Australia's Great Barrier Reef and the endangered Snubfin Dolphin is at risk from coal port development in the Fitzroy River Delta near Rockhampton. Local community leader Ginny Gerlach will hold a public meeting to showcase the wonders of the Fitzroy Delta and why the areas needs to be protected.

The Fitzroy Delta lies at the southern end of Keppel Bay, between Rockhampton and Gladstone Queensland. The Delta is the largest river catchment feeding into the Great Barrier Reef and supports Peak Island's Flatback Turtle rookery and the endangered Snubfin Dolphin.

Ms Gerlach expressed her concerns about the coal port project surrounding the Fitzroy Delta and emphasises the needs to maintain a clean and healthy environment.

"The area has multiple coal ports being planned for development. These will result in massive impacts on water and air quality. The ports will destroy Balaclava Island and the Delta. Servicing of hundreds of bulk coal carriers a year will result in the destruction of fish habitat and loss of rare marine species in the areas" said Ms Gerlach.

Ms Gerlach spokeswoman for the local community group Keppel And Fitzroy Delta Alliance is seeking to unite local communities to ensure the coal port development is stopped.

"I hope this public meeting can raise people's awareness about the proposed development projects in Fitzroy Delta. We want to expand this local campaign into a national one"

Today the Brisbane magistrates court supported the efforts of Gladstone local Mark Discoll in his stand defending the destructive dredging of the Gladstone Harbour in the Great Barrier Reef.

On the 14 March 2012 Gladstone local Mark 'Potts' Driscoll boarded and stopped one of the controversial Gladstone Harbour dredges. Mr Driscoll took action to defend the Great Barrier Reef and Gladstone Harbour from the destructive dredging caused by Queensland's coal seam gas industry.

Mr Driscoll walked from court with no fine and no record, after being charged under the Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Act 1994. Mark Driscoll is a concerned resident of the Gladstone Region. Real Estate agent by trade

“I am just a regular Joe, I understand we have to have development but it has to be done responsibly”

“I have grave concerns for Gladstone, the social and environmental impacts from this massive development is too high a price to pay” said Mr Driscoll.

Marking the last day of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee visit to Queensland in March 2012. Mark (Potts) Driscoll chained himself to the harbour dredge Razende Bol and Rotterdam boat, shutting down the controversial development of the Coal Seam Gas LNG port facility on Curtis Island in Gladstone Queensland.

Recent independent scientific studies of Gladstone Harbour have clearly identified the changes to the harbour from the intensive dredging has cause the death of countless dugongs, turtles and fish. The Queensland Government and Coal Seam Gas industry is responsible.

“I have no regrets for the action that I took. We have already lost one industry – fishing – and our tourism industry is now at risk”, said Mr Driscoll.