Stop Coal Flood Water Pollution Damaging The Great Barrier Reef

WE, the people of the world, petition the Premier of Queensland and the Prime Minister of Australia to stop polluted water from flooded coal mines being discharged into waterways that flow into the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) World Heritage Area.

Coal is known to contain pollutants such as sulphur compounds, heavy metals and carbon based particles. It is therefore a flawed strategy to release huge volumes of contaminated coal mine flood-water into coastal waterways that flow onto the GBR. Coral is scientifically proven to be vulnerable to sediments and there is no current research that can quantify the risk to coral from the combination of sediment and pollutants in coal. The deposition of polluted flood material from coal mines onto the GBR requires careful modelling and research.

Without research proving that these toxins are harmless to coral, a precautionary principle needs to adopted, and in the interim, alternative methods of coal waste water disposal need to be considered. Also, the unregulated and illegal disposal of excess coal water from mines needs to be stopped.

The GBR is the largest coral reef in the world, and an internationally important World Heritage site of high biodiversity. The GBR is also vital to the economic well-being of many people in Queensland.