Controversy continues over Traveston Dam
Wed 01 November 2006
Jenny Hammer, Journalism
South-East Queensland remains in the grip of a major water crisis, with a solution to the problem still causing heated debates in political circles.
When the Queensland Government put forward a proposal to build a dam at Traveston Crossing in the Mary Valley, environmentalists slammed the idea, claiming damming is not the answer and other strategies need to be explored.
The residents who call the dam site home in the picturesque Mary Valley agree.
If the proposed Traveston Dam, with an estimated cost of $A1.7 billion, is allowed to go ahead, about 600 families will lose their homes, and for some, it will wipe out livelihoods that have been in these families for generations.
Joy Peters, a long time resident in the area says the countryside is some of the most beautiful in the region and a number of the residents will have nowhere to go if their land is claimed.
“I can understand we have a water shortage, but to have all that beautiful, and some of Australia’s best farming land destroyed, is terrible. Even with the government saying residents will be well compensated and be able to buy again, this is not true for some of the older residents who have farmed in the region for generations, as they simply have no-where to go,” Mrs Peters says.
“And we must not forget that once that beautiful rich farmland is gone, it is gone forever.”
Save the Mary River group spokesman Rick Elliot told ABC radio, “this is a crazy idea, it’s wrong, it’s not the best solution to providing water for South-East Queensland.”
The Traveston Crossing dam proposal would not only destroy the lives of some families, it may also cause the closure of tourist attractions such as the Mary Valley Rattler, as its rail lines could end up underwater.
Ann Chapman a resident of Cooran who has enjoyed the experience of riding the ‘Rattler’ says this is an element of the dam’s construction that the general public is not aware of.
“Obviously it would be an awful shame to lose this fantastic old train ride that takes visitors and residents alike on a wonderful journey through some beautiful countryside,” Mrs Chapman says.
Building the dam could also have a disastrous effect on the lives of certain aquatic species who also call the Mary River home.
The Primary Industries Department say the Mary River Cod and the Queensland lungfish are in danger of becoming extinct unless the Federal Government intervenes and puts a stop to the Traveston Dam proposal.
A recent report in The Weekend Australian says the Queensland Government concealed information on the rare lungfish that could have been used to block its controversial Traveston Crossing dam proposal. The documents back claims by scientists that the Mary River dam could push the rare fish to extinction.
The reports, prepared by Queensland researchers, say the Queensland lungfish is listed as a threatened species under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
The one issue politicians and environmentalists do agree on however, is the fact that Queensland is currently in the midst of one of the worst droughts on record.
The Sunshine Coast Environment Council (SCEC) says in order to find answers politicians need to look at how changes to the climate have had a major affect on the current water supplies in South-East Queensland. It also says there are indications that projected rainfall will reduce by a further 15 per cent over the next 25 years, while the demand for water will increase.
The predicted changes to the climate could have a detrimental effect on any future dams.
Environmentalists fear even if this controversial dam goes ahead it will not alleviate the chronic water shortages the south-east is currently experiencing.
The Primary Industries Department says recent climate reports indicate there would be only about a 10 per cent chance of dams receiving enough rainfall to improve already depleted levels.
Speaking on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC)’s 7.30 Report Matt Peacock said, “even in good times Australian dams must capture roughly six times as much water as dams in Europe need for the same yield because of erratic rainfall and high evaporation. But these days the rain's hardly falling and virtually every urban centre has been experiencing a record water shortage.”
South-East Queensland’s three major dams, Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine currently only have 27 per cent capacity.
Adding to this, The Sunshine Coast Eco News says the area’s population is expected to increase by 1.4 million people by 2026, taking the numbers of people who live on the Sunshine Coast to about 4 million. Add these numbers to the problem climatic change has on the environment, and there may well be a shortfall of 240,000 megalitres, or 50 per cent of what the population presently uses by 2040.
The ABC says the proposed Traveston Crossing dam is expected to be constructed in three stages, will hold 180,000 megalitres, and will deliver up to 70,000 megalitres of water per year. It is anticipated that the three stages will be fully completed by 2035.
In a nutshell, water is being consumed at a greater level than it can be supplied.
The fact of this matter is that a solution needs to be found, and soon. This precious commodity cannot continue to be used at its present rate, for if it is, the taps may one day run dry.
Image(s) designed by Jenny Hammer