The amount of money needed to “offset” the impact of the Great Barrier Reef dredging has been estimated at around $1bn. This is $998m more than was first estimated.
Huge uncertainty has arisen as documents obtained under freedom of information have revealed doubts over investments needed to maintain water quality.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) has raised questions concerning this task and its cost through internal emails, full of warnings.
It was said, “Without any indication as to what the proponent or the department view as reasonable, determining whether any proposed offsets are practical and provide a proven net benefit will be problematic.”
However this has been disputed by North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP). A spokeswoman defended the dredging, stating: “The exact details and costs are still being worked through with the department so at this stage there is no accurate figure which can be provided either by NQBP, the Department of Environment or GBRMPA.”
