Garrett rejects Traveston dam proposal

As Mary Valley residents celebrate the scrapping of the state government's proposed
Traveston Dam project, other parts of southeast Queensland can look forward to
living with desalination plants.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett on Wednesday said he made the interim
decision to reject the controversial $1.8 billion plan to dam the Mary River because
evidence showed it could kill off endangered species.
"After considering the Traveston Dam proposal and the best available scientific
evidence and other material ... it is clear to me that the Traveston Dam cannot go
ahead without unacceptable impacts on matters of national environmental
significance," Mr Garrett told reporters in Brisbane.
"The project would have serious and irreversible effects on national listed species
such as the Australian lungfish, the Mary River turtle and the Mary River cod - both
of those endangered."
Mr Garrett shrugged off claims he would now be seen as a "bit of a rock star" by the
local Mary River community.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said she had no choice but to accept the federal
government's decision.
However, she said, the decision meant the state would need at least two new
desalination plants about the same size as the one at Tugun on the Gold Coast -
which cost $1.2 billion.
"Land will be set aside for construction at Lytton and Marcoola by 2017-18," she said.
Another plant would be needed at Tugun and one at Bribie Island, she said, subject
to the state's needs.
But David Percival from the Bribie Island Protection Association said the government
would have another battle on its hands if it tried to locate a desalination plant on
the island, which is surrounded by marine parks.
Liberal National Party (LNP) leader John-Paul Langbroek said the federal
government's rejection of the dam exposed another lie of the Queensland Labor
government.
"(Premier) Anna Bligh lied to the people of Queensland in saying that it was a green
dam that would be good for the environment," he said.
Glenda Pickersgill, from the Save the Mary River group, said years of campaigning
had paid off but it was now time to rebuild the community.
"Eighty-five per cent have sold their properties and will most likely want to buy it
back," she said.
Ms Bligh confirmed the 494 properties the state government purchased for the entire
project would be offered for sale to the original owners.
According to Queensland Acquisition of Land Act 1967, the price of the property is
determined through negotiations with the chief executive of the respective
government department.
Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce joined calls for Ms Bligh to hand in her resignation.
"It would not have been a water solution to southeast Queensland. It would have been
a major, muddy, multi-billion dollar mess stuck out in the scrub near Gympie," he
said.
Australian Greens leader Bob Brown congratulated Mr Garrett on the decision, saying
the dam threatened the lungfish, a species which shows how the spine evolved from
sea creatures to land animals.
"Peter has shown that spine today at its best," he said.
Mr Garrett's interim decision triggers a 10-day consultation process during which
the dam's proponent, the Queensland government, and other federal ministers can
comment and provide further evidence to support their views on the project to dam
the Mary River.
Mr Garrett will then announce a final decision on November 25.