ACTION
ALERT
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WORLDWIDE
FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS
The
Australian Daintree: Death by 1000 Cuts
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Forest
Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises
http://forests.org/
12/2/97
OVERVIEW,
SOURCE & COMMENTARY by EE
It is
widely thought that the Daintree rainforests of Northern
Australia
are protected. The reality is that the
majority of the
lowland
coastal rainforest bioregion is unprotected and in a steady
state
of decline. Following is an appeal for
letters from the Oz-
Envirolink
list server.
g.b.
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RELAYED
TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: AUSTRALIA: Far North Community Rallies
for Daintree,
Death by 1000 cuts
Source: Oz-environlink list server
Status: Distribute freely with accreditation to
source
Date: November 15, 1997
State
and Commonwealth Government must recommit to Daintree Rescue
Package.
Action
Request Follows
This
morning (Nov 15) conservationists and local residents have staged
a rally
in the Daintree to express to the nation that the future of
this
national environmental treasure is under threat.
The
rally included a tour of recent illegal rainforest clearing,
public
education to tourists and visitors as well as speeches from
Douglas
Shire mayor Mike Berwick and international environmental
consultant,
Australian Heritage Commissioner and ex-Executive Director
of the
Wet Tropics Management Authority, Peter Hitchock.
"There
is a widespread misconception that the Daintree rainforests are
protected.
In fact almost almost all of the lowland coastal rainforest
is
neither National Park nor World Heritage".
Cairns
and Far North Environment Coordinator, Gavan MaFadzean said
this
morning: "There is a widespread misconception amongst Australians
that
the rainforests of the Daintree are protected from landclearing
and
innappropriate development. In fact almost almost all of the
lowland
coastal rainforest habitat in the Daintree is neither National
Park
nor World Heritage".
"The
current protected area estate is dreadfully inadequate to protect
the
Daintree's world-famous natural values. It is imperative that
local
conservationists and the community express to all Australians
that
the future of the Daintree is in jeopoardy.
"Over
recent months, illegal land-clearing has taken place at a level
not
seen for over 15 years. Meanwhile, the Borbidge (Qld.) government
is
determined to proceed with the connection of mains grid power north
of the
Daintree River, triggering large-scale resort development,
residential
expansion and the necessity of a bridge across the
Daintree
River, road construction and community infrastructure
development
to service an expected ten-fold population increase".
"
The destruction of the Daintree simply cannot be allowed to proceed"
said
the spokesman for the Daintree Rainforest Task Force, Allan
Sheather.
"We have called upon the Douglas Shire Council to enforce
their
interim vegetation by-law, but they are simply refusing to do
so.
This has given the "green light" to private landholders to clear
their
land illegally.
"The
State and Commonwealth governments already have a history of
involvement
in the Daintree to protect the area's outstanding natural
values,
but the job remains only half completed. We are calling on
both
the State and Federal Governments to re-inject money into the
Daintree
Rescue Package, so that critical habitat areas can be
purchased
in the State and National interest".
Comment - H.
Spencer
The
rally was quite successful as an "action" designed to raised media
interestand
attention. It was staged at the Daintree Ferry, which is
the
"portal" to the area. About 100 conservationsists, supportive
local
landowners and vistors attended. Both Mayor Berwick and Peter
Hitchcock
emphasised the point that the issue is one of population
growth
control in the region, and that the costs of buy-back of blocks
that
are voluntarily available for re-purchase (about 400) would be
about
one tenth ($A50 million) of the costs involved in providing
infrastructure
to service 4000 residents (1000 blocks x 4 people per
block),
and should make sense to even the most pro-development
economic
rationalists in the Governments as being an excellent
bargain.
Besides,
if a buy-back scheme were implemented:
*
Australia would be seen to support its World Heritage commitments,
* the
region would not lose its critical tourism market, and
* the
world would retain the last remnant of Australasian Gondwanic
lowland
rainforest (all the rest has been consumed by cane-fields).
What
you can do
SAVE
DAINTREE
Write A
Letter
In your
letter:
Ask
questions - politicians are obliged to answer them. Remember, put
your
return address on both the letter and the envelope. Don't forget
to date
and sign your letter.
Liz
Cunningham
Independent
Member for Gladstone
PO Box
1593
Gladstone
Qld. 4680
The
Hon. Rob Borbidge MLA
Premier
of Queensland
PO Box
185 Albert Street
Brisbane
4002
The
Hon. John Howard
Prime
Minister
GPO Box
36
Sydney,
NSW 2000
The
Hon. Senator Robert Hill
Federal
Minister for Environment
Parliament
House
Canberra
ACT 2600
The
Hon. Duncan Kerr
Federal
Shadow Environment Minister
Parliament
House
Canberra
ACT 2600
Not
only the Daintree is under threat! None of our Wet Tropics World
Heritage
Area is sufficiently protected by legislation, planning or
law
enforcement.
Current threats to our Wet TropicsWorld
Heritage Area abound:
- FNQEB
have just released their survey results stating that 70% of
Daintree
landowners are in favour of grid power; in fact only 60% of
landowners
responded to the survey. 70% of 60% is only 300 of the 1000
landowners!!!
The Environmental Impact Study for grid power may be
completed
early in 1998; construction of electricity lines could begin
through
World Heritage land early next year!
-
Rainforest is being destroyed every day because our local council is
not
committed to creating or enforcing sufficiently strong local by-
laws.
- Euan
Bruce, developer of the proposed Navicio resort at Cape
Tribulation,
is taking the local council to court on 1st December
1997,
in an attempt to gain permission for his huge beachside resort.
- Qld
Coalition Gov't have given permission for Timber Reserve 165,
adjoining
just north of Black Mountain, (near Cooktown) to be logged.
- Qld
Coalition Gov't are threatening to open the Quaid Rd. (in World
Heritage
land) from Wangetti to the Atherton Tablelands.
Dear
Senator Robert Hill,
If
mains power is brought to the Daintree, the rainforest, as we know
it,
will end with a bang; if mains power is not connected, but the
present
poor management practices continue, the Daintree Rainforest
will
end with a quiet whimper. For the Daintree to survive, action
must be
taken.
- Are
you prepared to provide more funding for land buy-back? If so,
how much?
- Will
you take measures to prevent grid power being connected to the
Daintree?
- Have
you considered subsidising renewable energy systems for
landowners
and commercial premises?
- Do
you agree that a comprehensive and co-ordinated management policy
for the
Wet Tropics should be adopted, where Commonwealth, State,
Federal
and Local Government work together with the Wet Tropics
Management
Authority, the Department of Environment and local
communities?
Sadly,
as we have seen in the Daintree, relying solely on Local
Government
to prevent the devastation of biologically valuable land is
not
enough. Australians need your help to ensure that the Daintree
remains
fully protected for the future.
Yours
Sincerely,
John Q
Citizen
Look at
our (to-be-updated) web page http://www.austrop.org.au/austrop
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