11 April 2014
Isobel Roe
ABC News
A Hong Kong-based company wants to spend about $100 million so it can pipe gas from the Cooper Basin to a north Queensland port for export to Asian markets.
It plans to build a 1,000 kilometre-long pipeline from the basin to a liquefied natural gas plant at Abbot Point near Bowen.
From there about two million tonnes of gas per year would be exported to Asia.
But Energy World Corporation admits the construction of the $100 million project could affect the Great Barrier Reef.
It wants to build a loading facility but has not decided if that will extend offshore into the Great Barrier Reef world heritage area.
The project could involve the dredging of about 500,000 cubic metres of sediment to be dumped on the mainland which creates a risk of erosion run-off into the Great Barrier Marine Park.
The company aims to start work by mid-2017.
Plans for the project have been lodged with the Federal Environment Department.
The proposal is open for public comment until April 24.
In December the Federal Government approved the expansion of the Abbot Point coal terminal sparking outrage from conservationists and the Greens.
A dredging project at the port is currently the subject of a legal challenge in the Federal Court in Brisbane.
Courtesy of ABC News