Wollongong

In Wollongong, about 90km south of Sydney, the error has effectively ended the 13-year council career of John Dorahy, but he says he is still hopeful officials will consider leniency.

Its device was initially invented by researchers at the University of Wollongong in the state of New South Wales.

“The science tells us that the Great Barrier Reef is in danger - and we should be guided by the science,” Prof Helen McGregor, from the University of Wollongong, told BBC News.

This work was led by Dr Ceri Shipton from UCL and also involved scientists from Griffith University and the University of Wollongong.

Pictures also show houses destroyed in Wollongong city, south of the state capital.