Should the Port of Townsville continue to dump dredge spoil in Cleveland Bay that is re-suspended and affects the beaches and corals of Magnetic Island?
The Port of Townsville Ltd [PoTL] is applying for a new 10 year permit to continue to dump the slurry from its maintenance dredging program at the current dump site. This dump site allows dredge spoil to be actively re-suspended and the photo above clearly shows a plume of dredge spoil heading towards Geoffrey Bay in 2025. PoTL is proposing to continue dumping silt at the head of Cleveland Bay where wind and currents re-suspend and re-distribute it, lowering light level and silting and stressing the corals and sea grasses and the species that depend on them.
The "Have Your Say" process run by PoTL which will form part of its permit application has now closed. However, it is still possible to email your views and concerns to the Federal assessors of this proposal at [email protected], ideally with the heading of "Port of Townsville 10 year permit application". You can also send it to PoTL: [email protected].
The application from PoTL will go to the National Environmental Protection Authority (National EPA) (a recent transfer of responsibility from DCCEEW). The more submissions that are made from the community against this proposal, the more it becomes clear that the community wants the process to be changed. So it's important that as many people as possible contact the National EPA using the sea-dumping email address [email protected]. Thanks to everyone who has already done so.
The "Have Your Say" process run by PoTL which will form part of its permit application has now closed. However, it is still possible to email your views and concerns to the Federal assessors of this proposal at [email protected], ideally with the heading of "Port of Townsville 10 year permit application". You can also send it to PoTL: [email protected].
The application from PoTL will go to the National Environmental Protection Authority (National EPA) (a recent transfer of responsibility from DCCEEW). The more submissions that are made from the community against this proposal, the more it becomes clear that the community wants the process to be changed. So it's important that as many people as possible contact the National EPA using the sea-dumping email address [email protected]. Thanks to everyone who has already done so.
The rest of this page gives you additional information which you can use to make a submission or simply expand your understanding of the issue.
- MINCA's public presentations late last year can be found on this page - click here
- Word on the Reef has done a podcast with Gethin Morgan available as follows:
- Word on the Reef website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2311255/episodes/19669444
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2SEaojNso6V5BD2hDG514v?si=a243aeaf65a14d57
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/word-on-the-reef/id1728808532?i=1000784334781 - The pdf below contains dot points that are based on the information on PoTL's website. These could be particularly useful if you want to email the National EPA or PoTL.
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Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
While we and PoTL can do little individually to ease global warming, something that we and PoTL can do is to reduce marine stress in this important part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
This is a watershed moment for the Federal Government. Not only is the new National Environmental Protection Authority in a position to demonstrate its credentials regarding the protection of the Great Barrier Reef, it has been requested by the World Heritage Commission to do so.
The recent 2026 meeting of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) in Busan, following an inspection of the state of the Great Barrier Reef, has requested the Federal Government “to undertake an assessment of the impact of maintenance dredge spoil dumping within the property, to guide and inform enhanced measures to avoid any negative impacts of dredge spoil on the OUV (Outstanding Universal Value) including its conditions of integrity, and recalls the recommendation of the 2022 joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to undertake the comprehensive and transparent scientific assessments recommended in the Maintenance Dredging Strategy”.
The PoTL application for a 10 year sea dumping permit will be the first test of the Federal Government’s seriousness in meeting the WHC’s request and further reducing pressures on the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area in line with State and Federal commitments. This is a golden opportunity to show they want to reduce pressures on the reef arising from the annual dumping of dredge spoil, especially in its most sensitive areas.
While we and PoTL can do little individually to ease global warming, something that we and PoTL can do is to reduce marine stress in this important part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
This is a watershed moment for the Federal Government. Not only is the new National Environmental Protection Authority in a position to demonstrate its credentials regarding the protection of the Great Barrier Reef, it has been requested by the World Heritage Commission to do so.
The recent 2026 meeting of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) in Busan, following an inspection of the state of the Great Barrier Reef, has requested the Federal Government “to undertake an assessment of the impact of maintenance dredge spoil dumping within the property, to guide and inform enhanced measures to avoid any negative impacts of dredge spoil on the OUV (Outstanding Universal Value) including its conditions of integrity, and recalls the recommendation of the 2022 joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to undertake the comprehensive and transparent scientific assessments recommended in the Maintenance Dredging Strategy”.
The PoTL application for a 10 year sea dumping permit will be the first test of the Federal Government’s seriousness in meeting the WHC’s request and further reducing pressures on the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area in line with State and Federal commitments. This is a golden opportunity to show they want to reduce pressures on the reef arising from the annual dumping of dredge spoil, especially in its most sensitive areas.
Who suffers from the current dredge spoil and its effects? Finally, let's not forget that this potentially affects all of us. Visitors and tourists who have been looking forward to snorkelling on fringing reefs are disappointed. Businesses who rely on tourists enjoying their time here, and particularly businesses based on the water, all lose out. All the residents who swim regularly, who snorkel or dive, who look out for dugongs and turtles, or who simply love living in an area of great natural beauty have their lives diminished.
MINCA has been active for many years in relation to the Ports dredging activity. More information on earlier actions can be found on other of our pages: click here for our presentations in late 2025 or click here for our Clearwater information (note that some of the links from this old page may no longer be available).
