The Port Douglas community has joined the growing public dissent against the Federal Government’s plan to dump dredge spoil on the Great Barrier Reef, with some residents taking to social media to rally support for a possible local protest.

On Friday, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority granted a permit to North Queensland Bulk Ports Authority to dump three million cubic metres of dredge spoil from Abbot Point coal terminal expansion inside the World Heritage Listed area.

Since then, stakeholders including environmentalists, scientists, tourism operators and communities across North Queensland have called for a review of the plan, with dozens attending a peaceful rally in the Cairns CBD Monday.

As the Queensland Farmers Federation noted on Monday “comparisons [have been] drawn to recent dredging near Curtis Island, which has also been criticised by some for allegedly creating adverse impacts on its local environment”.

Grass-roots community advocacy organisation, GetUp, is among the latest to encourage Australians to get involved, initiating a citizen-funded “last ditch effort” to challenge the permit in court. GetUp has recruited the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) of Queensland to represent the North Queensland Conservation Council, and is asking for donations to help cover legal fees.

Douglas residents and the local business community are increasingly concerned about the potentially detrimental impact that dumping dredge soil on the reef would have both on the reef environment and the region’s tourism.

As The Newsport reported in October last year, tourism-related activities (including reef-based operations) are our economic juggernaut, with over 90 per cent of all economic activity in the Douglas region tourism dependent. Australia’s overall tourism industry is worth $6 billion.

“Of course it will affect tourism!” posted Ann Ireland, of Port Douglas, on Facebook.

“A couple of months ago, Ellen DeGeneres, on her extremely popular TV show, said that the Great Barrier Reef was “in danger and deteriorating.” Without anyone in the studio to give her the facts, the inference was that it is not worthwhile going to visit now; it's not how it used to be.

“The Great Barrier Reef at the moment is on many peoples wish list [as a place] to visit. The fact that Australians are dredging and dumping on one of the Seven Wonders of the World is despicable and disgraceful. I am so ashamed that I may, in the near future, have to tell my grandchildren, ‘Well, it was wonderful, but we destroyed it!’”

Facebook comments supporting a Port Douglas protest rally include, “Let’s do it!”, “Count us in! Disgusted by this government” and “I most definitely would be there to protect it.”

Among those supporting the Abbot Point expansion, the Queensland Resources Council “has backed the science-based decision” of the GBRMPA.

Chief Executive of the Queensland Resources Council Michael Roche said he was always confident that GBRMPA would base the decision on the overwhelming scientific evidence available and the fact that all available evidence shows that port dredging over the past 30 years has not resulted in a permanent negative impact on the reef.

However, Heidi Taylor, founder of Port Douglas-based marine health initiative Tangaroa Blue, said she was “hugely” concerned with the future of the reef.

“Once it's done, you can't undo those kinds of things. You can't go back and say, ‘Actually, everyone else was right, how are we going to reverse this?' That's the problem.”

Ms Taylor said it was important the public not get caught up in the emotion and misinformation.

“A balanced approach is key,” she said.

"Yes, we need to look after the economy, but we also need to look after the environment. And that's what I find is not happening - it's either one end or the other.”

“This is a sad day for the Reef and anyone who cares about [the reef’s] future,” said WWF Great Barrier Reef campaigner, Richard Leck, of Friday’s decision.

“The World Heritage Committee will take a dim view of this decision, which is in direct contravention of one of its recommendations. Committee members could decide at their June meeting in Doha to list the Reef as ‘World Heritage in Danger’.”