Dredge spoil in Great Barrier Reef marine park to be banned

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park will be free of dredge spoil dumping under groundbreaking draft laws proposed by Australia's Environment Minister.

On Monday, Greg Hunt told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that the ban he first announced in January would cover 99 percent of the World Heritage Area, which falls in the 345,000 square km marine park.

The remaining 1 percent is controlled by the Queensland government, which has already committed to introducing a ban on the dumping of dredge spoil.

"So in the end, 100 percent of the world heritage area will have a complete and permanent ban on capital dredge disposal and today we're putting in place that law for the marine park and that deals with past, present and future applications. It's a complete ban," Hunt said.

"It's groundbreaking, it's significant. It's a long time coming. At this moment in history we're taking steps I don't think will be reversed in next 100 years."

In June, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's World Heritage Committee is meeting to discuss whether the Great Barrier Reef on the list of world heritage sites in danger.

Hunt said he is confident that the world had seen the government's planning and "practical actions".

The proposal comes after significant protesting at the expansion of the Abbot Point coal port, located in mid-north Queensland, where environmental campaigners were fearful dredge spoil could impact the reef.

India's Mundra Port signed a 1.4 billion U.S. dollar 99-year lease for Australia's most northerly deepwater coal port, before announcing plans to expand the port's capacity by 70 percent to 85 million tons per year.

Last Wednesday, the Australian Marine Conservation Society called on Hunt and the Federal Government to "lift its game" and said more funding was needed to protect the world's largest coral reef system. Endi