UNESCO urged to hear all parties
Published Thursday, 06 June, 2013 at 01:27 PM
Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Jeff Seeney
UNESCO has been urged to make up its own mind on the Newman Government’s Great Barrier Reef Ports Strategy, rather than accepting the views of those being driven by a blind green agenda.
Deputy Premier and Minister for state Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jeff Seeney said UNESCO should acknowledge the work the Newman Government had put in to ensuring the Great Barrier Reef was protected through the strategy.
“It’s become more and more apparent that UNESCO is taking advice from extreme activist groups out to hinder any and every development, no matter what it is or where it is,” Mr Seeney said.
“We’ve worked hard to ensure our Great Barrier Reef Ports Strategy presents a balanced and incremental approach to port development and the lack of credit we’ve received makes me wonder if they’ve read the report or simply taken the incorrect advice from the green scaremongers.
“I’ve received correspondence from groups which suspect UNESCO has already made up its mind on the Great Barrier Reef’s health, management and World Heritage listing.
“There is no doubt Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke is being held ransom by those with a blind green agenda who keep his government in power.
“Many genuine questions have been raised by industry, including:
Are formal government protocols being ignored or diluted in favour of third party information from organisations that are public about their opposition to the resources sector?
Why are they so quick to dismiss the work being done by the Queensland Government to protect the reef?
“These are all valid concerns and I urge UNESCO to hear the views of all parties.
“Our government is determined to take our case to UNESCO and give it the real story; the truth, about port development near the Great Barrier Reef, not the imbalanced and deceitful accounts we’ve heard from the World Wildlife Fund and Australian Marine Conservation Society.”
[ENDS] 6 June 2013
Media Contact: Kate Haddan – 0418 373 516
Deputy Premier and Minister for state Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jeff Seeney said UNESCO should acknowledge the work the Newman Government had put in to ensuring the Great Barrier Reef was protected through the strategy.
“It’s become more and more apparent that UNESCO is taking advice from extreme activist groups out to hinder any and every development, no matter what it is or where it is,” Mr Seeney said.
“We’ve worked hard to ensure our Great Barrier Reef Ports Strategy presents a balanced and incremental approach to port development and the lack of credit we’ve received makes me wonder if they’ve read the report or simply taken the incorrect advice from the green scaremongers.
“I’ve received correspondence from groups which suspect UNESCO has already made up its mind on the Great Barrier Reef’s health, management and World Heritage listing.
“There is no doubt Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke is being held ransom by those with a blind green agenda who keep his government in power.
“Many genuine questions have been raised by industry, including:
Are formal government protocols being ignored or diluted in favour of third party information from organisations that are public about their opposition to the resources sector?
Why are they so quick to dismiss the work being done by the Queensland Government to protect the reef?
“These are all valid concerns and I urge UNESCO to hear the views of all parties.
“Our government is determined to take our case to UNESCO and give it the real story; the truth, about port development near the Great Barrier Reef, not the imbalanced and deceitful accounts we’ve heard from the World Wildlife Fund and Australian Marine Conservation Society.”
[ENDS] 6 June 2013
Media Contact: Kate Haddan – 0418 373 516