Mary River Dam – travesty at Traveston Crossing

With the Queensland State government’s irresponsible fire sale of South East Queensland to southern immigrants and developers who feast from the spoils of unrestrained growth, the latest shortsighted move is to foist the self-inflicted water shortage problems of the profligate, ever-expanding Gold Coast and Brisbane slums onto areas close to our heart – the Noosa/Gympie region.

This is the third attempt to dam the Mary River and I predict the exploiters will lose this time too.

Apart from the direct impact on prime agricultural land and 900 outraged landowners, the area is home to at least three endangered animal species, including the Mary River lungfish, Mary River turtle and Mary River cod, let alone representatives from our national treasure chest of plant species with their potential valuable pharmaceutical use. The region’s forests form part of one of the biodiversity hotspots identified by Professor Norman Myers. This proposed travesty of a dam at Traveston Crossing is also likely to impinge on the health of fisheries along Wide Bay.

And what about the region’s old cattle dips and their arsenic loads which will leech into the dam? Humans are the only species who don’t seem to mind poisoning themselves in the name of so-called ‘progress’ – the long term self-defeating result of suspect economic irrationalism which relies ignorantly and unquestioningly on increase in population and production for prosperity. Prosperity for whom? our children’s children? I don’t think so.

No more dams! There are plenty of other more sustainable, responsible options to address water consumption needs in South East Queensland.

For more information, visit the Save the Mary River site, NUSER and the Sunshine Coast Environment Council.

One Reply to “Mary River Dam – travesty at Traveston Crossing”

  1. Could the dams issue be a deliberate red herring to divert public attention from the parlous and worsening state of the Queensland Health system?

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