Just a heads up on some worrying comments in the Cairns Post today, with a
management consultant from Redlynch proposing that the spoil from the proposed
new channel which may be dredged to allow access to larger cruise ships be
dumped on - wait for it- Cairns Esplanade. Why ? So it can become a beach "like
it used to be" no doubt very good for the immediate vicinity businesses but
tough luck on the shorebirds for which Cairns Esplanade is justly famous.
The editorial in the Cairns Post also seemed quite enthusiastic, so it may be
coming time to once again rally to defend a great natural resource from
ill-advised "development". This seems to come up about once every 5 years or
so, and there is a long-standing Cairns-must- have-a- beach" lobby, which
seems to ignore the beautiful beaches just 10 minutes drive to the north at
Holloways, Yorkey's Knob etc.
Our shorebirds are having a hard enough time of it as is without more nonsense
in Australia, and there still seems to be no recognition of the value of the
birding $ to the Cairns and Tablelands areas. The statistics and surveys stay
resolutely focussed on bums on seats coach trips, luxury hotels etc and ignore
the highly significant contributions from nature lovers in the less easily
measured sections of tourism. With the return of the Bjelke Peterson era to
Queensland we need to be especially vigilant about all manner of damaging
measures heading our way, with the likely culling of flying foxes just another
example of the return of the bad old days.
Pessimistically yours
Phil Gregory
Field Guides / Sicklebill Safaris / Cassowary House / Cassowary Tours
Website 2: Http://www.cassowary-house.com.au
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