The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage icon - not a dump.

There are plans for 100 million tonnes of dredge spoil to be dumped in Reef World Heritage Waters, to make way for 4 new mega ports - including one of the largest coal ports in the world.

The Reef is vital to the Queensland economy - local jobs rely on a healthy Reef.

The Australian Government should protect the Reef, and ban dumping in World Heritage waters.

The Australian Government recently approved dumping in Reef waters at Abbot Point - just 50km from the Whitsunday Islands - evidence that it can't be trusted to protect our national icon on its own.

UNSECO (the UN body responsible for protecting World Heritage places) recently published an alarming assessment of the Reef. It singled out dumping as an unacceptable threat to the Reef, putting the Reef at risk of being listed as 'in danger' - the World Heritage list of shame.

Not only would this be shameful for Australia's international reputation, it would damage the local tourism industry - worth 60,000 jobs and $6 billion per year - and the Queensland communities that depend on it.

In just two weeks, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee will hold a critical vote on whether to keep the pressure on the Australian Government.

Sign the petition and ask the World Heritage Committee to maintain pressure on the Australian Government to protect our Reef and immediately ban dumping in World Heritage Waters.