BLIGH GOVT NOMINATES PROTECTION FOR THREE NEW WILD RIVERS
Published Sunday, 22 June, 2008 at 03:00 PM
Premier
The Honourable Anna Bligh
Gold Coast: Three pristine and near pristine river basins on Cape York will be formally nominated as Queensland’s next wild rivers – preserving them for future generations of Queenslanders and the world.
Premier Anna Bligh said community consultation had begun on the potential declaration of the Lockhart, Stewart and Archer river basins as wild rivers.
The declaration last year of Queensland’s first six wild rivers - Settlement Creek, Morning Inlet, the Gregory River and Staaten River, in the Gulf, and Hinchinbrook and Fraser Islands – was an event of national and international environmental significance.
“We are planning for Queensland’s future by protecting our world-class natural environment,” she said.
“No other Australian State or Territory has such comprehensive laws to preserve rivers that have most of their natural values intact,” she said.
Natural Resources Minister Craig Wallace said consultation has begun with landholders, interest groups and the indigenous communities across these new wild river basins.
“However, while we want to preserve our wild rivers we also want local communities to continue to prosper.”
Protecting pristine or near pristine Queensland rivers by declaring them wild rivers is a Labor election commitment.
However, the 2005 Wild Rivers Act requires the government to consult widely before any wild rivers declaration is finalised.
The consultation will be co-managed by indigenous organisations and the Department of Natural Resources and Water.
Details of the three Cape river basins, which cover an area of nearly 19,500 square kilometres, are:
• The Stewart River Basin on Cape York’s east coast includes the catchments of Massy Creek, Breakfast Creek, the Stewart River, Balclutha Creek and Gorge Creek, which flow from the Great Dividing Range into the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef Lagoon. Densely forested mountain ranges and extensive floodplains. Diverse topography, climate and soil support significant vegetation communities, including large areas of rainforest in the McIlwraith Range. Land use is grazing and conservation management.
• Also on Cape York’s east coast, Lockhart River Basin includes catchments of the Claudie River, Lockhart River, Nesbit River and Chester River. Region has significant areas of rainforest, eucalypt and paperbark woodlands, and estuarine wetlands. Include the Iron Range National Park and Lloyd Bay Wetlands - extensive and diverse wetlands of national significance. Land use is conservation management, grazing and tourism.
• The Archer River Basin drains into the Gulf of Carpentaria on the west coast of Cape York. Includes catchments of the Archer, Kirke and Love Rivers. Basin estuaries are in a natural state and there are a number of significant wetlands, including the Archer River Aggregation. Also includes the Mungkan Kandju National Park.
The recent State Budget provided $740,000 for work on new wild rivers declarations.
Other river basins may also be considered for possible declaration as wild rivers later in 2008-09.
Mr Wallace said declaring a river wild did not mean the end of economic or development activity in a river system.
“The first six wild river declarations have shown this is not the case. Pastoralists, eco tourist operators and commercial ventures can continue,” Mr Wallace said.
“In particular the legitimate interest of traditional owners will be recognised and taken into account.”
Under the Wild Rivers Act 2005, high impact developments - such as feedlots, mines, crop areas, dams and stream diversions - cannot occur in a buffer zone called the High Preservation Area bordering wild rivers.
However, they can occur outside the buffer zone if they meet wild river conditions.
“Traditional indigenous activities such as fishing and hunting are not impacted in any way,’’ Mr Wallace said.
He said the 2007 Cape York Peninsula Heritage Act further protected both the conservation, and development, aspirations of people living on the Cape.
The Act forges common ground between indigenous and non-indigenous people and between conservation and development interests. It is a framework to undertake ecologically sustainable development.
“I have recently written to stakeholder organisations seeking nominations for membership of the Cape York Peninsula Regional Advisory Group. This Group will advise me and the Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation on future land management issues in the Cape.”
The Bligh Government’s State Budget also provided $2.8 million in 2008/09 to employ 20 indigenous wild river rangers across the Gulf and Cape regions.
Minister’s Office: 3896 3689 (0407 131 654)
Premier Anna Bligh said community consultation had begun on the potential declaration of the Lockhart, Stewart and Archer river basins as wild rivers.
The declaration last year of Queensland’s first six wild rivers - Settlement Creek, Morning Inlet, the Gregory River and Staaten River, in the Gulf, and Hinchinbrook and Fraser Islands – was an event of national and international environmental significance.
“We are planning for Queensland’s future by protecting our world-class natural environment,” she said.
“No other Australian State or Territory has such comprehensive laws to preserve rivers that have most of their natural values intact,” she said.
Natural Resources Minister Craig Wallace said consultation has begun with landholders, interest groups and the indigenous communities across these new wild river basins.
“However, while we want to preserve our wild rivers we also want local communities to continue to prosper.”
Protecting pristine or near pristine Queensland rivers by declaring them wild rivers is a Labor election commitment.
However, the 2005 Wild Rivers Act requires the government to consult widely before any wild rivers declaration is finalised.
The consultation will be co-managed by indigenous organisations and the Department of Natural Resources and Water.
Details of the three Cape river basins, which cover an area of nearly 19,500 square kilometres, are:
• The Stewart River Basin on Cape York’s east coast includes the catchments of Massy Creek, Breakfast Creek, the Stewart River, Balclutha Creek and Gorge Creek, which flow from the Great Dividing Range into the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef Lagoon. Densely forested mountain ranges and extensive floodplains. Diverse topography, climate and soil support significant vegetation communities, including large areas of rainforest in the McIlwraith Range. Land use is grazing and conservation management.
• Also on Cape York’s east coast, Lockhart River Basin includes catchments of the Claudie River, Lockhart River, Nesbit River and Chester River. Region has significant areas of rainforest, eucalypt and paperbark woodlands, and estuarine wetlands. Include the Iron Range National Park and Lloyd Bay Wetlands - extensive and diverse wetlands of national significance. Land use is conservation management, grazing and tourism.
• The Archer River Basin drains into the Gulf of Carpentaria on the west coast of Cape York. Includes catchments of the Archer, Kirke and Love Rivers. Basin estuaries are in a natural state and there are a number of significant wetlands, including the Archer River Aggregation. Also includes the Mungkan Kandju National Park.
The recent State Budget provided $740,000 for work on new wild rivers declarations.
Other river basins may also be considered for possible declaration as wild rivers later in 2008-09.
Mr Wallace said declaring a river wild did not mean the end of economic or development activity in a river system.
“The first six wild river declarations have shown this is not the case. Pastoralists, eco tourist operators and commercial ventures can continue,” Mr Wallace said.
“In particular the legitimate interest of traditional owners will be recognised and taken into account.”
Under the Wild Rivers Act 2005, high impact developments - such as feedlots, mines, crop areas, dams and stream diversions - cannot occur in a buffer zone called the High Preservation Area bordering wild rivers.
However, they can occur outside the buffer zone if they meet wild river conditions.
“Traditional indigenous activities such as fishing and hunting are not impacted in any way,’’ Mr Wallace said.
He said the 2007 Cape York Peninsula Heritage Act further protected both the conservation, and development, aspirations of people living on the Cape.
The Act forges common ground between indigenous and non-indigenous people and between conservation and development interests. It is a framework to undertake ecologically sustainable development.
“I have recently written to stakeholder organisations seeking nominations for membership of the Cape York Peninsula Regional Advisory Group. This Group will advise me and the Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation on future land management issues in the Cape.”
The Bligh Government’s State Budget also provided $2.8 million in 2008/09 to employ 20 indigenous wild river rangers across the Gulf and Cape regions.
Minister’s Office: 3896 3689 (0407 131 654)