The Queensland Resources Council is trying to douse the widespread concerns over planned dredging works near the Great Barrier Reef.

QRC chief executive officer Michael Roche says there is a general lack of public understanding about the safety measure in place to protect the Reef from the large-scale dredging and shipping activities.

Mr Roche has met with environmental experts in Townsville this week to try to play down fears that the dredging will create massive plumes of sediment that threaten marine life.

The CEO of the QRC says there are plenty of safety measures in place, and all interests can learn to share the marine park.

“The Great Barrier Reef marine park is a multi-use area,” Roche says, “there are 11 ports in the marine park area, there were 11 ports in the marine park area when the marine park was established - it's all about sensible co-existence.”

He says the biggest “risks to the reef come from cyclones, from water quality and from the crown of thorns starfish, not from port development, not from dredging and not from shipping activities... all of these activities around port development and shipping movements are all well and truly regulated and monitored.”