Burke gets tough to stop new reef plans One-of-a-kind ... the Great Barrier Reef is considered the world's largest coral reef system. Photo: Catlin Seaview Survey THE federal government has promised to stop any coal port or shipping developments that would cause "unacceptable" damage to the Great Barrier Reef in an effort to convince the United Nations to preserve the reef's world heritage status. All criticisms of the reef's management made last year by UNESCO have been met, according to a government report to be released on Friday. From time to time, the Queensland Premier gets a rush of blood to the head, and starts demanding that we start giving approvals without the proper processes. The Environment Minister, Tony Burke, said he "would not give an inch" to Queensland's government over further port developments in sensitive areas such as Gladstone unless they met the criteria of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Tony Burke "would not give an inch" to further port developments. He was confident the strict application of the act, together with changes in future coal production and shipping estimates, would keep the reef's status as a world heritage site intact. The development approvals that have happened [since the report] have been consistent with that. UNESCO rebuked the federal government last year, saying the rapid increase in coastal and port developments near the reef was of "significant concern," and that it might have no choice but to revise its conservation status to a world heritage area "in danger." It asked the government not to permit any new port developments beyond existing industrial sites. "The World Heritage Committee can be assured that no new port developments or associated port infrastructure have been approved outside existing long-established major port areas since the committee made this recommendation," the government's report said. A project will only be approved by the Australian government environment minister if the residual impacts on protected matters, including 'outstanding universal value', are determined to be not unacceptable. After UNESCO's report, the Queensland Premier, Campbell Newman, responded: "We are in the coal business." "From time to time, the Queensland Premier gets a rush of blood to the head, and starts demanding that we start giving approvals without the proper processes," he said. I can assure people we won't be giving an inch in terms of protecting the reef. Environment groups, including the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said they still believed Australia would fail to protect the reef. "The sheer size and speed of port and associated development along the reef coast is unprecedented," the conservation society's campaign director, Felicity Wishart, said.