Reef faces future threat from exports

The Queensland government is under pressure to safeguard the Great Barrier Reef
against shipping threats as it ramps up coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG)
exports.
The 230m Chinese coal ship Shen Neng 1 ran aground about 70km east of Great Keppel
Island on Saturday, spilling two tonnes of oil into protected marine park waters.
The bulk carrier remains in danger of breaking apart and damaging the marine
environment by releasing 950 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and its cargo of 65,000 tonnes
of coal into the sea.
Environmentalists and politicians say the risk of such accidents will only increase
as Queensland increases resources exports.
The Australian Greens say the crisis would not have happened if a pilot had been
aboard to guide the ship on its journey up the coast. The Queensland opposition says
a lack of radar coverage of ships in the area is also a problem.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said requiring local pilots on board ships in Great
Barrier Reef waters and better tracking systems could help mitigate risks to the
reef from shipping.
"We have a premier spruiking the wonders of building a whole new LNG industry (and)
a three- or four-times expansion of the coal industry in Queensland," Capricorn
Conservation Council's vice president Ian Herbert said.
"The numbers of ships that are going to be plying these waters will greatly
increase, increasing the likelihood of similar events in the future."
The Australian Conservation Foundation has called for export ships to sail south on
their way to the Pacific Ocean, instead of taking the northerly course up the
Queensland coast.
Ms Bligh said she realised shipping traffic would increase, and maritime authorities
had already been working on a risk analysis looking at issues such as mandatory
pilots aboard cargo and freight vessels.
Environmental groups also say not enough is being done to understand the effects of
a large-scale coal spill, especially considering the sharp rise in coal shipments.
"It's a wake-up call to all of us," the WWF's Gilly Llewellyn said.
"It's time to have a strategic look at all aspects around the growth and development
of the coal industry in Queensland and the environmental consequences that come
along with that growth."
Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and Greens leader Bob Brown called on Prime
Minister Kevin Rudd to personally take charge of the situation.