Cabinet must back Garrett's proposed 'no' on Traveston
11 Nov 2009
WWF-Australia has welcomed Environment Minister Peter Garrett's recommendation to block the development of the Traveston Dam and is calling on Cabinet to give its full support.
"The impacts of this proposed development on threatened species, including the unique Australian lungfish and the Mary River cod, have always been clear," said WWF-Australia's Policy Manager Biodiversity Averil Bones.
"Minister Garrett's assessment has accurately reflected those impacts, and we are pleased that he has acted according to the letter of the law and proposed that this project not go ahead.
"This recommendation now deserves the unanimous support of the Cabinet."
According to WWF, funds earmarked for the Dam should now be poured into a program to retrofit South East Queensland with world leading water efficiency, stormwater reuse and recycling infrastructure.
Rehabiliting riparian corridors in the area and improving cattle fencing around sensitive habitat should also be given high priority.
"Minister Garrett has today proved himself more capable of administering the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 than any other recent minister charged with the task," said Ms Bones.
"His recommendation to protect the critical habitats of nationally-listed species must be mirrored for all listed species if we are to slow the widespread loss of Australia’s unique flora and fauna."
As well as impacting on threatened species, the dam was predicted to disturb fish nurseries of the Great Sandy Straits Ramsar Wetland and change the character of iconic Fraser Island World Heritage area. It was also predicted to send the remaining populations of one of Australia's most endangered fish, the Mary River cod, into further precipitous declines.
More information
Alvin Stone, Press Officer, WWF-Australia
Mobile: 0410 221 410
