SAVE THE MARY RIVER CO-ORDINATING GROUP FIGHTING FUND
Donations may be made at any ANZ Bank BSB 014585 A/c No. 494844915
Information Centre at Kandanga
Location: Opposite the Railway Station, Kandanga
Tel: 5488 4800
Centre Manager: Tony Hawkyard
Hours: 10.00am to 4.00pm daily
Web site: www.savethemaryriver.com
Counselling Service: 5488 4949
Mobile: 0413157761
PUBLIC INFORMATION NIGHT & DOCUMENTARY PREVIEW SCREENING, KANDANGA HALL
When: Friday 9th March 6.00pm sausage sizzle for 6.30pm start Come and find out more about the Senate Inquiry to help stop the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam and how you can be involved with the submissions.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT – TOGETHER WE STAND STRONG
Also the preview screening of our first documentary “Damming the Mary” Telling the story of our battle to save the Mary River
Compliments of Big Love Productions Live Music by “Them Rusty Halos” band after the film Admission is free, bring a plate for supper
For more information contact Kandanga Info Centre on 5488 4800 o Glenda Pickersgill on 5484 3150 or 0411443589
From your Chairman….. Senate Inquiry
As you probably already know, the planning for the Senate Inquiry that will look into the merits of all options for water supply for South East Queensland, and examine the social, environmental, economic, and engineering impacts of the various options, is now underway. Anyone can make a submission to this inquiry; it can be as long or short as you like; and it can contain facts, opinions, arguments and recommendations. If the submission is longer than a few pages, a short summary will need to be included. A submission can be public or confidential and the submitter may be invited to give evidence. The closing date for submissions is 4th April 2007. I encourage you to consider making a submission. It’s not such a big deal; you just need to follow the guidelines and keep it to the terms of reference which are spelled out in the first paragraph of this report. The guidelines are on our web site and available in hard copy form from the Info Centre at Kandanga Railway Station. Or you can come along to our Info and Film night on 9th March at the Info centre at Kandanga (see notice). You can get more information here The Senators at this inquiry are likely to be very interested to understand how members of the community have been treated by the government during the process so far and the consequences that have resulted. So don’t hold back – just tell it like it is! Great Result! Thanks to all of you who provided a submission to the Terms of Reference for the Environmental Impact Statement. We know that over 100 submissions were received from individuals, organisations, councils etc. I am sure the government will get the message that we are mighty interested in the whole of the EIS process and that every aspect will be put under the microscope. Federal Government Environment Staff Meeting
Members of the STMRCG environment team provided a comprehensive tour and briefing for key members of the Federal Dept of Environment & Water who will be involved in the recommendation to the Minister regarding whether the dam proposal should be knocked back or approved. The presentations and discussions followed a meeting that the Canberra based group held the previous day with QWIPL and covered the main issues that we believe should cause the project to not be approved. The EIS process will be a lengthy one, probably longer than the “early 2008” completion date the Queensland Government is targeting. It seems to us that they have underestimated the size of the task in front of them. Many thanks to Glenda, Dave, Alan, Steve, Eve, and Phil for a job very well done. Planned Meeting with Peter Arnison 9th March A few of us will meet with Peter Arnison on 9th March. We would be glad to hear from you regarding issues you would like us to consider putting on the agenda and what outcomes you are looking for from those issues. You can email me at kevin@structured.com.au or call the Info Centre on 5488 4800 and leave a message for me. We don’t have unlimited time at this meeting so will choose the items that we believe are both urgent and important. Government Propaganda You may have noticed an increase in the number of “talk tough” announcements coming from the Premier and his Deputy. Don’t be misled by all this stuff. Our response to “we are going ahead with the dam” and similar statements is “they are not going to build the dam because they don’t have the required Federal Government approval to do so!” Our statement is the current fact, theirs is wishful thinking! Similarly, they can’t force you to sell your property – it’s your choice! We are currently pursuing legal action to uncover potential corruption regarding some of the government’s land purchases. Any implied threat that a later sale may result in the government paying a lower price will also be pursued vigorously through legal channels.
Kevin Ingersole
From Sue Smith, Information Centre Co-ordinator
Thank you to those who asked me to officially fill the role of Information Centre Co-ordinator.
I would like to make many acknowledgements and thank you’s.
Firstly to Tony Hawkyard. Tony recognised the need for a community support centre and had a huge part in initiating, running and operating the Info. Centre. Tony also organized many events and rallies and co-ordinated the volunteers who helped.
Thank you Tony and to the others who have supported from the beginning.
The Save the Mary River Information Centre provides a greatly needed and well untilized service to the community and to our visitors who travel here to experience the Mary Valley. Mostly, everyone knows that the Info. Centre is operated, resourced and manned by volunteers and that there is still a need to keep it open 7 days a week from 10.00am to 4.00pm each day. However we need more volunteers to help out. I would like to welcome our newest recruits who help out on a weekly basis – Sonya Hodge, Dawn Forrer and Gudi.
Thank you to Sally and Ian Mackay and Keith Gall for the huge clean-up in and around the Info. Centre.
Also again to Keith for installing the kitchen sink and bench.
Thank you to Barry Gill for installing the plumbing and for getting Tradelink to donate the supplies needed. Jenny Mengel and Arkin Mackay have introduced some great merchandise lines such as the beautiful Christmas cards, “No Dam” stubbie coolers and the soon to be released line of fridge magnets.
Thank you for co-ordinating this Jenny and Arkin.
The full range of “NO DAM” merchandise is available from the Info. Centre and if you have any queries, need information or are willing to help out in any way, please come and see us or give us a call.
We are opposite the Kandanga Railway Station, our telephone number is 5488 4800, our email address is stmrick@bigpond.com and our mailing address is Save the Mary River Information Centre, c/- Post Office, Kandanga, 4570. Mary River Council of Mayors StudyReport Below is a summary of the Executive Summary of the Mary River Council of Mayors Study into water supply options for SE Queensland.
This independent study cost $130,000, was funded by the 9 Mayors in the Mary Catchment
outlines a strategy for meeting water supply-demand out to 2050, without needing to construct a dam at Traveston Crossing on the Mary River
A Full Copy of the report, released on 23/02/07(5.7 MB) is available from our website To summarize, the report based it's findings on published State Government figures for predicted water demand, (in spite of grave reservations as to their appropriateness) and State Government figures on costings.
As well as pointing out the obvious conclusion that the dam would offer no assistance at all to the current water supply difficulties in SE Q’ld, it found that the Traveston Crossing proposalwould produce much more expensive water than all theother options investigatedto satisfy SE Queensland's projected future water needs. It found that the proposal was in an inappropriate location to cater for future growth in demand and was inequitable in that it consumed all of the strategic water reserve identified in the Mary catchment while preserving the strategic water reserve in the catchments where the water would be consumed.
This is the sort of study which should have been done by the State Government BEFORE committing Queensland taxpayers to such a prohibitively expensive and astoundingly destructive project which has no link at all to the current water supply problems. This report was prepared by Andrea Turner, University of Technology Sydney; Greg Hausler, Cardno, Naomi Carrard, University of Technology Sydney; Alex Kazaglis, University of Technology Sydney’ Aneurin Hughes, Cardno and Trevor Johnson, Cardno.
CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT FEDERAL INQUIRY INTO ACTIONS OF THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT ON THE TRAVESTON CROSSING DAM PROPOSAL.
The Traveston Crossing Dam Proposalwas referred to the Federal Environment Minister, (then Mr. Ian Campbell, now Mr Malcolm Turnbull)for consideration under the Federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.The Federal Government has now indicated that it will remain closely involved in monitoring the Environmental Impact Study being conducted by the State Government for the Traveston Crossing Dam proposal to ensure that Federal responsibilities under this act will be properly addressed.
The draft Terms of Reference for the State-basedEnvironmental Impact Study was releasedfor public comment in December and comments on these have now been received. The Terms of Reference for the assessment have been written by the Queensland Coordinator General, (who is also effectively the proponent),but under State and Federal Law, all comments on these terms of reference have to be considered.
Because the EPBC assessment only looks at very limited and specific issues concerned with biodiversity conservation, it is essential that there is also a thorough independent assessment of the full environmental, social and economic impacts of the proposal and the actions of the State Government. This may be possible through an independent federal judicial enquiry, or through the recently announced senate enquiry.
Queensland University Department of Medicine Rural Health Project
Health Impact Assessment & Effects of the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam
As part of their course, 3rd year Medicine students undertake an 8-week Rural Medicine Rotation, part of which is the completion of a Rural Health Project.
One of the students, Ms Carly Fox, is currently working in Gympie and has initiated a Health Impact Assessment relating to the impacts of the dam. As I understand it, the project focuses on two main areas:
Analysis of recent increases in health problems as recorded by local GP's and hospitals, to assess the scope of the dam-related health problems. 2. Personal (confidential) interviews with volunteer patients to assess the nature and root causes of the health impacts in more detail.
Carly has already made significant headway into the study, speaking with local doctors, Lifeline as well as making three trips to the Kandanga Information Centre to speak with locals. However, more of the personal interviews are still required. If anyone would like to volunteer to participate in the study, then please send me a PM or contact Sally Mackay via the Info Centre on 5488 4800. If you have any concerns about privacy/ confidentiality you can discuss them with Carly before contributing.
Carly has only got about one more week in Gympie, however the project has the support of the University lecturers, and will be an ongoing project to be continued by the next student on rotation to Gympie.
I think support of this project is a valuable opportunity to get some of the health impacts on the record.
QWIPL's EIS Terms of Reference failed to include any sort of Health Impact Assessment, despite Federal guidelines recommending that such an assessment should be included in any major EIS. From your Chairman Senate Inquiry <p>As you probably already know', 'the planning for the Senate Inquiry that will look into the merits of all options for water supply for South East Queensland', 'and examine the social', environmental, economic, 'and engineering impacts of the various options', 'is now underway.< p> <p> < p> <p> Anyone can make a submission to this inquiry'; it: www.aph.gov.au senate committee rrat_ctte traveston_dam index.htm Are you seeking legal advice on the effect the Traveston Crossing Dam has on you? As of the 2nd February 2007 McNamara Garrahy Lawyers will be attending the No Dam Information Centre at Kandanga to offer free legal advice. We will continue to offer free legal advice every Thursday between 2:00pm and 5:00pm. Please contact the Information Centre for further information or to make an appointment
Dreams, we had our dreams.
In bed at night we’d plan.
When we finished child bearing, child rearing.
We’d shoot through to the bush… We were city people, born and bred.
We planned our tree change, over and over.
Beneath the sheets, excited.
Our little ones
Played and learned, then grew big enough to flee the nest
And search their own adventure
We packed and left One shiny day.
We found our bush retreat.
A verdant valley.
Smiling cows. Our perfect paradise.
A second chance Life after children.
Our tree change friends. Like-minded.
We were happy here. Idyllic.
We lived and laughed Embracing freedom.
Life was good. Till that fateful April day
Our lives became a nightmare.
When Peter Beattie tolled the death knell of our valley, heritage, homes, livelihoods.
Forever lost.
Dammed. We cry for our valley
Endless tears.
Frustration, mourning our precious patch, our Eden
Eternally condemned.
A Valley of tears.
Don’t dam the Mary Peter
Our sacred lifeblood holds nature’s bounty from the hills to the sea
Please grant a reprieve.
Pat Duff 2006