Dam bizarre

15th November 2008

DEBATE over the proposed Traveston Crossing dam left the real world behind yesterday, as bizarre claims by both sides effectively obscured what appear to be clear State Government breaches of at least the intent of the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

As Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett announced an urgent inquiry by his department into whether illegal acts had occurred, Greens leader Bob Brown and Queensland Greens MP Ronan Lee both helped divert attention from real issues which the Garrett inquiry should be looking at. A clearly misinformed Senator Brown asked "if earthworks are underway at the dam site to remove 20,000cu.m of overburden and 20,000cu.m of rock preparatory to building the dam." They are not. The government's dam construction company boss, Graeme Newton was able to divert attention from real issues by denying equally misinformed claims by Mr Lee that "there is 20,000cu.m of dirt being dug on the site," when there is not.

Interviewed on ABC Coast FM yesterday, Mr Newton also denied claims which do not appear to have been made (at least in material his company, Queensland Water Infrastructure Pty Ltd, supplied to The Gympie Times), including that blasting had taken place.

He and Premier Anna Bligh then both suggested dam opponents must be getting confused with well known work at a nearby gravel pit.

An angry Save the Mary River Group chairman Kevin Ingersole said Mary Valley residents were well aware of the gravel pit and knew the difference between it and work which clearly is taking place on the dam site.

"We're not as stupid as Mr Newton thinks," Mr Ingersole said of Mr Newton's claims yesterday.

Meanwhile, Mr Newton confirmed that work on the site has been underway since 2006, but said that the "geotechnical activities" involved were for "investigatory purposes and will not leave any permanent structures."

None of those involved in the debate appeared to address the very real issue that work on the site is clearly work on the dam and that social and economic damage, due to be assessed under the EPBC Act, has already and irretrievably occurred, with confirmed purchases of the vast majority of properties required for the dam.

These activities have occurred without any federal assessment of their impact under the EPBC, a fact which is clear from the fact that the dam's revised EIS has not yet been submitted to Canberra for assessment.

The EPBC Act provides for civil and criminal penalties up to $550,000 for an individual and $5.5 million for a corporate body.

Criminal penalties, including up to seven years jail, may also apply to executive officers of corporations, such as Mr Newton, if it is found that his organisation has breached the Act.

Meanwhile, Gympie MP David Gibson said it was nonsense for Mr Newton to claim that work, clearly visible on the dam site, was simply "investigatory" when the dam's finished Environmental Impact Statement had been described by Premier Anna Bligh as one of the most complete ever prepared.

He said QWI's clear confidence in going ahead with work on the site raised serious questions about political interference.