Anti-dam campaign faces the new year

Arthur Gorrie | 2nd January 2009

MARY Valley anti-dam activists are moving into new territory in their campaign against the proposed Traveston Crossing dam, with intensified campaigning in the important political territory of Brisbane and nearby urban regions.

Fighting on several new fronts, new Save the Mary River Co-ordinating Group president Glenda Pickersgill has told members of new campaigns downstream including legal action on the Paradise Dam over its Traveston prototype fish ladders that do not work and damning independent reports to Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett. There has also been the distribution in Brisbane and internationally of the protest publication Love, Mary and the continuing contribution of the unstoppable river health campaigner Steve Posselt, who last year paddled and hiked all the way upstream from Brisbane, downstream from Conondale and back to Brisbane from the Great Sandy Straits.

“While our Premier continues to try to take the heat out of the Traveston Crossing dam proposal by delaying construction, it shows only as a smoke screen to cover for the independent reports that are now up on the website of the Federal Department of Environment, Arts and Heritage,” she said.

Ms Pickersgill started her reign and ended the year by thanking her predecessor, ex-president Kevin Ingersole, “for the unflinching dedication and excellent leadership he has put into this campaign over the last two-and-a-half years.

“Kevin will continue to be involved with developing our ongoing “stop the dam” strategies,” Ms Pickersgill said.