The Australian reported that the Queensland government will super size the Abbot Point coal terminal in the state's north to increase its capacity eightfold and create one of the world's largest coal ports, on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef.
Premier Ms Anna Bligh said that the capacity of the port, outside Bowen, 1200 kilometers north of Brisbane, would expand from 50 million tonnes of coal a year to more than 400 million tonnes to keep pace with mining output.
This means the number of ships accessing the port, after threading their way through the reef, will grow from about 200 last financial year to more than 1300 by 2017. The USD 9 billion redevelopment will allow 11 bulk carriers to be filled with coal at the same time.
Ms Bligh said that "Investment of this magnitude will drive an enormous economic surge through north Queensland." She added that the upgrade would largely be funded by private investors.
The Greens called on the federal government to block approval of the coal port, claiming Australia's climate and energy policies were on a collision course.
But Resources Minister Mr Martin Ferguson attacked the demand as narrow minded political opportunism. He said the Greens needed to recognize that the current resources boom was bringing investment, exports, opportunity, jobs and prosperity to Australians.
Greens deputy leader Ms Christine Milne said federal Environment Minister Tony Burke must use his powers to reject the expansion. She added that "Mr Martin Ferguson's fossil fuel fixation is at odds with Climate Change Minister Mr Greg Combet's Clean Energy Future plans and Tony Burke has to choose which side he is going to come down coal or the climate."
But Mr Ferguson said that just as Australia had determined its approach to climate change, it was for other countries to determine what was best for them in terms of energy security. He added that "It's about time the Greens recognized the sovereign right of other countries to manage their energy security and also to respect the outcome of native title and environmental regulatory processes in Australia."
Those allocated berths are multinational giants Anglo American and Rio Tinto; Brazilian based Vale; Chinese company Macmines Austasia; Australian mining magnate Mr Clive Palmer and a syndicate of smaller mining companies based on US mining company Peabody Energy. The expansion was one third bigger than what had been flagged, and underlines the strength of the coalmining boom in Queensland.
While all of Australia's coal ports are planning major upgrades to cope with an expected big increase in coal exports, Abbot Point is the monster in the pack, fed by the development of the Galilee Basin coal precinct, 500km inland from the port.
The Queensland Resources Council said the move showed the industry was ready and able to fund the infrastructure required for the sector's expansion. But the expansion of Abbot Point will also put at least an extra 1000 coal ships a year through one of the more sensitive parts of the Great Barrier Reef.
Abbot Point is the most sensitive of the three existing coal ports in Queensland adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef: to reach it, ships enter the reef north of Townsville and then negotiate about 200km of inshore waters.
(Sourced from www.theaustralian.com.au)
