E otone. THE CAIRNS AIRPORT PLAN A PLAN FOR COASTAL DESTRUCTION ELLA BAY STILL A HELL OF A BAY TO GIVE AWAY

Transcription

1 Newsletter of the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre Inc E otone Vol 31 Number 1 March 2011 THE CAIRNS AIRPORT PLAN A PLAN FOR COASTAL DESTRUCTION ELLA BAY STILL A HELL OF A BAY TO GIVE AWAY COAL SEAM GAS LOCK THE GATE, BEFORE IT S TOO LATE OUR coral sea FOREIGN FISHING FLEETS OR MARINE PARK

2 Contents Vol 31 Number 1 March 2011 E otone 1 Cairns 2 ella 5 planning Airport PlaN - A Plan FOR DESTRUCTION BAY - STILL A HELL OF A BAY TO GIVE AWAY for an uncertain future Lessons on resilience from cyclone yasi boat bay - another casualty of cyclone yasi? corl sea at a crossroads? foreign fleets offered our ocean treasures President Report stemming the flow of coal seam gas Ecotone is published quarterly by the Cairns & Far North Environment Centre cafnec Reader contributions including letters are welcome however content is subject to the editor s discretion Disclaimer: Views expressed in Ecotone are not necessarily those of cafnec as a whole. CAFNEC Management Committee President Ellen Weber Vice President Andrew Picone Secretary Stuart Worboys Treasurer Michael Bryan Committee Members Andre Grant Stacey OBrien Paul Christie CAFNEC Staff Coordinator Sarah Hoyal Marine Campaigner Steve Ryan Administrator Marie Short Urban Sustainability Officer Anna McGuire Ph: (07) Coordinator Ph: (07) Marine Campaigner Fax: (07) coord@cafnec.org.au Address: PO Box 323N North Cairns, Qld, th 24 th September 2011 Eight unforgettable days of cycling, swimming and exploring through the rainforests of Far North Queensland. ONLY 65 places available! ECOTONE is produced by CAFNEC Edited by Andrew Picone Layout Steve Ryan Design by Sabrina Losciale Cover Photo Mangrove, Andrew Picone For more info: info@fnqbiketour.org.au All proceeds from this event go to the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre Inc.

3 Photo - Andrew Picone THE CAIRNS AIRPORT PLAN A PLAN FOR COASTAL DESTRUCTION We ve all seen the pictures of Port Hinchinbrook after Cyclone Yasi piles of expensive boats, wrecked marinas, saturated buildings, costly cleanups. The lessons to be learnt from this event about coastal development in the tropics are clear; coastal developments in the tropics are a disaster waiting to happen. Cairns Airport is one piece of regionally significant coastal infrastructure whose low elevation coastal site places it right in the path of storm surge. Yet Cairns Airport is making plans for massive seaward expansion of its facilities, placing millions of dollars worth of infrastructure in the path of storm surges and along the way destroying mangroves, impacting on significant wildlife habitat and increasing numbers of flights over residential neighbourhoods. The Cairns Airport, formerly publicly owned, is now owned by a private consortium (www. cairnsairport.com.au/ Corporate/Governance. aspx). It has its own special act, the Airport Assets (Restructuring and Disposal) Act 2008, under which it has the power to create its own land use plan (LUP). The Draft LUP, issued for public comment in December last year, is effectively a town planning scheme covering the airport allotments. However, this scheme is not accountable to residents and ratepayers, and only pays lip service to the environment. It seeks to plan for a substantial increase in airport size through creation of a second runway and enlarged commercial zones, massive increases in flight numbers and even for a shopping centre. Amongst all of this, the environmental values of the airport s allotments play second or even third fiddle to economic and operational prerogatives. The environmental values of the airport s lands are rarely seen but significant. For instance: About half of the land lies below the highest astronomical tide level, and supports large and diverse tidal wetland communities. Parts of these wetlands are listed on the Register of the National Estate and in the Commonwealth s Directory of Important Wetlands; They provide habitat for the threatened Ant Plant and Beach Thickknee; They include declared Fish Habitat Areas, vital breeding grounds for commercially important fish species; They include roosting and feeding habitat for migratory birds protected under international convention. In addition to environmental concerns, the Draft LUP largely ignores the fact that the airport lies in the middle of a large urban area with residential suburbs lying beneath the most commonly used flight paths. Yorkeys Knob, Holloways Beach, Machans Beach, Aeroglen, Cairns North and the CBD are identified as subject to the greatest amount of aircraft noise. Instead of recognising the legitimate concerns of residents in these areas, the Land Use Plan seeks to maintain the airport s status as a curfewfree landing site. CAFNEC s submission regarding the Draft Land Use Plan highlights all of these issues. We have expressed strong concerns regarding expanding the airport into largely undisturbed coastal habitats. Cairns Airport must recognise that growth is not always a good thing. The environment in which it operates poses constraints, not opportunities for expansion. Not only is the landscape a dangerous one, prone to flood, storm surge and acid sulphate soils, but it has overwhelming ecological values as habitat for threatened and migratory species, as breeding habitat for fisheries, and as examples of rare saltmarsh communities. If it must occur, increase in capacity of the airport should only occur within the constraints of the existing developed areas and in consultation with residents of suburbs affected by increased noise levels. The remaining undeveloped portions must be permanently reserved as green space. Ecotone March

4 ELLA BAY - STILL A HELL OF A BAY TO GIVEWAY by sarah hoyal News on the fate of Ella Bay has not been forthcoming for more than a year now. For those who are not already aware CAFNEC, along with the EDO- NQ (Environmental Defenders Office of Northern Queensland) have been working for many years now on a campaign to stop the Ella Bay Integrated Resort Development Proposal by Satori Resorts Ella Bay Pty Ltd. According to Satori (see the proposal will include 540 residences with golf course access, up to six resort complexes, a village precinct, a championship 18-hole golf course and a swimming lagoon; and is expected to accommodate up to 5,000 new residents and users. As you may or may not be aware, the proposed development site is situated about 9km north of Innisfail within the Cassowary Coast Regional Council, north of Flying Fish Point. The site is a 450 hectare former grazing lease, surrounded on three sides by Ella Bay National Park and for the greater part, adjacent to the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area (WTWHA), with frontage to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area - GBRWHA). It is a spectacular place. The Satori resort development was first proposed in 1998 although major development had been proposed for the area since the Bjelke-Petersen era in the mid- 1980s. Town planning approval was granted by the former Johnstone Shire Council in 2005 for a 30 unit eco-resort with a luxury precinct of 70 villas. This previous approval in our view does not reflect the current scale or intent of development proposed for the site. The current proposal was declared a controlled action under s.75 of the Environmental Protection Biodiversity and Conservation (EPBC) Act (1999) (Cth) in July 2005 and in September 2005, the Queensland government designated the proposal a project of state significance, apparently based on the scale of the proposed development, its cost and associated infrastructure. The development is not mentioned in the first stage of the revision of the Cassowary Coast Regional Council s local area plan referred to as the Statement of Proposals ; or included in the FNQ2031 Regional Plan s urban footprint. We wrote to the Council in July 2010 citing these concerns and suggesting that the proposed development was inconsistent with Council s plan to keep residential and tourism development within the urban footprint and to prioritise in-fill development to meet housing needs. However, to-date we have not seen any evidence to demonstrate a need for the housing associated with Satori s proposal. Likely Adverse Impacts We believe that this proposal has very real potential for highly adverse impacts on: an extremely vulnerable local, remnant Southern Cassowary population; wetlands of acknowledged national significance and indicative international value, including important freshwater and estuarine fish habitat areas; significant native vegetation including endangered and of concern regional ecosystems;culturally (Aboriginal) significant sites; adjacent and nearby marine species and ecosystems including populations of rare and endangered Australian Snubfin and Indo-Pacific Humpback dolphins, shark breeding grounds and documented marine turtle nesting sites; World Heritage values associated with the Great Barrier Reef; Wet Tropics World Heritage values immediately adjacent to the site; and the small coastal locality of Flying Fish Point and, more indirectly, Innisfail. CAFNEC and EDO-NQ are of the view that significant impacts are likely to occur as a result of at least three (3) key aspects of the proposed

5 development: the large increase in human population in the area; vehicular access to the site; and the scale of the proposed development and its associated infrastructure. The Ella Bay campaign hinges on the fact that CAFNEC and EDO-NQ do not believe that these adverse impacts can be avoided or adequately mitigated by any conditions that might be imposed in conjunction with approval of the proposed development. Throughout the development assessment process, both CAFNEC and the EDO-NQ have provided comprehensive submissions outlining our concerns about the development and will continue to do so. The last correspondence we had from the Federal Environment Minister (previously Peter Garrett) informed us that any potential impacts from the proposed resort development on EPBC-listed endangered ecological communities of Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets present on the property could not be considered in his decision about the controlled action because this listing came after the initial referral to the Minister. So although the rainforest and vine thicket was present prior to its listing under the EPBC Act, the decisions relating to the potential impact that the proposed development would have on it, must be ignored! In August 2010, we also approached the Board of the Wet Tropics Management Authority (WTMA) with our concerns. WTMA s role in this proposed development relates to advice on vehicular access to the site which will require a widening and sealing of the current coastal road through the World Heritage Area (WHA) at Heath Point and the potential clearing and building of a new road through uncleared rainforest vegetation away from the coast. So far we have not received a response from the Board. This development should not be approved - based on its size and scale and the potentially significant harmful impacts on the existing special natural values of the site, and the World Heritage values inherent in both the adjacent WTWHA and the GBRWHA. As Ella Bay is one of the last undeveloped bays in northern Queensland we believe that the best outcome for this property is conservation in the public interest and use for public recreation, not private commercial use and intensive urbanisation. CAFNEC and EDO NQ have long proposed a public buy back of the land, given its importance as habitat and refuge for the southern cassowary and a historic loss of highly remnant coastal vegetation communities elsewhere along the far north Queensland coastline. BUT - We need your help to stop the development and to push all levels of government to commit to a buy back of Ella Bay.... If you are interested in helping us with this campaign please get in contact with the office on or coord@ cafnec.org.au Photos - Thanks to Russel Constable

6 PresidentReport by ELLEN WEBER B P.S is our 30 th birthday. Stay tuned for exciting news on how we plan to celebrate. etween floods, cyclones and earthquakes it s been a very busy wet season. CAFNEC is thinking of all our members and supporters in cyclone and flood affected areas. It s one of the risks and challenges we face, living so close to the coast. We hope that life gets back to normal for you as soon as possible. My scientist friends advise me not to point to one particular extreme event as consequence of climate change. My personal view is that we need to prepare for floods and cyclone events better in future. I hope the weather is kinder to us soon. CAFNEC staff movements CAFNEC MC member Lisa Stott has moved to Brisbane to take up consultancy work. We will miss you Lisa. Good luck and keep in contact. We welcome Stacey O Brien, an urban planning student from JCU to the Management Committee. Welcome aboard! Sarah Hoyal, our wonderful coordinator has been on leave during February. She left Cairns one day after TC Yasi and flew to Christchurch NZ for a well deserved bike/hike. Meeting with Premier Anna Bligh CAFNEC, EDO and ACF met with the Premier on the 23rd. It was useful to touch base on a number of issues (see story p. x). That s it for now. Rob Williams is rescuing me from my house and Machans and kayaking me across the Barron River so I can get into work. You re a champion Red Rob. We love you. See ya, Ellen Margaret Thorsborne A FNQ Treasure receives the Order of Australia CAFNEC was extremely pleased to learn that Margaret Thorsborne was awarded and Officer of the Order of Australia. The Governor-General honoured Margaret with an AO on Australia Day for her tireless conservation work. The citation accompanying Margaret s award reads: For distinguished service to conservation and the environment through advocacy roles for the protection and preservation of wildlife, and significant natural heritage sites in Australia, as a supporter of scientific research, and to the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland. The AO is given for distinguished service of a high degree to Australia or humanity at large. CAFNEC congratulates Margaret on an outstanding achievement. Well done Margaret. And while we are talking about Margaret CAFNEC was very distressed to learn that Margaret s house at Edmund Kennedy National Park was damaged during TC Yasi. We understand the roof blew off and a number of her treasured books were destroyed. Take care, Margaret. We are all thinking of you and the mahogany gliders.

7 Planning for an uncertain future by anna mcguire fragmentation and other pressures, will reduce the ability of species and communities to regenerate. Cyclonic disturbance has also been shown to increase vulnerability to invasion by exotic plant and animal species leading to a decline in biodiversity of native species in some forest regions. These combined effects may result in localised species extinctions and changes in forest type. The intensity and size of cyclone Yasi came as a surprise to most of us. Yet scientists have been predicting higher intensity cyclones as a result of human-induced climate change for decades. Cyclones intensify over warm water, so as ocean temperatures increase with climate change, high intensity cyclones are predicted to become more common. The impacts on lives and properties in communities hardest hit are tragic, and recovery from these impacts may take years. In addition to this damage to towns and cities, these intense cyclones cause extensive damage to rainforest and reef ecosystems. The impacts of these intense cyclones on rainforest plant and animal communities are severe. Large areas of rainforest in the path of cyclone Larry which crossed the coast in 2006, were only just beginning to recover and have now been severely damaged once again by cyclone Yasi. Disturbance by cyclones has long been an important element of tropical rainforest ecology; however an increased frequency of these events, combined with habitat These events also highlight the dangers of locating essential infrastructure such as the hospital in the storm surge zone. In addition, they call into question our reliance on energy and food from southern areas, and highlight the benefits of smallscale, decentralised energy generation and food production. We need to do everything we can now to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and draw carbon from the atmosphere to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. At the same time we also need to make sure our communities are resilient, sustainable and self-reliant. In our region we are lucky to have the resources we need to make the transition to a low carbon, resilient future, we just need to make some changes to the way we operate. For example, we can improve our food security by supporting local agriculture; improve our energy security and reduce our dependence on southern regions by supporting local renewable energy generation projects, and we can develop local industries to enable us to meet the needs of community members in an uncertain future. In a changing global climate where these events are likely to be more common, our communities need to strive for self sufficiency, resilience and ecological restoration to protect vulnerable species and ecosystems. Ecotone March

8 Stemming the Flow of Coal Seam Gas BY ANDREW PICONE The rush to mine coal seam gas (CSG) in Australia was recently dealt a blow with the forced closure of Cougar Energy s trial mine at Kingaroy. According to the Queensland Government, the company was unable to demonstrate it could operate without an unacceptable risk of environmental harm. The only activity that Cougar will be authorised to undertake in the future is the full rehabilitation of the site. Said Kate Jones, Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability. However, Cougar Energy have said they will appeal the decision. In January this year, CAFNEC, Environment Defenders Office (EDO) Far North Qld, and the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) hosted a screening of the Gasland documentary at the Jute Theatre. CAFNEC s Sarah Hoyal introduced the documentary and EDO s principle solicitor Patrick Pearlman and Mackay Conservation Council s Patricia Julien answered questions following the event. The event was a sell-out with more than 250 people attending. The Gasland documentary is the story of Josh Fox s personal investigation of CSG mining throughout the United States. It highlights the links between big business and deregulation of the environment. Those directly affected by the mining can be silenced by compensation pay outs or are forced to speak out and campaign in a David and Goliath struggle for justice. In Australia, CSG mining is primarily focused in the South East Queensland. It directly threatens some of our most productive farming country and is a potential threat to the Great Artesian Basin on which many farming towns and communities depend for water. In Queensland there are 40,000 wells proposed with 3,000 already in the south east of the state. In response, an alliance of farming, community, industry and environmental groups have created the Lock the Gate campaign. The objectives of Lock the Gate are to: Establish a Royal Commission to investigate all impacts of the industry including advice on repair of existing environmental degradation and how the industry could be governed; Secure a moratorium on all coal and unconventional gas mining until robust legislation is in place; Protect groundwater through the Commonwealth s Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999; Eliminate all fast-track planning processes for coal and gas mining projects in all states and territories; Protect productive agricultural land from mining through national food security legislation; and Ensure local government has a strong and active role in planning application process. See for more details.

9 Lessons on resilience from cyclone Yasi BY ANDREW PICONE What happens when a critically endangered ecosystem, under threat from inappropriate development and invasive species, is trashed by a category five cyclone? The short answer is, unfortunately, that threatening processes only gets worse. Littoral rainforest and coastal vine thickets are listed under the Commonwealth s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 as critically endangered. This means that there is a high likelihood of these coastal rainforests becoming extinct in the very near future. Photo - Liz Gallie Coastal rainforests have ended up on the endangered list for a number of reasons. While past clearing for agriculture has been a significant historical impact, today clearing for residential development and roadwork are ongoing threats in the Wet Tropics. Fragmentation and disturbance has helped weeds enter these ecosystems and with residential areas abutting rainforest remnants, the number of weed species and the speed of invasion has increased. Allowing futher development in cyclone prone areas makes their full recovery difficult. Cyclone Larry in 2006 had a major impact on rainforests throughout the region. In a number of areas, invasive plants increased in abundance as a result of the disturbance. In addition, cassowaries were particularly disadvantaged. Normal cassowary food sources were unavailable placing them at greater risk as they sought food on the forest fringe and near human settlements. Garners Beach Rainforest smashed by cyclone Larry Photo - Jeremy Little biodiversity decline Key objectives include expanding protected areas, conserving species and increasing the extent, condition and connectivity of habitats. Fragmentation caused by development only confounds the problem. Forest fragments are more susceptible to weed invasion and loss of species. As a result, isolated or linear remnants of forest have a reduced ability to recover from major disturbance events. The impact of cyclone Yasi on coastal rainforest of the Wet Tropics has yet to be fully realised. One thing we can be sure about is that the threats to this community continue and include inappropriate development. As cyclones are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity over the coming years as a result of climate change, it makes our management of the landscape all the more important. In January this year, the State Government released a draft biodiversity strategy for Queensland; Building Natures Resilience. The vision of the strategy is: building resilience to the anticipated effects of climate change and reversing If their vision for biodiversity is to be realised, coastal development must be curbed, areas such as Ella bay need to be restored and connectivity returned to fragmented landscapes. These actions are a good start and will help prevent coastal rainforest from going extinct. Increased cyclonic disturbance combined with fragmentation, invasion from non-native species and the potential loss of key-stones species such as cassowaries in coastal environments represent critical management issues for the Wet Tropics. It seems logical to retain and restore our coastal ecosystems to improve their resilience in the face of increasing natural disturbance. Allowing continued coastal development in cyclone prone areas is irresponsible and will only contribute to the loss of biodiversity. Ecotone March

10 Boat Bay - Another Casualty of Cyclone Yasi? By Anna McGuire Boat Bay (Clump Point) near Mission Beach is again the focus of local debate. Development proponents have made the most of recent post-cyclone reconstruction attention to seek assistance from the Commonwealth government for an existing proposal to construct a safe boat haven at the bay. This has sparked renewed concern among residents, some of whom have been actively opposing any development that will have an adverse impact on the high ecological values of the bay since In the existing coastal regional plan, much of Boat Bay is mapped as an Area of State Significance Natural Resource (ASS NR) (significant wetlands). However, the new draft Queensland Coastal Plan which will replace the existing Coastal Plan is nearing completion. This new plan will see a major change in how the area is classified, is nearing completion. In the 2009 draft of the Coastal Plan, Boat Bay was stripped of its present very high environmental protections and virtually the whole bay designated a Maritime Development Area (MDA). MDAs allow for dredging (and potentially sea-dumping of dredge spoil), reclamation, and rock walls. In the wake of cyclone Yasi a small group of resort owners and developers at Mission Beach compiled a list of demands that was handed to Prime Minister Julia Gillard and a copy sent to Premier Anna Bligh. Their main demand is for major investment in tourism infrastructure including a safe boat harbour and rock wall in the Mission Beach area. Concerned local residents have formed an alliance called Mission Beach Naturally and are promoting the opportunities for low-impact, ecotourism in the region. They are urging people to write to Kate Jones MP, Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability to help to protect this beautiful bay. Please write, as a matter of urgency, to; Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability The Hon Kate Jones MP PO Box City East QLD 4002 via derm@ministerial.qld.gov. au Merchants of Doubt Book Reveiw By Michael Bryan Historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway tell a damning story of how a loose knit group of high level scientists with deep connections in police and industry ran effective campaigns to mislead the public and deny well established scientific knowledge over four decades. US scientists have produced landmark studies on the dangers of DDT, tobacco smoke, acid rain, CFCs and carbon dioxide emissions. At the same time a small yet potent subgroup of this community has led the world in vehement denial of studies linking smoking to lung cancer, coal smoke to acid rain, CFCs to the ozone hole, CO2 to global heat balance. Doubt is our product wrote one tobacco executive. These experts supplied it and went further. Oreskes and Conway explain, with over 1000 source notes, just how disciples of the ideology of market fundamentalism, aided by a toocompliant media, have built widespread belief that mainstream science is worth less than confident, media savvy assertion that ignores evidence and attacks the messengers. Merchants of Doubt is published by Bloomsbury Press and in Cairns Libraries. For more information com/boat-bay.html or missionbeachcassowaries@ gmail.com

11 Urban Sustainability Officer s report By Anna McGuire Renewable Energy As some readers may know, CAFNEC has been working on a Renewable Energy Now for FNQ campaign, which has focused on gathering support for renewable energy from local businesses and organisations. This campaign is gathering strength thanks to the great work of Jonathan Strauss and Sophie Allen and will be officially launched in May with a visit from the authors of the Beyond Zero Emissions Plan, which outlines how Australia could be powered entirely by renewable energy within ten years. In addition to our local campaign, there is also a national campaign for 100% renewable energy. I recently attended the 100% Renewable Energy national campaign workshop in Brisbane on 18-20th February. This was a great chance to learn about renewable energy campaigns across Australia and to find out more about this national community campaign for renewable energy. The national 100% Renewable Energy community campaign is being run by climate action groups all over Australia, including the Cairns Climate Action Network. In coming weeks, people in Cairns and around the country will be taking to the streets to participate in a huge national community survey on renewable energy. The results of these 20,000 surveys will be tabled in Parliament by independent MP Rob Oakshot. 100% REnewable Energy Workshop Brisbane Don t Forget to Nominate! Next time you shop at Piccones Supa IGA, Pease Street, Manunda, don t forget to nominate CAFNEC as your benefactor for the Local Community Benefits Program. It s easy. Just let the operator at the checkout know, before you make payment for your groceries, that you wish to nominate the Cairns & Far North Environment Centre. (Make sure you say our full name, not just CAFNEC.) Points are then allocated to us and at the end of each period; the points are tallied and transferred to a dollar value. This is an easy opportunity to fundraise for our organisation while shopping! So tell your friends and family to nominate CAFNEC at the checkout to maximize our points. This campaign offers a great opportunity to be involved in a strategic, national campaign while also sparking a discussion about renewable energy in your community. For more information or to help out, just contact our office. Transition Cairns There is a series of Transition workshops happening on Saturdays throughout March and April. These workshops will focus on Food, Energy, Water, Health and Wellbeing, Transport and Waste, with the aim of outlining how our region can make the transition from oil dependence to sustainable, low carbon communities. I look forward to attending these workshops, which will help to map out a safe future for our region. For more information contact Janet Millington at miltech@bigpond.com or on Eco Hub The search is on for a site for the Cairns Eco Hub & Environmental Park. A committed team continues the quest for a suitable patch of land on which to place this soon-to-be thriving hub of community gardening, environmental learning and skill sharing. Want to know more? Come in and visit our office or give us a call. Ink Cartridge Giveaway! Due to a printer replacement by one of our members, we have 2 cartridges for a Canon printer to giveaway. They are a generic PG- 40 and CL-41. If you have a printer that takes these types of cartridges, please give Marie a call on A small donation to CAFNEC would be appreciated! Ecotone March

12 Coral Sea at a Crossroads NEW CALLS FOR FOREIGN FLEETS TO ACCESS AUSTRALIAN FISHERIES By Steve Ryan Recent revelations show the Coral Sea is at a potential crossroads. Will it be a large marine park protected from fishing, mining and other extractive industries, or face a future of major increases in industrial scale fishing by foreign based fishing fleets? It is a stark choice we now face and places a sense of great urgency on our efforts to Protect our Coral Sea. Gary Heilman, managing director of De Brett Seafood at Mooloolaba, confirmed to the Australian newspaper that he was in talks with Chinese and Taiwanese interests that operated large freezer boats. These vessels would be able to fish in Australian waters and then return to their ports with their catch. This arrangement would likely see a substantial increase in the level of commercial fishing in the Coral Sea, as well as the potential loss of local jobs. Mr Heilman blamed high labour, administration and fuel costs, together with a strong Australian dollar for making fishing in the Coral Sea an unprofitable business. Seth Parker, the managing director of Bundaberg-based ASP Holdings, another major Coral Sea license holder, claims he has approached Indonesian fishing operators that could bring in freezer boats three times the size of boats he currently operates. In a move that throws a lifeline to the marine wildlife of the Coral Sea, these same commercial operators have approached the Commonwealth Government with a plan to buy back their existing licenses and remove commercial fishing from the Coral Sea. Mr Heilman, has teamed up with companies that account for 88 per cent of the fishing in the Coral Sea whose owners say they are prepared to vacate the area provided they are compensated. Heilman also described a Coral Sea marine park as a a Kakadu on the water, and also that creating one big marine park, rather than a series of small ones, would be better for the industry because a larger park would be easier to avoid. I think it can be safely said that allowing foreign fishing fleets to fish Australian fishing quotas to their limits is a very worrying sign. There are moves towards utilising foreign fleets elseware in Australian waters. Is Australia really that enthusiastic to join the race to empty our oceans? The Commonwealth Government must seize the opportunity to buy out Coral Sea fishing fleets now. This latest disturbing news only makes the arguments for the full Protection of our Coral Sea all the more compelling and immediate. Recent controversy over the setting of East Coast longlining quotas far in excess of scientific Photo - Courtesy of Lucy Trippet advise shows Australia s fisheries managment body is not above gambling with the future our marine wildlife. Fisheries managers advised that higher than recommended quotas be adopted so that we could have room to reduce them in upcoming international fisheries management negotiations! This would leave these same excessive quotas on the market for current license holders to sell to foreign operators. All this demonstrates that Australia is quite capable of making a mess of its fisheries management and again reminds us that we need insurance, in the form of marine parks, in order to ensure a future for our oceans. See the Story in the Australian newspaper here : theaustralian.com.au/news/ nation/local-fishing-fleet-toopt-out-to-foreign-boats/storye6frg6nf

13 N OTICES Movies Available to Borrow from from CAFNEC Food Inc American documentary. The film examines corporate farming in the United States, concluding that agribusiness produces food that is unhealthy in a way that is environmentally harmful and abusive of both animals and its employees. GasLand a 2010 American documentary film written and directed by Josh Fox. The film focuses on communities in the United States impacted by natural gas drilling and, specifically, a stimulation method known as hydraulic fracturing. Tapped Is access to clean drinking water a basic human right, or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of commerce? Stephanie Soechtig s debut feature is an unflinching examination of the big business of bottled water. Fuel The addiction to oil that taxes the environment, entangles us in costly foreign policies, and threatens the nation s long-term stability. A revelatory, whirlwind journey to unravel this addiction. DERM Funding CAFNEC wishes to acknowledge the support of the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) under the Conservation Organisations Funding Program. Funds received under this program assist with our organisation s on-going operations to create awareness of environmental matters and promote involvement of the wider community. $15,000 has been allocated for the 2009/2010 year. Have a Coral Sea Talk at your next meeting Add an ocean theme to your next group or company meeting and get the latest information on the amazing Coral Sea and the campaign to protect it. Talks can also focus on the global crisis in our ocean fisheries or the Great Barrier Reef. To arrange a talk by CAFNEC Marine Campaigner, Steve Ryan, please contact CAFNEC on , or marine@cafnec.org.au Support cafnec campaign with a letter to the editor The Cairns Post and other regional press may feature letters in opposition to CAFNEC or the campaigns we are working on. Next time you see one, pick up a pen and make your voice heard. Show the World that you Care Protect Our Coral Sea - Your Business can voice its support Protect Our Coral Sea - Your Business can voice its support The Coral Sea needs the community in Far North Queensland to stand up and add their voice for the protection of this Serengeti of the Seas. Businesses, large and small, are being asked to pledge their support behind a very large, world-class, highly protected marine park in the Coral Sea. A marine park is needed that is large enough to safeguard the fragile ocean environment, from the isolated coral cays to the ocean giants that range across the ocean depths. One Sided Paper - Don t Throw It Out! CAFNEC is on the look out for your unwanted A4 sheets/documents that are printed on one side only. Please save this paper for us as we use the other side for all our internal office requirements. This gives us a financial saving as we do not need to purchase as much paper and of course has obvious environmental benefits. Often a workplace has a huge amount of discarded one sided paper that could be reused. So keep your eyes open and start collecting. All donations gratefully accepted. Just drop off at Cominos House or give Marie a call on Many thanks to those who have already dropped off some good supplies. 17 th 24 th September 2011 Eight unforgettable days of cycling, swimming and exploring through the rainforests of Far North Queensland. ONLY 65 places available! For more info: info@fnqbiketour.org.au All proceeds from this event go to the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre Inc. Ecotone March

14 we urgently need your help yes, I want to help create a sustainable Far North Queensland FRIENDS OF CAFNEC MONTHLY GIVING PROGRAM CAFNEC has now launched the Friends of CAFNEC monthly giving program to help keep the organisation financially healthy in these uncertain times. We have recently organised a banking facility for processing donations in the form of automatic debits, preferably from a bank account but also from credit cards. There is some administration involved in this program, so we would like minimum contributions of $10 per month. However these regular donations will include membership (unless requested otherwise) and so you can avoid reminder notices and overdue subscriptions. If you are able to commit to a regular automatic donation please consider the Friends of CAFNEC program. Foreseeable income is very helpful for budgeting. You will also receive a tax-deductible receipt at the end of each financial year. Thank you in advance. Michael Bryan, CAFNEC Treasurer Bendigo Bank has a policy of sponsoring community groups which has led to the formation of the Cairns Community Enterprise with a board of 14 representatives from Cairns business, sport and charity groups. Not-for-profit groups register with the Bendigo Bank. Their friends and supporters tag their Bendigo accounts, whether deposit or loan, to their group. Then Bendigo contributes 0.05% or 0.12% per annum of the existing or new account principle to Cairns Community Enterprise for the benefit of tagged group and for community projects. CAFNEC is now a registered group. To tag an account for CAFNEC, deposit a CCE card, once, at your Bendigo bank branch. Keep the Cassowaries Highway Open Groups call for Lot 66 buy-back at Mission Beach With all the codes, plans, policies, regulations and legislation on all levels of government, 40% of cassowary habitat at Mission Beach is still not protected. Lot 66 is in the middle of the most significant habitat corridor connecting the World Heritage Area to the critically endangered littoral rainforest. If Lot 66 was purchased through a community supported buy-back project, the Garrett Corridor would remain intact. Buy-back would allow the site to be restored and maintained in the best condition possible. The Cassowary Coast regional Council Mayor fully supports buyback of Lot 66, so do other Councillors, community groups and a growing number of community members. How can you help? Please sign the petition to the Federal Environment Minister the Hon Tony Burke asking him to save Garrett Corridor by denying development on Lot com/petitions/ missioncassowaries Or write to the minister directly, one personal letter is worth 100 signatures on a petition. See sample letter here: au/save-garretts-corridor You can also donate on line to help save Mission Beach Cassowary habitat at ourprojects/save-a-rainforestmission-beach.html

15 The Coral Sea: Our Ocean Paradise exhibition is in support of the Protect our Coral Sea campaign, a coalition of ten Australian and international conservation groups, which is calling on the federal government to establish a large, world-class, highly protected marine park in Australia s Coral Sea that will provide a safe haven for marine life and recognise its historic significance www. protectourcoralsea.org.au The iconic beauty of the Coral Sea (at nearly 1 million sq kilometers) has been captured in this 25-piece exhibition of works by Jürgen Freund, Mark Spencer, Xanthe Rivett, Nicola Temple, Tyrone Canning and Lucy Trippett. Each of these photographers has visited and is inspired by the Coral Sea. Presented by CAFNEC, on behalf of the Protect out Coral Sea campaign Appearing at the following locations: Cairns Central Saturday May 14 - Sunday May 22 Smithfield Centre Thursday May 26 - Sunday May 29 Stockland Cairns Thursday June 2 - Sunday June 5 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Contact March 24th Green painter training, Cairns 28th Earth Hour April Tropical Green Building Network meeting, 6th 5.30pm City Library (1st Wed every month) CAFNEC, th Q-WIN Green building forum, Cairns DEEDI on May Photo Exhibition: The Coral Sea, Our Ocean paradise CAFNEC, th Renewable Energy forum, Cairns CAFNEC, th Zero Carbon Australia presenter training course CAFNEC, June 5th World Environment Day 26th Sustainable Living Expo, Cairns Esplanade Maree Grenfell on or M.Grenfell@cairns.qld.gov.au. September 26th June 10th July 11th Permaculture Design Certificate course, Walkamin Sustainable House Day, FNQ and nationally au com/

16 Our Coral Sea The Coral Sea lies to the east of the Great Barrier Reef, far from land. It is unique not only for its amazing marine treasures, but also because as Australians only we can protect it. Very few governments have it within their power to protect such a marvellous marine jewel. Action now will preserve our Coral Sea for the world and for future generations. There is no better ocean legacy. Only we can protect it Be a star, become a CAFNEC member Be part of ensuring the unique and special natural heritage of Far North Queensland is protected forever cafnec Call us at admin@cafnec.org.au or go to to join or donate online Photo - Would you like your ecotone to come via instead of by post and save CAFNEC money? admin@cafnec.org.au If undelivered return to: CAFNEC, PO box 323N, North Cairns, QLD 4870 Ph: (07) Fax: (07)