Mary Estuary at High Risk from Human Activity.

[SteveB]

The BMRG report on the health and risks posed to estuaries in the Wide Bay region has been released.

here it is
http://www.bmrg.org.au/information.php/2/106/350

To paraphrase the detailed scientific reporting:

The Burnett estuary is absolutely stuffed (D condition) and at EXTREME risk from the impacts of human activity.

The Mary estuary is pretty damned stuffed (C+ condition) and at HIGH risk from the impacts of human activity.

The Mary estuary is the major remaining source of freshwater to Hervey Bay and the principal freshwater support for the Great Sandy Strait Ramsar wetlands and the Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve.

The message from the recent SEQ infrastructure plan seems to be:
the Qld Government will not be satisfied until the Mary catches up with the Burnett, and the way they plan to achieve this goal is to build and operate the Traveston Crossing Dam.

With the added boost provided by the latest predictions of the impact of climate change on freshwater resources in the Wide Bay region, QWI should to able to successfully degrade the Mary estuary to a D or below within the next 2 election cycles, in accordance with the timelines carefully layed out in the current SEQ infrastructure programme and plan. This is called "sustainable development".

Of course they might try a migation strategy, like putting a condition on the approval for the project like "Ok, you can build the dam, as long as you promise (cross your heart) not to bugger up the estuary" That should keep those fussy greenies, fishers, tourists, downstream irrigators and other weirdos who care about the river happy.

Welcome to Qld - home of Hinchcliffe's "Sustainable Planning Bill 2009"
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"Bad luck ... you dickheads. Suffer in your jocks". (from: the Castle)