Queensland's environment: a Paradise Lost?

Moon rising over Lake Garawongera, Fraser Island. Photo: Glenn Walker

A report released by The Wilderness Society, WWF-Australia and Queensland Conservation Council shows that Queensland’s environment is in a state of decline after 10 years of Labor in power. In response, the conservation groups are seeking a strong commitment from Queensland Premier Anna Bligh to usher in a new era of environmentally responsible policy making to build on some of the successes and address the major deficiencies in policy areas such as climate change, biodiversity protection and water management.

Paradise Lost?: A review of Queensland Labor Government environmental policies 1998 – 2008 rates the Government’s performance in the areas of climate, water and biodiversity. It uses the Government’s 1999 and 2007 State of the Environment Queensland reports to track the actions of the Queensland Labor Government to deliver policies on protecting the environment and provides commentary on the effects of these actions or lack thereof.

Glenn Walker, Acting Queensland Campaign Manager for The Wilderness Society said: “Queensland is defined by our superlative natural environment. Despite some notable reforms in their earlier years, the Labor Government’s performance on environmental protection has deteriorated significantly in recent times. They have been unable to keep up with public concern about climate change, water issues and biodiversity. It’s time for a major rethink and a new approach by the Queensland Government.”

Of the total twenty two policy areas assessed in the report, only two are considered to be an overwhelming policy success, nine policy areas indicate some progress has been made and a further eleven are assessed as policy failures. A timeline of ‘successes’ and ‘failures’ in the report shows a reasonable first five to six years of a reform-driven Government, with significant failures since 2005.

A summary of the Government’s performance on key themes from the report are:

Climate:

Climate change is the most significant threat facing the planet today. Queensland will be hard hit by rising temperatures and rainfall reduction. The Government will need to respond and innovate to create economic opportunities in a carbon restricted future. The decision to end remnant broadscale land clearing in 2004 reduced Queensland’s carbon footprint significantly. However, this has since been offset by the dramatic rise in emissions from the energy and transport sectors, and the Government’s inaction in providing meaningful support for renewable energies. Queensland’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions are now amongst the highest in the world.

Water:

Despite some progress with water reform and wild river protection, Queensland’s water assets are under serious pressure. Most (80%) of our major rivers, flowing to the Great Barrier Reef, breach water quality guidelines. We are losing wetlands at a rate of about 7000 hectares per year and intensive development on the east coast of the state threatens our rivers and marine environment. Dam building is now out of control, with thirteen major water infrastructure projects slated for coastal catchments. No other Australian state is pursuing such a massive dam building agenda. This is a major backwards step for the Government.

Biodiversity:

The Labor Government’s decision to end broad-scale land clearing of remnant vegetation was of great environmental significance. But the State of the Environment Queensland 2007 concludes that the health of our biodiversity continues to decline. There is still no biodiversity conservation plan for Queensland.

The tannin waters of Noosa River. Photo: Glenn Walker

Additionally, ambitious efforts to protect native forests, Cape York Peninsula’s globally significant natural and cultural values and to expand the National Parks and Protected Areas system remain outstanding and suffer from either a lack of funding or political will.

Queensland is in desperate need of leadership and renewed action to protect our irreplaceable environment. We need a Government that is willing to generate and implement innovative, immediate and long-term solutions to our environmental predicament. 2008 will either be the turning point where our political leaders take up the challenge to create a brighter future for Queensland, or where they fail future generations by choosing to do much of the same.

 Click here to read the Paradise Lost? report

 Click here to see our Media Release on the report

Take action now; send an email to Premier Anna Bligh asking her to create a brighter future for Queenslanders with better environmental policies: ThePremier@premiers.qld.gov.au