The Wilderness Society (TWS) has sought emergency National Heritage listing for four areas on Cape York Peninsula under serious threat from destructive mining proposals (see attached map and table).

With the region currently being considered for World Heritage and National Heritage listing, TWS has written to Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke requesting urgent intervention to ensure that high natural and cultural values are not destroyed while community consultation for these listings is underway.

Section 324JL – 324JQ of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 provides Minister Burke with emergency listing powers, if he is persuaded the areas are worthy of National Heritage status and are under significant and imminent threat.

“The mining boom is driving an outbreak of new mining proposals on Cape York Peninsula for coal, bauxite, kaolin and mineral sands,” said Northern Australia Campaigner Gavan McFadzean. “There are six new mines now proposed for Cape York Peninsula. Each requires a new port and combined would wipe out 45,000 hectares of forest and native grassland.”

“These mines will bring destructive land clearing, water extraction, pollution, dams, dredging, vast road networks and other industrial infrastructure to pristine and remote locations in Cape York Peninsula – destroying the very values for which the region is being assessed for World Heritage and National Heritage listing.”

Cape York Peninsula is internationally renowned for its extraordinary natural and cultural values, with a unique and intact mosaic of rainforest, savannah, wetlands, dune fields, wild rivers and coral reefs. The region is a hotspot for biodiversity, boasting half of Australia’s bird species, more than half of our butterfly species, a third of our mammal species and 20 per cent of our plant species. There are 264 plants and 40 vertebrates found only on Cape York Peninsula.

Because of these globally significant conservation values, the Bligh and Gillard Governments have been working with local communities to develop a World Heritage nomination and concurrent National Heritage listing for the region. But the spate of mining proposals seriously undermines the current consultation process and the future effectiveness of these conservation measures.

“It’s untenable for Minister Burke to pursue protection for Cape York while giving the green light to several destructive mining proposals,” Mr McFadzean said. “The Minister must act swiftly to place these four highly threatened areas on the emergency National Heritage list.”

The full letter to Minister Burke with details of each mining proposal and the relevant conservation values under threat is available upon request from the media.

Media Enquiries:
Gavan McFadzean: 0414 754 023
Alex Tibbitts - Media Advisor: 0416 420 168

Summary table of mining threats

Environmental issues such as the retention of Wild River protections, finalising a World Heritage nomination for Cape York Peninsula, and keeping native woodlands and forests safe from land clearing will be key focuses in the Queensland election, the Wilderness Society said today.

In announcing the date for the next election this morning, Premier Anna Bligh flagged that jobs, the environment and education would be her three main priorities for the campaign and for her policy platform. Wild Rivers and other environmental issues have already been a significant focus in the electorate of Ashgrove, where Campbell Newman is seeking election as an MP to become Premier.

Dr Tim Seelig, Campaign Manager for the Wilderness Society in Queensland said “This election represents a major crossroads for environmental protection in this state.”

“Will Queensland continue on a progressive path with critical environmental laws and policies retained and expanded, or will we be taken backwards to the bad old days of river destruction, broadscale forest clearing, and a failure to protect unique wild places such as Cape York Peninsula?”

Queensland has some of the last remaining pristine rivers, many of them now protected under Wild Rivers, but Mr Newman has previously indicated that a Newman-led Liberal National Party government would scrap existing Wild River declarations and wind back or remove the Wild Rivers Act.

Mr Newman’s position on existing land clearing restrictions is unknown, but the parliamentary leader of the LNP, Jeff Seeney, has previously described such legislation as “repugnant”, and the Wilderness Society has serious concerns the LNP will seek to wind back land clearing laws as well.

“We call on all of the main political parties to come clean on their positions and demonstrate a strong policy commitment to the environment. In particular we urge Mr Newman and Mr Seeney to move the LNP into the 21st Century and embrace Wild River protections and landclearing controls”.

“The Wilderness Society will continue to monitor and assess what the political parties say and do on these issues, and we will be actively campaigning to both see strong positive policies adopted and to highlight good and bad policy positions where we see them.”

“Queenslanders have a right to know what the parties stand for on the environment, and the LNP in particular has yet to come clean on some core environmental issues such as land clearing”.

Campaigners and supporters from the Wilderness Society have already been out on the streets of Ashgrove to highlight the LNP’s current position, and will shortly be releasing new materials to electorate householders and the public. The Society will also be active in other electorates in Brisbane and Far North Queensland.

For further comment contact Wilderness Society Queensland Campaign Manager:
Dr Tim Seelig: 0439 201 183

Northern Australia Campaigner (Cairns based):
Gavan McFadzean: 0414 754 023

The Wilderness Society (TWS) will today launch its campaign to secure strong environmental platforms from the ALP and LNP ahead of the Queensland election, with a particular focus on turning around Liberal National Party leader Campbell Newman’s anti-environment agenda.

The campaign – which includes billboards, television ads, letterbox flyers and talking directly to voters in key electorates – aims to improve the environmental policies of all parties, and inform the public about their policies and the issues, such as land-clearing and Wild Rivers.

A huge billboard was unveiled today at the busy Normanby five-ways intersection, which captures significant traffic from the key electorate of Ashgrove, where Mr Newman is attempting to unseat former Environment Minister Kate Jones.

The billboard includes a spectacular photo of the Pascoe River on Cape York Peninsula and ask: “Campbell Newman – why won’t you protect our wild places?”. The Pascoe River will soon be considered for protection under Wild Rivers laws, but is under threat from coal mining.

Television ads just released also feature third-generation western Queensland grazier Angus Emmott calling for rivers to be protected from mining development. TWS is seeking a response from Mr Newman about why he has committed to scrapping the Wild Rivers Act, and why he won’t promise to protect Queensland’s special environment.

An electronic billboard in between the electorates of Cairns and Barron River has already been launched by TWS, who have also letterboxed four key electorates and started a postcard campaign in Far North Qld.

“We are keen to work with any party to strengthen their environmental credentials because that’s what Queenslanders want,” said Dr Tim Seelig, Queensland Campaign Manager.

“But already Campbell Newman has indicated he will wind back environmental protections, including revoking Wild Rivers declarations. This is an appalling stance and we urge him to reconsider.”

“Scrapping Wild Rivers will open up Queensland’s free flowing rivers to destructive mining and new dams. For example, the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve on Cape York Peninsula would be threatened by bauxite mining if Mr Newman winds back the wild river declaration for the Wenlock River.”

TWS is also seriously concerned that Mr Newman may be planning to water down Queensland’s land-clearing laws, and halt progress on a World Heritage nomination for Cape York Peninsula.

“Campbell Newman refers to saving a few hectares and a few trees he planted when Mayor of Brisbane rather than being clear on what he would do as Premier. There are 20 million hectares of bushland that could go under the bulldozer if land-clearing laws are watered down.”

“Mr Newman must promise that if elected, he will protect Queensland’s environment and leave Queensland’s environment laws intact”

TWS will also be pressuring Premier Anna Bligh to toughen the ALP’s stance on destructive mining, including protecting Queensland’s rivers from mining threats like contamination from coal seam gas, banning mining on nature refuges, and stopping coal mining in Cape York Peninsula.

TWS is seeking strong policy commitments from all parties on Queensland’s top five environmental priorities:

1. Safeguard our forests and control land clearing;
2. Preserve our unique wild rivers;
3. Apply strong environmental controls on mining development;
4. World Heritage protection for Cape York Peninsula;
5. Save our marine life from over fishing.

Media Enquiries: Dr Tim Seelig, Queensland Campaign Manager: 0439 201 183

Nearly 30 000 hectares of forest will be wiped out, a pristine river will be destroyed, and a new species of crab will be severely threatened if Rio Tinto’s massive new bauxite mine is approved on Cape York Peninsula. The Wilderness Society has highlighted these outcomes in a submission into Rio Tinto’s “South of Embley Project” Environmental Impact Statement.

In publicly releasing its submission today, The Wilderness Society has pinpointed the significant threats the mine poses to the environment, and calls on Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to reject approval of the mine.

“Bauxite mining is one of the most destructive forms of mining in the world, and this new Rio Tinto mine will be no different,” said Gavan McFadzean, spokesperson for The Wilderness Society.

“The mining process involves completely bulldozing vast areas of native forest, piling up the carnage and burning it, before digging out up to ten metres of the ground layer to ship away for off-site processing. The result is environmental annihilation, with forests and wildlife habitat incinerated, and local water flows significantly altered. The damage is so great that restoration of the site after mining is always a complete failure.”

The Wilderness Society was alarmed to find that in addition to the serious landscape-wide destruction proposed for Rio Tinto’s new bauxite mine, a new freshwater crab species (Austrothelphusa sp.) was discovered in a creek on the project site, yet Rio Tinto still plans to mine very close to its habitat.

“The EIS reveals that a freshwater crab species new to western science has been discovered in the Winda Winda Creek catchment. Incredibly, Rio Tinto still plans to mine in this area and threaten this new species, so greedy are they to make an extra buck. The crab hasn’t even yet been assessed for protection under federal environment laws, which would likely list the species as endangered and potentially stall the approval of the mine,” said Mr McFadzean.

The Wilderness Society also strongly criticised Rio Tinto’s plans to dam Norman Creek, starving the river system of up to 50% of its natural flows.

“Rio Tinto already has water supply from their existing dam and groundwater bores at their Weipa mine. The only reason they are proposing a dam for this new mine further south is to avoid the extra costs of transporting the bauxite a mere 50km to Weipa. This is the company that posted a $14.25 billion profit in the 2010 calendar year – it is ridiculous that our environment will be destroyed to continue to fill the pockets of this mega-corporation,” said Mr McFadzean.

Rio Tinto wants to begin mining in about 2014 and mine the area for 40 years.

A copy of The Wilderness Society's submission into the EIS can be viewed here.