Mary River dam proposal sparks opposition
Fri 30 June 2006
Gail Loader, Journalism
The Queensland State Government’s plan to build a dam on the Mary River, near Gympie, has outraged community groups and politicians alike.
The 600,000 megalitre dam is intended to supplement the dwindling water supplies of Brisbane, Gympie and the Sunshine Coast.
Premier Peter Beattie told ABC Online that climate change had affected South-East Queensland faster than research had predicted, forcing the State Government to alter its water management plan
The proposed dam will cover 7600ha and will cause 872 private properties, including a cemetery, to be resumed, ABC Wide Bay reports.
The government has set aside $50 million dollars to compensate those who will lose their properties in the dam proposal. But farmers in the catchment areas below the dam will not receive any compensation for the loss of water to their properties.
Over 3000 people attended a recent rally in Gympie to protest against the Traveston Crossing dam proposal. An action group, the Save the Mary River Coordinating Group, has been established in response to the proposal.
The Opposition Leader, Lawrence Springborg, told ABC Online that “overcoming the geotechnical, environmental and cost hurdles to building the Traveston Crossing dam would be almost impossible.”
The Sunshine Coast Environment Council (SCEC) says that the dam will flood prime agricultural land and cause unacceptable environmental damage to the river and land downstream.
SCEC is concerned that the dam will negatively impact the Mary River catchment area and cause deterioration of the Great Sandy World Heritage area.
ABC Coast FM reports that the dam will endanger rare and endangered species living in the Mary River.
Dr Julian Pepperell, a marine biology consultant, says the Mary River Cod is only found in this area and conservationists have been working for over 10 years to protect the endangered species.
The cod, which is one of the largest fresh water fish in Australia, will die out within five years unless its habitat is protected, Dr Pepperell told ABC Coast FM.
The Sunshine Coast Daily reports that commercial fishermen operating in the area are expecting a collapse in the levels of productivity if the normal processes of the river, such as floods, do not occur because of the dam.
The dam will also have repercussions for the coastal ecosystems that support recreational fishing and the local tourism industry, which is worth over $350 million annually, the Sunshine Coast Daily says.
Also, the traditional owners of the land, the Gubbi-Gubbi tribal group, have told ABC Coast FM that they are concerned that the dam will cause damage to the habitat of the lung fish, which traditionally has been protected as it is considered sacred.
Greens Senator Bob Brown has weighed into the argument stating that “all options should be considered before the dam is built”,ABC News Online reports.
Senator Brown, who was key member in the fight against the Franklin River dam in Tasmania, told ABC News Online that “there are better options than simply saying ‘we've got a water shortage, let's build another dam’.”
Grazier, Noel Loader, who helped build the Tinaroo Dam in north Queensland in the 1950s, says that dams are a disaster environmentally.
“It kills the river from the dam down…and (will) dry up the land below the dam,” Mr Loader said.
He states that a system of weirs would be a better option. It could be built sooner, cost less and be increased as the population grows.
Dams usually have shallow water which evaporates, a decreased quality of water and tend to become a breeding ground for mosquitos.
Also, the loss of the river flats means some of the best land for agriculture production is lost.
Mr Loader said with a weir system the majority of the water is deep and usually good quality.
“Weirs keep the river alive all the way down,” Mr Loader said.
Threatened fauna information - Eco News
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Submitted Comments
Good flow of information and facts, could have had more direct quotes
Nerida Carson