Entsch on the nose over Cape York environmental protection

Media Release - Tuesday 17th August, 2010

The Wilderness Society has awarded a ‘big red fail mark’ to Warren Entsch, LNP Candidate for Leichhardt, for failing to commit to protect Cape York’s natural and cultural heritage values.

A national assessment of the major parties’ conservation commitments and policies for the federal election has just been completed, showing that while the Greens were showing strong leadership on a range of environmental priorities, Labor and the Liberal-National Parties were both missing-in-action.

To coincide with the release of its federal election scorecard, the Wilderness Society today conducted an action outside the campaign office of Mr Entsch to highlight his lack of positive policy or promises on environmental protection for Cape York Peninsula.

“The Greens and Labor have both made clear that they support work towards a World Heritage listing for Cape York, based around the consent of Traditional Owners”, said Dr Tim Seelig, Wilderness Society State Campaigns Manager.

“But Warren Entsch and Tony Abbott have not had a positive word to say on protecting Cape York, and instead have vowed to tear up existing river protection laws”.

“Cape York is one of the last great wild and unprotected places on Earth, obviously worthy of World Heritage status. This would also deliver many new jobs and investment in Cairns and on the Cape, and should be a high priority for all candidates in Leichhardt.”

“Mr Entsch needs to explain why he does not support vital environmental protection for a special place like Cape York, and why he’s avoiding this issue”.

“From the environment point of view, Warren Entsch is very much on the nose over Cape York protection”.

The action outside Mr Entsch’s Cairns campaign centre was a colourful and lively event, involving large visual displays of messages, people in Cape York animal costumes, and the presentation of a large red cross to LNP representatives.

The Wilderness Society is politically non-aligned, and is promoting its independent assessment of the parties and their conservation policies, as a way of informing its 50,000 members and the broader public of the choices before them on 21 August.