Two environmental victories for Queensland
September 11th, 2008
In recent weeks a proposed shale oil plant and a proposed coal port have been rejected by state and federal governments respectively. In August Federal environment minister Peter Garrett rejected a $5b proposal for a coal port at Shoalwater Bay on the central coast and QLD Premier Anna Bligh rejected a shale oil proposal for Proserpine as too environmentally damaging.The port proposal was part of a plan by Waratah Coal to establish three new coal mines in the Galilee Basin, in conjunction with a 500k railway line and coal port to be sited near Yeppoon. The port and rail line would be adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef marine park, Byfield National Park and a Ramsar listed wetlands.
In a historic decision, Garrett rejected the proposal without ordering an EIS.
“This proposal would have clearly unacceptable impacts on the internationally recognised Shoalwater and Corio Bay Ramsar wetlands and the high wilderness value of Shoalwater which is acknowledged in its Commonwealth Heritage listing,” Mr Garrett said.
“The impacts of the rail line and port facility are simply too great to effectively mitigate, and would destroy the ecological integrity of the area. They are impacts that cannot be reduced with offsets or managed through approval conditions.
“Destruction of fragile wilderness areas cannot be reversed. As Minister for the Environment I am required by law to protect the environment from actions on Commonwealth land.
On August 24th the QLD Premier rejected a mooted shale oil plant near Proserpine
“Our environment must come first,” said Premier Anna Bligh.
“That’s why we are putting a 20-year moratorium on all mining activities, bulk sampling and exploration over the McFarlane deposit in the Whitsunday region.”
The protection of Shoalwater Bay has been a long-term campaign by Friends of the Earth Brisbane in conjunction with the Shoalwater Wilderness Awareness Group.
Spokesperson for Friends of the Earth Brisbane, Kim Stewart said, “this is a great decision for the environment and vindicates the many years of defending Shoalwater that we and the local community have engaged in.
“We now call on Mr Garrett to make sure that the polluting activities of the army in the region are also ended and the whole area of the Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area returned to the people and the traditional owners.”
Categories: environment | Tags: climate change, coal
