Environment Minister Peter Garrett. Cred: Mushroom and Rooster/flickr

By Rich Bowden:

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett yesterday confirmed an earlier announcement that he had decided against giving the Queensland Government the go-ahead to build the contentious Traveston Dam on the Mary River near Gympie, in Southeast Queensland.

Three weeks ago the Minister had taken the unusual step of telling the media  his decision citing overwhelming public interest. However yesterday’s statement marked the release of the minister’s official decision.

Mr Garrett once again alluded to environmental damage as his main concern.

“After carefully considering all the information … I have concluded that the Traveston Crossing Dam cannot go ahead without unacceptable impacts on matters of national environmental significance,” Mr Garrett said in a statement.

He repeated that his decisions had been based on scientific evidence presented to him.

“As I stated when I made my proposed decision on this project, all of my decisions under the national environment law are based primarily on science, and the science is very clear about the adverse impacts this project would have on the nationally protected Australian lungfish, Mary River turtle and Mary River cod.”

Glenda Pickersgill, President of the Save the Mary River Coordinating Group (STMRCG), congratulated the minister on his decision.

“We are very pleased with Minister Garrett’s announcement today and would like to congratulate him for his final decision to reject the Queensland Government’s proposal to dam the Mary River,” she said.

“Minister Garrett’s decision confirms what we have been saying for over three and a half years – the dam would have caused irreversible damage and was not a cost effective means of providing water security.”

Ms Pickersgill said the group were looking forward to more community consultation on the future of the Mary River.

“We look forward to working with Minister Garrett and his Department on any plan to develop a regional recovery plan for the unique species and ecosystem of the Mary River. It is only through involvement and consultation with the community that this plan will have the best onground outcomes,” she said.

The Queensland Government has stated the reversal over its planned Traveston dam would mean Queenslanders would now be forced to pay for expensive water infrastructure such as desalination plants to ease the water shortages in Southeast Queensland.

Tags: glenda pickersgill, Peter Garrett, save the mary river coordinating group, traveston dam