A Greens senator is calling for a review of permits issued for activities in the Great Barrier Reef after weaknesses were uncovered in the marine park authority's processes.
Among the issues outlined in an Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) report, were shortcomings in the approval of dredge-spoil dumping off Abbot Point, including the initial absence of a reason for the decision.
In the report, which has been tabled by parliament, the ANAO also found almost half of assessments failed to identify all the risks involved.
More than one in 12 applications did not undergo any risk assessment.
Greens Senator Larissa Waters said the report gave a "scary insight" into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and called for all approvals between July 2012 and June 2014 to be reviewed.
"It's essential that the GBRMPA goes back and reviews all of the permits granted during the audit period... and that the Abbott government provides supplementary funding for that to occur," she said.
The authority has agreed to five recommendations from the ANAO, including that it periodically review its standard permit conditions.
In the report, it said it had reviewed policies, drafted guidelines and updated risk assessments over the last year.
Almost 800 permit decisions were made over the two years, 79 of which were assessed by the audit office.
The decision to dump spoils in the Marine Park off Abbot Point has since been reversed.
A spokeswoman for Environment Minister Greg Hunt avoided questions on whether the government supported a review of permits.
She said the government had banned offshore dredge-spoil dumping, and no such permits would be issued as a result.
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