'Fantastic move' for reef to buy Cape York cattle station

 A flood plume from taking sediment from a north
Queensland river onto the Great Barrier Reef.
 Sediment smothers coral and
reduces its ability to recover from bleaching events.

Environment groups are applauding a “fantastic move” by the Queensland government to protect the Great Barrier Reef by buying a Cape York cattle station responsible for a disproportionate amount of pollution that flows on to the reef.

The Queensland government has spent $7m buying the 560 sq km Springvale Station, situated south of Cooktown, the ABC reported on Wednesday.

Cattle stations cause erosion and long gullies that pour sediment into rivers that drain into the water around the Great Barrier Reef.

The Queensland environment minister, Steven Miles, said badly degraded grazing land on this one property was responsible for 40% of the sediment that flows from gully erosion into the Normanby River.

“Runoff from land carries sediment from the Normanby basin to the outer reef where it blocks light, smothers marine organisms and reduces coral and seagrass growth,” he said.

The Normanby River flows into the ocean near Lizard Island, where the Guardian revealed shocking images of coral bleaching and mortality this year.

Read The Guardian story - “Cattle station purchase 'fantastic' for Great Barrier Reef, green groups say.”