Mining the Wenlock? … what a croc!

Bauxite mining companies have the Wenlock River area firmly in their sights, but a looming decision by the Queensland Government on the Wild River declaration proposal for the Wenlock could protect one of Australia’s last free-flowing rivers and the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve from these destructive mines.

Since 2004, the Wilderness Society has been campaigning to secure the long-term protection of Cape York Peninsula’s Wenlock River. With the richest diversity of freshwater fish species in Australia, lush gallery rainforest on the river banks, freshwater springs and Queensland’s best Saltwater Crocodile breeding habitats, the Wenlock is one of Australia’s healthiest and most spectacular river systems.

: The late Steve Irwin referred to the Wenlock area as “the most beautiful place on Earth”. Wenlock River, Jabiru. Image: The Wilderness Society Collection

The late Steve Irwin referred to the Wenlock area as “the most beautiful place on Earth” – which is why the Federal Government helped Australia Zoo establish the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in the area in 2007.

The Wenlock is also of great cultural, spiritual and economic importance to its Indigenous Traditional Owners. For example, for the Northern Kaanju people the Wenlock River is the Creator of all of Kaanju lands under the umbrella of Pianamu, the Rainbow Serpent.

Bauxite mining threats

The Wenlock River and the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve are under serious threat from damaging bauxite mining proposals.

Cape Alumina wants to build a new mine on the Wildlife Reserve which has sparked campaigns by Australia Zoo, The Wilderness Society and Traditional Owners, gaining international media attention.

If allowed to go ahead, the mine would destroy forests, cause erosion and wipe out wildlife habitat. Unique rainforest springs on the Wildlife Reserve will also be seriously threatened by the mine. Acting as islands of ancient rainforest in a sea of savannah woodlands, the springs are fed by water absorbed in the bauxite layer and underlying ironstone – removing the bauxite will reduce the amount of water that can be stored for the springs in the Dry season - View a diagram of the science behind this here - pdf 1MB

Cape Alumina’s plans to extract millions of litres of water directly from the Wenlock River could reduce river flows in dry times to critical levels, threatening the fragile local ecology.

Rio Tinto Alcan also has mining leases over the Wenlock, including archaic rights granted 50 years ago allowing them to take 80% of the water from the river.

Wild River protection

In 2004, then Queensland Premier Peter Beattie promised to protect the Wenlock River Basin, along with other Queensland river systems, under new river protection legislation – the Wild Rivers Act. After years of negotiation and amendments to legislation, including formal recognition of Native Title rights and secure water reserves for Indigenous communities, the Queensland Government finally released the Wenlock Wild River declaration proposal in December last year.

The Wilderness Society has been working with and talking to Traditional Owners, graziers and Australia Zoo to ensure the successful declaration of the Wenlock River. This includes a formal Cooperation Agreement with the Chuulangan Aboriginal Corporation, and many meetings over many years with Traditional Owners from the headwaters of the Wenlock River, down to the mouth of the river at Mapoon.

How will Wild Rivers prevent mining?

A wild river declaration works by creating buffers in and near sensitive riverine and wetland environments – which means that new destructive developments cannot occur in these zones. This includes big dams, intensive irrigation and strip mining for bauxite or sand.

In the case of the declaration proposal released for the Wenlock River Basin, the buffers protecting the springs on the Wildlife Reserve, which feed directly into the main Wenlock River channel, are just 500m. This is simply not big enough. In order to protect the springs, the buffers must be extended to take in the nearby bauxite plateau, which helps retain water for the springs.

If the buffers are extended in the final declaration, Cape Alumina will be unable to mine this precious part of Cape York.

The Wilderness Society is also maintaining pressure on Rio Tinto Alcan to relinquish their archaic water rights, which we hope will be reflected in the final declaration.

A final surge of community support needed

In August this year, The Wilderness Society delivered about 6000 postcards to the Premier, signed by supporters of our Wenlock River campaign - to accompany the 4000 messages already sent through our Wenlock cyberaction. The Premier was also given a photographic book with spectacular shots of the Wenlock, its people and wildlife, to remind her what is at stake.

The Queensland Government has indicated they will announce their final decision on the Wenlock Wild River declaration within the next couple of months.

This is a critical time to demonstrate wide-spread community support for the protection of the Wenlock River and the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve. We need a final surge of community action – thank you for your support!

Take Action today

Sign online - Please support the Wenlock Wild River protection proposal, if you haven’t already done so.

Add your name to Australia Zoo’s Save Steve’s Place petition.

Also, if you want to help distribute flyers and take part in community activities, please contact us on (07) 3846 1420 (Brisbane) or (07) 4041 6666 (Cairns) to join in the activities!

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