GARRETT’S TRAVESTON DECISION – LIFE LINE FOR WILLIAMS RIVER?
Resource: SMH timeline on Traveston
The federal Minister for the Environment Peter Garrett made a clear statement that our fresh water ecosystems are crucially important for Australia with his call to reject the Traveston Crossing Dam.
In his speech at lunch time today Minister Garrett said that he believed Australian fresh water species were under threat,” said Sam East from the Wilderness Society.
This issue has been at the heart of our campaign to Protect the Williams River and stop the Tillegra Dam. Our fresh water ecosystems are more vulnerable than ever and must be given priority when it comes to conservation.”
We also concur with Minister Garrett’s comment that the $1.6 billion Traveston dam would have devastating effects on the critical ecological processes of The Mary River – the same must be said for Tillegra and The Williams. An on-river dam the size of Sydney harbour will forever change the natural processes supporting a healthy Williams River, said Mr East.
Minister Garrett also stated that his decision had taken into account the social and economic impacts that Traveston Dam would have.
This is heartening given that Tillegra will have significant adverse impacts on both counts – there will be great economic impacts on the community from paying for a dam they are unlikely to ever need.” (REF ISF)
Mr East said Tillegra Dam, like Traveston, is being reviewed by Minister Garrett’s office under the federal EPBC Act, however it won’t be until next year that he will make his decision on Tillegra. There is still a state environmental assessment process to be followed which the NSW Department of Planning has suggested will take another four to five months to complete.
In the mean time The Wilderness Society welcomes the Minister’s decision on Traveston which ultimately protects The Mary River’s unique ecology and shows a long awaited acknowledgement of the importance of nature.”
I further commend his statement that the Precautionary Principle of environmental management is key and I hope that this will be front of mind when the case of The Williams River and Tillegra Dam is before him,” said Mr East.
Today Traveston – Tomorrow Tillegra
Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett should apply the same standard of scrutiny to Tillegra Dam in the Upper Hunter that led him to reject Queensland’s Traveston project, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
Apart from being completely unnecessary and cripplingly expensive, Tillegra will be an environmental catastrophe,” said Dr Kaye.
The Lower Hunter wetlands will be starved of the water they need to thrive by a dam that will cut the wild Williams River in half. Any open and independent environmental assessment of Tillegra would demand a rejection.
Federal Minister Garrett has done the right thing in stopping the Bligh government destroy the Mary River in Queensland.
It is time for him to use the same powers to kill off Tillegra before the Rees government destroys the Williams and the Lower Hunter wetlands.
The Rudd government has delivered a massive victory for the people of the Mary Valley. Peter Garrett should now do the same for the Hunter community," Dr Kaye said.
