New Cape York nature refuge to protect reef

The Palaszczuk Government will give extra protection to a Cape York property to protect the Great Barrier Reef from erosion and provide habitat for vulnerable and endangered animals.

Environment Minister Steven Miles said Springvale Station will become a protected nature refuge under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.

“The Palaszczuk Government purchased Springvale Station last year after it was revealed that property was one of the biggest contributors of sediment run-off to the northern Great Barrier Reef in the Normanby basin – the region's largest reef catchment.

“The Environment Department are working to rehabilitate areas of past grazing land on the property which are responsible for almost 500,000 tonnes of runoff every year.

“It’s nature refuge status confirms that this land will be used for conservation purposes.

Two proposed mining leases on Springvale Station have also been rejected by the State Government because of potential sediment release into the Great Barrier Reef.

The Department of Natural Resources and Mines advised the applicants on Tuesday (15 August) that the conservation values of the area were not consistent with mining activities.

Mr Miles said the Environment Department could now get on with rehabilitating the site.

“The proposed mining activities have the potential to increase sediment loss from mined areas either through direct disturbance from mining operations or from erosion associated with land clearing and infrastructure installation,” Mr Miles said.

The two proposed mines were in a Restricted Area, which the State Government uses to temporarily protect areas from mining when the State is considering protecting those areas in the future. 

The restricted area prevents new mining tenements being granted, but these two applications were already in place and had to be dealt with.

Queensland Conservation Council Coordinator Tim Seelig welcomed the decision.

“Buying and rehabilitating this property was a great investment by the Palaszczuk Government that will have a huge impact on water quality in the Great Barrier Reef, but allowing alluvial mining would’ve undermined that good work,” Dr Seelig said.

"Preventing these alluvial mining leases is a significant and historic action to help protect nature and the tens of thousands of jobs reliant on the Great Barrier Reef.

"Springvale Station can now become a prime example of how former agricultural land can be remediated and re-vegetated to stop erosion impacting the reef while also providing great conservation outcomes for endangered species.”

More information on the Nature Refuges Program is available from: http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/ecosystems/nature-refuges/the_nature_refuges_program.html

ENDS

Media contact: Katharine Wright 0422 580 342