A few of you may recall that this is not the first time that these wetlands
have suffered from clearing. The Federal government imposed a $450,000 fine
on a farmer, Ronald Greentree, two years ago. It seems odd that the same can
happen (only on a larger scale) two years later. Fines for corporations
under the EPBC Act can be as high as 5 million dollars and under recent
amendments, landowners can be held responsible for damage, even if a
contractor was responsible. Perhaps it is time we began to ask whether
simply labelling sites as protected wetlands is enough? How many smaller
misdemeanours that directly or indirectly affect our wetlands happen each
day and go unnoticed?
Regards,
Simon Mustoe.
Article from Brisbane Times -
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/national/bulldozed-a-vital-wetland/2007/05/20/1179601244335.html
ONE of the nation's most significant waterbird breeding habitats - which is
the size of up to 750 football fields - has allegedly been cleared by a
Moree farmer.
If proven, the case may turn out to be one of the worst since legislation
was introduced in 2003 to protect native vegetation.
The new Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water, Phil Koperberg,
has lashed out at anyone who continues to flout laws that protect remnant
bush.
"I find it very hard to understand how anyone could think it was acceptable
to mow down a large tract of native vegetation at a time when climate change
is so crucial," Mr Koperberg told the Herald.
"This case is being investigated by the Department of Environment and
Climate Change so I'm not going to comment on the specifics of it. But in
general terms I'm very concerned about any incidents that not only damage
our natural environment but also threaten important breeding grounds for
bird life."
Fines of more than $1 million are possible, but the State Government's
prosecution record on this issue has been woeful.
It is believed that the Government was alerted in early April to allegations
that a vast area of floodplain had been bulldozed.
Between 500 and 750 hectares of Gwydir River floodplain wetland, consisting
of lignum, coolabah and a type of wattle known as River Cooba, were
allegedly flattened on a property known as Yarrol. It is owned by John and
Lynette Hudson.
Yesterday, when the Herald called the property, the couple who answered
refused to give their names and said they were not aware of the clearing.
They declined to comment further.
While the facts of the case are still emerging, it is thought that the
Border Rivers Gwydir Catchment Management Authority had a meeting with the
landowner. It is not known whether the authority knew of or approved any
clearing.
A river and waterbird expert at the University of NSW, Richard Kingsford,
said that in the mid-1990s more than 100,000 birds had bred at the property.
These included egrets, several species of ibis and a variety of native
ducks.
"It's the death knell of this colony," Professor Kingsford said. "Firstly
there hasn't been enough water allocated to allow them to breed and now
their essential nesting habitat has been destroyed.
"These birds faithfully return to the same place to breed but when the next
flood comes they will have nowhere to lay their eggs and keep their nests
out of the water.
"I am shocked at the scale of the clearing and the fact that it had occurred
on one of the most important waterbird breeding sites in Australia."
The federal Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, is also investigating
the allegations to determine if any Commonwealth legislation has been
breached. If the reports of land clearing are confirmed then the Gwydir case
will be the first big test of the State Government's resolve to halt
broadscale clearing since it handed native vegetation management to the
Department of Environment and Climate Change.
Amy Hankinson, the co-ordinator of the Inland Rivers Network, said it was
devastating to see such a priceless area cleared. "We are going to see more
wetlands destroyed if the NSW and Commonwealth governments continue to fail
their international obligations to wetlands and the birds that depend on
them," she said.
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