The Palaszczuk-Gordon Labor Government has today endorsed the former LNP Government’s strategy on future port development in Queensland, by re-introducing legislation prepared by the LNP into the Queensland Parliament.

Shadow Minister for State Development Andrew Cripps said the former LNP Government had undertaken extensive public consultation before introducing the Ports Bill 2014 into the Queensland Parliament in November last year.

“The spectacle of watching Labor’s attempt to claim credit for the UNESCO World Heritage Committee’s decision not to list the Great Barrier Reef as being ‘in danger’, is ridiculous and absurd,” Mr Cripps said.

“This Labor Government came to office well after the World Heritage Committee conducted its investigation and evaluated the former LNP Government’s efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef through practical initiatives and proper planning.”

Mr Cripps said these efforts included the development of the Queensland Ports Strategy by the former LNP Government, which was released in June 2014, followed by the introduction of the Ports Bill 2014 into the Queensland Parliament in November.

“The LNP released a draft Ports Strategy in October 2013 and throughout UNESCO’s investigation, we worked hard to avoid an ‘in danger listing’, which was a legacy of the mismanagement of the Reef under the former Labor Government,” he said.

“The Great Barrier Reef was put on the ‘watch’ list under State and Federal Labor Governments in 2011.

“It was also Labor who approved a massive 38 million cubic metre at sea dredge spoil disposal plan at Abbot Point and imposed mountains of meaningless paperwork on farmers in North Queensland.

“Fast-forward to 2015 and Labor still doesn’t have a plan to protect the reef, except for reintroducing LNP legislation governing future port development and appointing a lame Water Science Taskforce.

“This Taskforce has been set up by Labor to provide advice and recommendations about Reef programs, because it has no ideas of its own and continues to hand in the homework of the previous LNP Government.”