3 Nov 2017

NEW DAMS RISK INCREASED POLLUTION TO THE REEF

WWF-Australia today said there was a risk of increased pollution to the Great Barrier Reef attached to the LNP’s promise to build new dams in Queensland.

An analysis by WWF-Australia estimates the Burdekin Falls, Urannah and Rookwood Weir projects would trigger more land clearing, more soil erosion and more chemical use, mostly for sugar cane, in an additional 100,000 hectares of intensive land use.

That would generate 75,000 additional tonnes of sediment pollution and 640 additional tonnes of nitrogen pollution at a time when Queensland is already failing to meet reduction targets for both sediment and nitrogen.

The pollution impact of Nullinga Dam cannot be assessed at this stage.

WWF-Australia supports the Haughton Channel Upgrade and the Ross River Dam Pipeline Duplication.

WWF-Australia called for the LNP to release its policy on tackling Reef pollution.

WWF-Australia media contact: 

Senior Media Officer, Mark Symons on 0400 985 571