"The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection has advised me it is not aware of canisters being found outside the dumping zone, and that any instances of unexploded ordnance being found outside the dumping zone would be managed by the Department of Defence, as the expert agency," he said.

"Initial advice from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service is that there are currently no indications of impacts in the Moreton Bay Marine Park that give cause for concern.

"I'm also advised that the volume of water provides a safety barrier and prevailing ocean currents go in the other direction from Flinders Reef."

Earlier

Queensland's Environment Minister Dr Steven Miles did not answer questions calling for tests in a marine park off Cape Moreton on the impact of 8000 tonnes of chemical weapons still laying on the seabed since 1945.

Fairfax Media on Friday reported that 8000 tonnes of mustard gas and other chemical weapons were dumped at two sites east of Cape Moreton after World War II.

Despite the chemical weapons being cast off in deep water about 10 to 12 kilometres to the north east of Cape Moreton, there have been four instances of mustard gas cylinders being snagged by dredges closer to shore since 1970 – in one case near Bribie Island in 2000.

There is also a prominent dive reef – Flinders Reef – around five kilometres from the two chemical weapon dump sites off Cape Moreton in the Moreton Bay Marine Park.

A prominent 2003 chemical weapon dumping study completed by Geoff Plunkett points to a likely low risk of chemical contamination, but says no biological testing has ever been completed in the nearby Moreton Bay Marine Park.

The Queensland Conservation Council's Nicola Hungerford and prominent conservation biologist Simon Balthais both said on Friday it was time that tests be completed by new technology to determine any impact of residue from the chemical weapons.

Mr Miles did not answer any questions on the issue.

Instead a statement was released from a departmental spokesman which also did not answer any questions, and simply repeated information from Friday's story.

The answer from the department ignored facts that on four occasions since 1970 mustard gas canisters – including two, one-ton mustard gas containers - have been found outside the dump site.

Mr Balthais, who is a masters student studying marine biology and has worked for many years on Moreton Bay issues, said although the risk from chemical residue was low in Queensland's warmer waters, checks needed to be done.

In colder weather – in European countries – there were major problems when mustard gas containers were snagged by vessels, he said.

Mr Baltais said it would be useful to establish exactly what was still at the dump sites.

"Are they still there and what is the status of the chemical weapons?" he said.

"That is pretty important."

Mr Baltais said it was likely many of the thousands of containers were buried under sand, but he was concerned that mustard gas shells and containers had been caught closer to the coastline by dredges in 1970, 1983 and in 2000.

He said mustard gas could be broken down in 49 hours in optimal conditions and neutralised but said the impact on any sea life depended on the rate it was released and how close it was to the sea life and where the mustard extract impacted.

"The problem is – if people are still out there trawling – it is probably a good reason to determine if there is a risk they could be caught up."

Mr Baltais said the issue that canisters had been found well away from the dump sites off Cape Moreton was worrying.

"That is a real concern," he said.

"If they are being found well away from those two dump sites, then that is a very real concern."

None of these issues were answered by Dr Miles.

The response from the department said the Queensland Government took advice from the Defence Department.

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