Please Read.

[soulweaver]

Dear All,

Just a quick note to inform you of this proposed travesty for the Mary River, Queensland. The proposition of the state government is to construct a 660,000 megalitre dam approximately 12kms south of Gympie (in the mid-catchment area of the Mary River). This 7,600 hectare catchment area will require the resumption of prime agricultural land (responsible for producing 7% of Queenslands Dairy supply)not to mention the displacement of almost 900 families! It may eventually lead to the extinctions of the Mary River turtle Elusor macrurus and the Mary River Cod Maccullochella peelii mariensis as it will have severe detrimental impacts on up to 80% of their known habitat/distribution. Other threatened or vulnerable species that will be affected will include the Queensland Lungfish Neoceratodus forsteri, the Mary River Snapping turtle Elseya albagula?and some endangered regional ecosystems of riparian flora. It has also been suggested that due to unsuitable 'environmental flow' downstream, there will also be severe environmental impacts on marine ecosystems and estuarine breeding grounds of many marine and freshwater species.

Craig and I have been lobbying very hard to try to prevent this 'billion dollar blunder' by attending various rallies and meetings. Not only will this destroy the local environment, we may lose up to 30% of our own property as well! The only legislation that may stop this proposal is the federal "Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 - EPBC Act" but the Federal Government has little interest in this issue as our Premier has not made his formal announcement regarding the preliminary findings from feasibility studies etc. If we wait for this announcement, it may be too late!!!

We have forwarded this e-petition, open to Queensland residents/citizens only, as the only way this dam proposal will be stopped is if the voices of the people are heard. Our state Premier, Peter Beattie, was quoted on Tuesday as saying "This dam will go ahead and nothing can stop it!"

Please take the time to complete the e-petition and/or forward it on to any Queensland residents you know who may be interested in helping to protect this unique South East Queensland region. It is possible that Premier Beattie may make his formal announcement next time State Parliament meets, on 10 June '06, so please try to find time ASAP.

If you would like any additional information, please go to www.savethemaryriver.com or alternatively contact me on this email address.

Your sincerely,

Gabrielle Latta
The Secretary - AFTCRA Inc.

Link to AFTCRA Inc. (Australian Freshwater Turtle Conservation & Research Association) information:
www.aftcra.org.au

 

[MoreliaMatt]

thats not good at all!!! i wish you all the best of luck in trying to stop this!!!

im in adelaide, so i cant sign it or anything but would you mind if i copied your post above and posted it on a different australia wide forum to try to help you get more qld support?

Matt

 

[soulweaver]

This was emailed to me, from the latta's. I just put it up here so that it would make more people aware.

I don't see any problem with getting the word out so feel free to copy it.

regards SW

 

[inthegrass]

please do not think that i do not care about your situation. nobody wants a dam, a power station, a nuclear dump, a 10 storey building or a shopping centre get my drift built near them. these things have to go somewhere.
we all need water, electricity, shops to buy food etc. nobody wants them in their back yard. where do we put them??????????????????????????

 

[Earthling]

recycle all waste water into drinking water. London has been doing this for years and there is no reason why we cant. except for the reason that people dont like the idea of converting waste products into drinking products. Thus the desalination plant, dams etc ideas arising.

 

[Earthling]

And if people dont like drinking and showering in their converted pee and poo, well they can move.............. or.........buy and install a rainwater tank which would be subsidised by the state as part of the water saving strategy for queensland.

 

[moosenoose]

Hell, I love showering in Pee and bathing in Poo! Bring it on! And just to think I have to pay to get this done!

Good luck Souley, you'll have an uphill battle on your hands.

 

[moosenoose]

ps: I used to fish the Mary River, Maryborough is full of rednecks anyway (even more of a battle for you) :lol:

 

[Samma3l]

put some rare parrot there and your prayers will be answered

 

[krusty]

i dont like the sound of that but it must be for a very good reason.

 

[cwarren72]

Hey souly can you see if you can get a copy of the partion? Maybe we can mail it from one to the other and get those in our specific areas to sign and then send on to the next area? Just an idea?

 

[moosenoose]

I caught a big dirty eel out of the Mary River once, supposedly there have even been crocodiles sighted in there over the last decade or so. I got to agree with Samma3l, you need something rare to rear its head :lol:

 

[peterescue]

Mary River Turtle Moosey. Found nowhere else in the world. Only in the Mary River.

 

[soulweaver]

i posted this on behalf of aftca..........please click on their web address for further details.

 

[NoOne]

Mary river cod have been bred and stocked in good numbers in many waterways in SE QLD, the damn would take out more of their natural habitat though.

 

[cris]

i dont like the sound of that but it must be for a very good reason.

Yeah they area isnt a labor seat, i think that would be about the extent of the planning :roll:

This dam is to far from brisbane anyway i think :? who is it for I wonder, maybe the sunshine coast is having a drought :lol:

There isnt a water availabilty problem at all IMO, just how its used and not recycled, if we recycled our water we wouldnt need new dams at all. There is heaps of water available with our current dams we just need to use it better and make sure all houses have rain tanks.

IMO this dam would almost have to wipe out the mary river cod but would it really effect the turtles that much?(asking not telling) do they need heaps of water to live in?

I wonder if all these ____ who have a phobia against recycled water realise that fish and many other animals are constantly crapping and dieing in the water we currently drink :roll:

Id have a nuclear power plant in my yard anyday, at least its good for the environment instead of destroying it. Not only that i could be incharge of the plant safety just like homer :lol:

 

[peterescue]

The turtles only live in certain sections of the river. Damming would change the habit to make it untenable for future survival. If you can get hold of John Cann's Freshwater Turtles of Australia there is a chapter on Elusor macrurus.

 

[kwaka_80]

regardless of where you live get in and sign the petition... the more the merrier I say

 

[Bono888]

I thought we already had enough examples in this country on how damaging dams can be to our environment :evil: :evil:

Maybe if this one goes through it will finally confirm it for the tools (polies :lol: ) that think dams are the solution. Hard to comprehend this is even been thought of as an option :cry:

We will never learn. Just my two bob's worth.

Matt.