Save the Mary River

A rally to protest about the costs of growth to the community and the invasion of housing and infrastructure into high biodiversity areas of South East Queensland will take place outside the Labor Party Conference at the Convention Centre on the Gold Coast this Saturday, 21st June at 10:30am.

From the Save the Mary - no dam group in Hervey Bay to the S.T.O.P. the Mudgeeraba-Tugun powerlines group in the south of the Gold Coast, community groups are sending a strong message to Premier Bligh and the Labor-led Queensland Government that "enough is enough".

Lois Levy, spokesperson for Gecko - Gold Coast & Hinterland Environment Council, said that the community is fed up with the government overriding legislation, ignoring community consultation and placating the demands of the development industry under the guise of providing affordable housing.

"Not only has the Premier released more bushland to developers ahead of schedule and without infrastructure in place; but the government is now reviewing the SEQ Regional Plan with a view to releasing even more land to developers and further weakening restrictions," said Ms Levy.

"Containing the urban sprawl and ecologically sustainable development were at the top of the government's agenda when elected; however, all of this is being reversed under the current Premier," said Ms Levy. "Growth is out of control in our region and it's costing the community and the environment dearly."

Ms Levy said that the costs of growth included not only more dams and more powerlines, but also the continued devastation of bushland, particularly Greenfield sites, infill of open space and infrastructure intrusion into natural areas.

"We are very disappointed that the most profound warnings against this unsustainable level of growth are being delivered by scientists, economists and demographers of the highest repute, only to fall upon the deaf ears of our current crop of leaders," said Ms Levy.

"People are coming from all over the region to tell the Premier that she's not listening and her government will have to answer to the voters for this at the next election," said Ms Levy. "We're hoping that she sees the light - that the level of growth being allowed in South East Queensland does not reflect the wishes of existing residents and is having devastating impacts on the environment and social fabric of our communities and that she must reverse the trend.

We are calling upon the Queensland Government to honour their commitments and to create genuine ecological sustainability, as they have been promising for the last 12 years, by both stabilising the population of South East Queensland within the confines of its carrying capacity and protecting its high biodiversity values with effective legislation.

For more information ring the following at Gecko 5534-1412 or direct: Lois Levy 5534-3706 or 0412-724-222.
or e-mail media [AT] gecko org au

Gecko, 139 Duringan Street, Currumbin 4223, Ph: 5534-1412; Fax: 5534-1401, www.gecko.org.au

Join Independent State Member for Maryborough, Chris Foley and others at a rally at Parliament House, George St, Brisbane on Friday June 6 at 11am.

That Friday is the final sitting day of Parliament of Budget Week, and 11am will be halfway through Question Time. Join in and make some noise to show the Government we mean business!

Need more info?
Phone: 07 4122 2277
Fax: 07 4122 1980
Email: maryborough[AT]parliament.qld.gov.au
Website: www.chrisfoley.com.au

See also: www.savethemaryriver.com

River crisis: Don't let the Mary become the Murray - kayaker joins the fight

Save the Mary River Coordinating Group Media release: Friday 28 March 2008

River campaigner Steve Posselt will be at the Gympie Civic Centre on Wednesday April 2nd at 7.30pm, Noosa at The J on Thursday April 3rd at 7.30pm and Maryborough Town Hall April 4th at 7.30pm to give a presentation on his epic journey by foot and kayak from Brisbane to Adelaide via the Murray-Darling.

For four months he paddled and walked, often dragging his wheeled kayak behind him as he wound his way through four states of Australia.

Steve plans to be at Traveston Crossing for the second anniversary of the State Government's dam decision on April 27 when he will draw the media spotlight to the heart of the fight to save the Mary River.

He will then continue downstream through Maryborough, the Great Sandy Straits in the lee of Fraser Island before paddling southward along the coast and back to Brisbane. The entire trip is estimated to take five weeks.

Steve's earlier trip down the Murray-Darling system gave his Australian audience a fascinating journey as he made regular reports on the state of the rivers and spoke at many venues along the way.

The former water engineer is passionate about rivers and educating people about climate change, and it is this that fuelled the trip and turned him into a modern day adventurer.

Steve reached Adelaide at the end of September and is now turning his attention to the Mary River near Gympie where, despite massive opposition, the State Government is forging ahead with plans to build the Traveston Crossing Dam.

But Steve's "involvement" amounts to much more than lobbying or letter writing. On April 12, he and his kayak will depart Brisbane paddling up the Brisbane River, across Wivenhoe Dam then across Somerset Dam on the Stanley River.

A gruelling walk with kayak will be necessary as Steve climbs out of the Stanley catchment near Woodford, climbs to Bellthorpe at the southern end of the Conondale Ranges and descends into the upper catchment of the Mary.

As with the Murray trip, Steve will maintain a regularly updated website on his travels and it is anticipated he will be joined by other paddlers along the way.

His message is plain. He can see the writing on the wall about climate change and its impact on our traditional methods of water supply and sees as sheer folly the addition of another dam when dams across Australia have been letting us down.

When he adds ever-increasing fuel prices and the diminishing supply of oil to the equation, he just shakes his head at the wisdom of flooding good farming land near urban centres when there are less expensive, more reliable alternatives.

Before setting out, Steve will give three presentations on his Murray Darling expedition as fund-raisers for the Mary trip: Bring all the family to Gympie Civic Centre on Wednesday April 2nd at 7.30pm, Noosa at the J on Thursday April 3rd at 7.30pm or Maryborough Town Hall April 4th at 7.30pm

www.kayak4earth.com supported by www.savethemaryriver.com

$10 Adults $20 Family

All proceeds to Steve's "Save the Mary" Trip.

The Australian newspaper, came out in its editorial of Tuesday 8 January in favour of the dam across the Mary River to be build at Traveston. This dam is fiercely opposed by the local community which faces destruction if its farms comprising some of the most fertile soil in South East Queensland were to become inundated with water. In the face of evidence of turtles and fish being mutilated by equivalent measures at the earlier failed Paradise Dam (see below), the editorial proclaimed that "the ingenuity of science and technology should ensure that the endangered Australian lungfish, the world's oldest vertebrate animal, can continue to flourish".

The editorial also cited the high rate of inter-state immigration into South East Queensland as a justification for the dam. Typically, it never posed the question as to whether the residents of the Mary Valley, or the rest of South East Queensland should have any say in the population growth which has been encouraged by both Federal and the Queensland state Government and The Australian itself.

This editorial prompted Cate Molloy, the former state member of parliament for Noosa who was expelled from the Labor Party for supporting her local community against the dam to write a letter to The Australian on 5 January to correct its misinformation. This letter is reprinted below.

Cate Molloy's Letter to The Australian

Dear Editor,

Could I have my letter published in your letters section please?

With reference to your article "New Dam Essential - Lungfish will flourish with plenty of water" your complete argument is false. The damming of the Mary River will only destroy the natural habitat of the Queensland Lungfish. These fish require a specific breeding habitat not found in dams. The dam will also destroy an agricultural food bowl, an economy of $40 million, displace whole communities with the inherent social trauma, impact negatively on the Great Sandy Straits, and the whale, dolphin, dugong and fish stocks. The dam will also see the extinction of many already endangered species despite such Government sweeteners as promises of research facilities to co-opt vocal academic critics. Moreover, the Qld government's misguided effort to protect endangered species by building fish ladders is also farcical. These are already proven failures on Paradise Dam. When such ladders operate, turtles and fish are only mutilated {evidence based observations}. When all is considered, the nature of changing rainfall patterns, the proposed dam's shallowness, the concomitant massive evaporation loss feeding Greenhouse gases, to say nothing of the environmental damage to the Great Sandy Straits, the dam will be a failure on every front. Instead of pursuing such environmental vandalism with outdated 1950's technology (Qld government's own words), Premier Bligh should instead focus on the industrial water guzzlers down in Brisbane and inform the community of the progress being made on that front since Premier Beattie announcing a Water Emergency in 2006.

Cate Molloy,
Former State Member for Noosa,
Peregian Beach, Qld
07 54483248
cate.molloy|AT|gmail.com
0408729499

Media Release - 22 November 2007

Today’s reports of Kevin Rudd’s own family decrying his silence on the proposed Mary River dam are sentiments shared by many Queenslanders, who deserve to know what Labor’s position on the dam is before voting on Saturday, said the Greens today.

“Kevin Rudd owes it to Queenslanders to make his position clear on the Mary River dam before Saturday’s poll,” said Greens lead Senate candidate for Queensland, Larissa Waters.

“Would a Rudd government approve the dam based on the hasty EIS that ignores the impacts of climate change and admits uncertainty on the future of endangered species? Or would Kevin Rudd stick up for Australia’s special wildlife and the Mary Valley community?” asked Ms Waters.

“If Labor’s answer is another rubber stamp like we saw on the pulp mill, The Greens will be the only party for Queenslanders to support to save the Mary.

“The Greens call on both the Queensland and federal governments to apply the precautionary principle and refuse to approve this environmentally, socially and economically destructive dam.

“The state Labor government has tried to keep the Mary River dam off the radar until after the federal election, by releasing an 1800 page EIS open for public comment until one week after polling day,” said Ms Waters.

The EIS, released on 18 October 2007, fails to properly address the key issues of alternatives, the impacts of climate change on rainfall and the survival of the lungfish.

“Despite these gaping uncertainties, the EIS alarmingly recommends the dam proceed, subject to a raft of further plans and measures.

“The EIS puts the cart well before the horse to recommend the dam go ahead when its full impacts are not known.

“This dam is a cruel hoax. It won’t solve the water crisis but it will destroy good quality farm land, send ancient species like the lungfish, Mary River Cod and turtle towards extinction, impact on the Great Sandy Strait downstream, displace hundreds of families and waste nearly $2 billion of taxpayer’s money that could be better spent on providing tanks for every South East Queensland home,” concluded Ms Waters.

For more information contact:
Larissa Waters
larissa.water|AT|qld.greens.org.au

For biographical information see: www.larissawaters.net

16th November 2007

Media Release 16th Nov 07

The Índependent Candidate for Wide Bay, Cate Molloy, today announced that once elected she will stop the Traveston Dam and legislate to over-ride the State Governments forced amalgamations of local councils.

"Stopping the Traveston Swamp will be achieved by the introduction of a Private Members Bill in the same way the independents legislated for the use of Ethanol in NSW," Cate Molloy said.

"My election vow is to stop forced amalgamations in Queensland," Cate Molloy said.

"Queenslanders in Noosa and other areas who vehemently oppose amalgamation are having their democratic voice and rights trampled upon," said Cate Molloy.

Ms Molloy said forced amalgamations serve only the "masters" not the constituents.

"Big developers want to get hold of the Noosa Brand and turn the region into a Surfers Paradise," said Ms Molloy.

"The Queensland Labor Government is prepared to back big business and amalgamate because it believes many smaller councils are conservative and at times obstruct the State Government from getting its way," said Ms Molloy.

"It's one way of avoiding accountability. Apparently, it's much easier to get what you want when everyone agrees with you," Ms Molloy said.

"Super Councils dilute the voice of the people, and the people of Noosa, Gympie and Maryborough in Wide Bay have had a gut full of the dictators," she said.

Enquiries:
Cate Molloy,
Independent Candidate for Wide Bay
Peregian Beach Qld 4573
0408729499
0407114729
0754483248

Media Release - 4 Oct 2007 Larissa Waters, bAustralian Greens Lead Senate Candidate for Queensland The decision to approve Gunns’ pulp mill in Tasmania's Tamar Valley with conditions is an indication of the likely federal response to the Traveston Dam, with both decisions failing to protect the environment, said the Greens today. “Today’s pulp mill decision is yet another approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act for a proposal which will damage the environment,” said environmental lawyer and Greens Senate candidate for Queensland, Larissa Waters. “In the seven years of the EPBC Act, there have been only three projects refused. “It now seems likely that the Minister will approve the Traveston Dam by imposing conditions, such as a fishway which is meant to enable lungfish to travel through impoundments via a ladder system. “Such a condition was imposed on the approval for Paradise Dam on the Burnett River, but it has not helped lungfish. “A leaked report from the Queensland Government found that lungfish weren’t using the fishways effectively, and that the dam had irreparably destroyed lungfish breeding habitat. “Any approval of Traveston Dam based on reliance on a condition which left the survival of this oldest fish in its last remaining habitat up to a device which has been found not to work, would make a mockery of the laws designed to protect threatened species. “The federal government’s approach to approving almost everything by imposing conditions which require further reports or studies is like shooting first and asking questions later. “To be effective, conditions must be certain, they must be complied with, and they must be enforced. Unfortunately the Department’s enforcement record and monitoring budget are both miniscule. “I have been involved in several successful Court cases acting for environment groups suing the Minister for wrongly interpreting the Act. “The Minister should prepare himself for a Court challenge if he approves Traveston Dam,” concluded Ms Waters. For more information: Larissa Waters Australian Greens Lead Senate Candidate for Queensland 0421 844 280 larissa.water|AT|qld.greens.org.au

Media Release: Cate Molloy reveals truth about Beattie's dam decision 6th February 2007 The Southern Cross Federal Independent Candidate for Wide Bay, Cate Molloy, today revealed what she claimed is the truth about Beattie's decision to build a dam at Traveston on the Mary River. "Beattie's decision to put the dam at Traveston was purely political, and the public need to know this when debating other options," she said. "It was only because the area was strongly National Party that he decided he would put the dam there," said Cate Molloy. "I was actually at the Caucus Meeting when he said in as much words that it didn't really bother him about placing it in the Mary Valley as mostly only National Party voters lived there," said Cate Molloy. "Beattie was desperate to be seen as pro-active on water with the election coming on," she said. "His government had done nothing about water infrastructure and was caught out," said Ms Molloy. "So to find a way out, Beattie did an about face on Labor's earlier opposition to dams and had a list of preferred sites drawn up. Traveston was actually the fifth best choice," she said. "But Beattie knew all the better sites would actually impact more on Labor voters, so Beattie chose Traveston," said Cate Molloy. "I remember vividly that the Minister for Police, Judy Spence, strongly supported his decision, whereas I opposed it," said Ms Molloy. "Judy actually sprang to her feet and said the dam should be placed there as the people in the valley were all Nationals, never voted Labor and never would anyway, so why should anybody care," Cate Molloy said. "To me, Beattie's Traveston decision was never really about the water crisis, it was more about political expedience and morally corrupt," said Cate.