Just after the floods turbidity went up to almost 300 at ST1 and over 100 at QE4. The GPC was

allowed to dredge on the 27th January because all light monitors were fine (below). The astronaut

picture taken from the space station on 29th January, 2013 showed Gladstone harbour was brown

Dredging continued throughout the brown turbidity of the floods in January 2011.

Gladstone turbidity 5.8 NTU on average

(2004)

Gladstone Turbidity averages ~20 NTU 2011

The graphs below tell the true story of turbidity in Gladstone harbour. The picture above gives a

quick understanding. The harbour used to be blue and clear and now it is muddy and murky. The

turbidity rises and falls with the tides. The ports state this is natural variation. The soil is loosened

by the dredging and the leaking bund wall leaks more on the big tides. The 99th centile meant

normally only 1 day in 100 would be above this level. The graphs show that on average 5 to 12 days

a month are above the 99th Centile. Average turbidity used to be 5 to 8, now average turbidity is

over or close to the ANZECC guideline of 20. These graphs are downloaded from the GPC website

Bund Wall repair began in June and finished August. They went above the 99th Centile on the day it

began and were above the limit on most of the days including the day it finished.

An Environmental Protection Order was given on the 10th January, 2012 despite multiple

exceedances before and after this EPO. DERM/EHP on most occasions let them off using the W2

clause and blaming natural variation. The bund wall and dredging caused the high turbidity not the

tides that have come in and out of Gladstone harbour for millennia.

The start dates of the wet season have been altered from 20th November to 1st October and the 99th

centiles have been altered at ST1 and QE4. Then when they continued to break these new limits,

they changed to light monitoring. This allows them to dredge over the limit as long as the light

monitors are OK. As the light monitors work on a 14 day rolling average, it will not pick up high

turbidity unless it is up for about 10 days. As turbidity is measured on a 6 hourly rolling average, it

effectively allows them to dredge continuously despite high turbidity. Every month since the new

rules were introduced they have asked for a light monitoring exemption to continue to dredge.