A portion of the Great Barrier Reef will take at least seven years to recover after being hit by an Australian Border Force boat, according to a report.

The Border Force patrol vessel Roebuck Bay struck the reef at Henry Reef, about 100 kilometers north of Lockhart River, on 30 September.  The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's (GBRMPA) found that the live coral cover has been halved as a result.  To prevent continuing damage the GBRMPA is recommending a clean-up of the impacted area, including the removal of a 250 kilogram anchor and chain, other metal debris, and toxic paint.

The seven-year recovery period is "optimistic", according to Denis Walls of Cairns and Far North Environment Centre.  He says coral bleaching would complicate any regrowth of Henry Reef, as will the increasing number of vessels using the shipping lanes along the Far Northern coast.

"As an environmental movement our main point is that this is the danger when you get a lot of traffic close to the Reef," said Mr. Walls, as quoted by the Cairns Post.  "We don't want to make this about point scoring, we just want to ensure it doesn't happen again."