Abbott's environmental credentials in tatters following Wild Rivers stunt

The Wilderness Society (QLD) Inc
Media Release
12 January 2010

The Wilderness Society today slammed Liberal Leader Tony Abbott for seeking to overturn Queensland’s Wild Rivers initiative with a private members bill in Federal Parliament.  The Wilderness Society declared the move an ill-informed political stunt, and said it completely shattered Mr Abbott’s environmental credentials.

Glenn Walker, Wild Rivers Campaigner for The Wilderness Society said: “Wild Rivers is a sensible river protection framework that ensures sustainable development occurs in a way that doesn’t damage the last healthy rivers in Queensland. Any reasonable person armed with the facts would understand this”.

“Mr Abbott has already revealed himself as a climate change denier, and now he’s saying he doesn’t see the need to protect pristine rivers and fragile environments. His personal claim to be an environmentalist is in tatters, and he is now eroding any remaining credibility the Liberal Party has on the environment.”

The Wild Rivers framework was developed by the Federal Government in the mid 1990s and adopted by the Queensland Government in 2005. The state legislation effectively means that extreme developments like dams, intensive irrigation and strip mining is kept out of declared pristine rivers, but supports smaller-scale commercial uses such as eco-tourism infrastructure, cattle grazing and fishing.

“The rivers of Cape York are some of the last remaining free flowing, pristine river systems left, and their protection is of paramount ecological importance”, Mr Walker said.

Native Title rights are explicitly protected in the Wild Rivers legislation. This means that cultural practices, including traditional hunting and fishing activities are not restricted. Additionally, for the first time in Australia, Wild River declarations also provide a special water reserve specifically for Indigenous economic development.  The Wilderness Society has always supported ensuring sustainable social and economic opportunities are protected in addition to preserving ecological and cultural values of these rivers.  The declaration of the Archer, Stewart and Lockhart Rivers was made in April 2009, following extensive consultation with Traditional Owners.

“Unfortunately, recent Wild Rivers debates have been marred by an intense campaign of misinformation led by Noel Pearson.  Indigenous Traditional Owners from Cape York regularly make it clear to us that Mr Pearson does not speak for all Indigenous people of the Cape.”

“Mr Abbott has now bought into this campaign, where the facts have been the first casualty. We can only hope that Mr Abbott does not speak for all of the Liberal Party” concluded Mr Walker.

The Queensland Government is currently pursuing its groundbreaking program to protect the stunning rivers and wetlands of Cape York Peninsula, and the iconic Lake Eyre Basin rivers of Western Queensland under the Wild Rivers legislation.