary in the programme about the social dislocation that accompanies projects of this type. Still, I suppose it was start. Interesting a comment by, I think, Leo Zussino from the Port Authority about the bottom half of Curtis being seriously degraded prior to the gas plant construction being commenced. While there was, many years ago, a grazing property there, this had not had a large impact on the ecology of the area and I think it is not a fair comment to say “heavily degraded”. it is very very degraded now, past the point of recovery. I wish friends of the Earth, Rising Tide, and Six Degrees, well in their actions planned for Gladstone this week. They are working for all of us. (unpaid!)
@ Michael Crook I just watched the last Four Corners program for the year. The program is almost as old as many of us. I feel sad that so much of our taxes is devoted to so called government oversight of what is proposed to be done. In so many places inside our Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and then even more of our taxes being spent on distracting us from the damage being done right under our noses at Gladstone. We the people often must rally together and sometimes even spend more of our money to prove our elected representatives people like Anna Bligh who exist hand to mouth on our tax dollars, are doing the wrong thing by the peoples. The Reef coral is said to have slipped back from fifty % to 20% yet the marine park remains world class, but what happens after we have the inevitable ship wreaks and oil spills, not to mention the living marine contaminants which arrive in international ships ballast. Tasmania knows all about that hidden problem. Edward James
The answer to this question is “YES”?
I too watched 4 Corners on Monday night. I was/am horrified. I recommend this program to all who didn’t see it. It can be viewed on line!
The argument re gas vs coal is a nonsense. It is documented, that when you take in the mining etc of CSG (and other forms of gas) the damage to the environment could and probably is worse than coal. We have a positive alternative - renewable energy sources, such as the sun, wind etc. the main motivation for these dangerous mining practices is money? Pure and simple!
Most disturbing, very sad, and how hypocritical can you get? The left and right hands need to ‘clap’ together? Qld is as bad as NSW re these gas mines. It’s time it all stopped until a Royal Commission or the equivalent investigated all relevant aspects of these mines! If we stuff up the Great Barrier Reef, or aquifers or Dams or Agricultural land etc - that’s it? No reversal of that damage!
I believe no scientist / hydrologist can argue the safety of coal seam gas as the following point demonstrates:-
With millions of gallons of water needed to frac each well, which can be done up to 18 times during wells lifetime using over 500 of the most carcinogenic chemicals known & unknown, only 50% of this water which they call “produced water” or better known as “contaminated water is returned. This means millions upon millions of gallons of (contaminated water) multiplied by the number of wells is being recirculated back to the aquifers.
How is it possible for any scientist / hydrologist to argue this can be done safely!!!
I believe on this point alone these operations will ultimately be banned, I would love to hear the corporate backed scientist argue this point in a public forum put before the nation. This is an attack not just on human life but all living things.
This environmental insanity needs to be banned forthwith with its perpertators & anonymous international financial backers thrown in gaol.
Tried to post some messages on the 4 Corners feedback site on the “Great Barrier Grief” story, but I noticed after some bad feedback condemning CSG they havent posted anymore messages since Monday evening.
This is a common theme with the ABC since its corporatisation, it seems that it is still Government funded but privately controlled & edited!!!!
Don’t you just love our democracy!!!!
When are we going to stop voting for these 2 major parties, they are both controlled by those anonymous, but powerful industrialists that have been screwing us since at least WW2.
Isn’t it funny how so called democracy in all Western nations have had (2 Major Parties) that both serve the interests of faceless international cartels instead of the people, this gives us the illusion of democracy.
Isn’t it also not so funny how “Corporate Law” has now out trumped constitutional law of sovereign countries through “Globalisation” sorry I meant “Corporate Globalisation” & the CEO’s of these corporations are appointed for no other reason than to be the “scape goat” or “fall guy” in order to hide the real financial investors behind these Corpse!!!
I agree with George Carlin that this will not change until much blood is shed as these bastards are not going to let go without force. This is demonstrated in Egypt where they have replaced one tryrant with another!!!
@OWEN- Interesting that NSW Labor Opposition has now come out AGAINST CSG mining? Makes one very cynical, however, I don’t care what their motivation is, I welcome their change of mind? In the Illawarra, the campaign against CSG is very strong and growing. There’s another meeting at Thirroul on Sunday 20th, of which I’ll go (as long as back holds out???)
We have so much to lose if just anything at all goes wrong. Our catchment areas are along the escarpment - there’s a couple of Dams as well? I’ve read that the aim is to build a pipeline near the Warragamba Dam too? Imagine what would happen if crap leached into the Dam? Goodbye Sydney water? There’s also the question of them removing vegetation in a 50 metre radius from the proposed mining site - they just fell trees etc without a second thought!
Re the two major parties. I couldn’t agree more. Perhaps the Occupy movement will create more awareness and who knows, even their own candidates. The major problem of course, is as usual spreading the word. At least we separate the political parties from the processes of voting - unlike the US? And we have The Greens to thank for initiating policies that restrict donations from big business - Labor was forced to follow - good stuff!
Like you I feel very disappointed with the ABC at times? In the Illawarra, the local ABC radio(and NSW Radio in the afternoons) insist on having a so-called journalist from The Telegraph speaking on politics - drives me nuts, particularly as he’s just stupid - ‘fluffy’ and ridiculous.(Joe Hidenbrand, who’s also on The Drum, I believe.) He has his own blog apparently - not that I bother to read it! Occasionally, like this morning, we heard from Peter Hartcher from the SMH -who at least is intelligent and does research etc???Something all at the Murdoch rags wouldn’t dream of doing!
Makes me realise why the police are being so brutal to the ‘Occupy’ people. Have to nip it in the bud before it gets popular? The pollies/media talk of praise and congrats to the people in north Africa is just bs - as long as it doesn’t happen here is the attitude!
Unbelievable!
It needs to be stopped.
Immediately.
No if’s, but’s or maybe’s.
You do realize that this is only the first port of six to be developed? The tailing spoils are flowing 20km from their dumping area towards the Barrier Reef and prime scallop grounds. This is being swept under the carpet because the government desperately need the money to pay for their wasteful spending. After years of persecuting the commercially fishing families of Queensland (unnecessarily I might add and costing the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars) on environment grounds this is one big hypocritical exercise. WWF and other green groups are proving to be useless, they are there to do the governments bidding on jobs that only hurt the private sector, in face WWF have received $500,000 from parties involved? So lets see how vocal they will be in the future. Maybe they will go back and start blaming the fishermen again, like the government did. Most media and scientists are government stooges.
Those Labor Party members we failed to sweep out of NSW Parliament in March are crawling back looking for support. They are on the same political team as the government in Queensland which continues to permit the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Frank Sartor a failed politician, and still part of the political fog on the hill himself. Here http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/wollongong-labor-addicted-to-quick-fix-sartor/2356307.aspx?page=2
John Robertson a political vandal. Here http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/robbo-brings-his-gas-bagging-to-illawarra/2361887.aspx
I can only hope many more people will start acting overtly and appending their birth names to their published comments in support of honest open government! We understand from years of experience Labor mishandles the truth carelessly. Our Prime Minister is like a flag attesting to that fact! John Robertson your Labor Party is responsible for licensing CSG exploration! I wont be surprised to discover under Labor, public servants permitted guarantees to be written into contracts which will see investors handsomely compensated should the current government rescind the politically unpopular licenses, which permit destruction of Australias natural enviornment and resources. Knowing your work product as Minister for the Central Coast and before that, as I do John Robertson. I am dissapointed with all the publishe allagations against you and your political mates. You are still enjoying RnR at our great expence on the opporsition benches in our NSW Parliament. Edward James
@EDWARD JAMES - I have no intention of putting my birth name on this site or any other, until the attitude to women in this country changes - thank you! I’m a bonafide person regardless of what I choose to call myself.
You conveniently omit to mention who was in Govt in Tasmania when the fight was on over the Franklin River; currently re gas exploration which will probably destroy the Kimberley region; the WA Coalition Govt’s intention to remove aboriginal people from their lands, physically if necessary; the fact that the applications for mining leases more than doubled prior to and since Howard’s Intervention in the NT (continued by the current federal govt.)Who initiated the dumping of nuclear waste near or on aboriginal lands which will implicate water ways and wild life etc. The Barrier Reef has been exposed to damage for years, in part due to farmers fertilisers and insecticides.
The point being, that blaming Labor Govts for damage WITHOUT even mentioning years of damage by Coalition Govts is disingenuous!
I blame all major parties, who over the years have actively encouraged/permitted/promoted in the destruction of the country via environmental vandalism. No greater example of this is the timber industry. I find it amazing that Abbott uses the planting of trees as his solution to climate change, while over the many years state Coaliton govts allowed/still allow the destruction of several football fields per day to be destroyed.
The Coalition has been in Federal Govt for more years since Federation than Labor? They have had the authority to over-ride/make the final decision for mining and other destructive behaviours than Labor! Over the years they have not shown any support for the environment in all States and Territories! Name me on big campaign they’ve undertaken to prevent environmental damage. They remained silent over the Franklin River - they supported a Lib Premier, Robin Gray! It was Bob Hawke who took the High Court Action, not Fraser?
O’Farrells’s commitment to protecting the environment is so weak, that he did away with an Environment Minister? Says a lot about him! He’s allowing the solar industry to go kaput! and will not support wind power. In fact, he’s on public record as saying, that if it was up to him, there’d be NONE - at all!
Someone once wrote all politics is personal. For me that maxim is true enough. My very public reaction to our politicians turning their backs on published corruption allagations http://bit.ly/EJ_PNewsAds has resulted in me spending much of my time drawing attention to the almost constant misgovernance visited upon taxpayers like me by our dead wood political allsorts, their parties and hangers on. Edward James