When Federal MP for Dawson George Christensen said the Abbot Point coal port expansion was critical to the community for jobs and security, he was absolutely right. Not because the project will create long-lasting job opportunities, but because it could put hundreds of the region’s workers out of sustainable jobs and permanently damage the region’s vital tourism industry. Abbot Point, 50km from the Whitsunday Islands, is set to become the largest coal port in the world. Dudgeon Point, just south of Mackay, is set to become the second largest. If these port expansions go ahead, the Whitsunday Islands may soon find themselves bordered by the world’s two biggest coal ports.