A division of the Liberal Party of Australia
QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT STILL NOT COMPLYING ON PARADISE DAM
21 August, 2008
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Opposition Spokesman on Northern Australia, Senator Ian Macdonald, has again called on the Rudd Government to advise on what action they are taking against the Queensland Government for breaching conditions set by the Federal Government for the Paradise Dam, which is putting the future of critically endangered lungfish at even more risk.
Senator Macdonald said that in the Senate in March, he asked the Rudd Government to advise of the action they would take against the Queensland Government for breaching the conditions of the Environmental Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) in relation to the Paradise Dam.
“Senator Carr, representing the Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett, was unable to answer my question, and confused the Paradise Dam and the Traveston Crossing Dam. I do not have much faith in the Rudd Government’s knowledge of either issue.
“The fish ladder is not working in the Paradise Dam, which means the Lungfish cannot move downstream. As part of the approval for the Paradise Dam, the fish ladder was to be working at time of opening. The fish ladder has never worked, as the Dam has never been over 62 metres, the height at which it functions.
“The Federal Government claim that they are well aware of this fact, yet have made no move to take action against the Queensland Government to rectify this serious breach.
“It is a shameless show of favouritism to the State Labor Government by their Federal counterparts. The Bligh Government is actively sitting on their hands, and the Federal Government are turning a blind eye.
“I am deeply concerned that the Federal Minister for the Environment Peter Garrett will approve the Traveston Crossing Dam, which is nothing short of an environmental disaster waiting to happen, and the State Government will not comply with any conditions set under the EPBC Act, as they are well aware that there will be no repercussions.
“The Paradise Dam was always a model for the Traveston Crossing Dam. Paradise Dam cannot reach full capacity, and neither will the Traveston Dam - leaving it to be a shallow bog - that will cause the extinction of the Lungfish in that River – not to mention several other endangered species.
“The Federal Government must advise as to the steps they are taking against the State Government, and if they are not, they must justify as to why not” Senator Macdonald said.