Mary Valley Land Use and Infrastructure Planning Study

westholme · Joined: 02 May 2006 Posts: 2628 Location: Amamoor

I have received a copy of a letter from someone I know. The letter is from Colin Jensen (Coordinator-General Director General). I copied a relevant part of it about the CID down in the EIS section of this forum under the related 'landuse' section. I also wanted to quote this part of the letter which refers to the release of the Mary Valley Landuse & Infrastructure Planning Study. (I have done the highlighting).

Darren E · Joined: 04 May 2006 Posts: 2075 Location: Dagun, Qld

_________________
"If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything" - anon.
"There can be no liberty for a community which lacks the means by which to detect lies" - Walter Lippman

westholme · Joined: 02 May 2006 Posts: 2628 Location: Amamoor

This little gem has been passed on to me.

From the TC Dam Planning Study Kandanga Community Township workshop on the 21st November 2006 - question asked by community and response from Mr Lindsay Enright Office of Urban Management (OUM):

westholme · Joined: 02 May 2006 Posts: 2628 Location: Amamoor

Have heard recently that a landholder was told that the Planning Study wasn't being released until after the EIS phase because;

"they felt to bring it out earlier would just confuse people because the Mary Valley Landuse and Infrastructure Study encompasses Stage 1 AND Stage 2."

Ugly, ugly stage 2, there you are again.... Evil or Very Mad

_________________
CESARE LOMBROSO "The ignorant man always adores what he cannot understand"

hairymick · Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 4:26 am Post subject:

G'day Westholme.

I am still trying to digest - and come to terms with all this. What exactly, is Stage Two?

Why do I keep getting the feeling that the Traveston Dam Project and water for Brisbane is nothing more than a cover for something else?

The more I read about this, the more concerned I am getting and I don't even live on the Mary
_________________
The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis. Dante Alighieri
Regards,
Mick

westholme · Joined: 02 May 2006 Posts: 2628 Location: Amamoor

Boy o boy hairymick where do I start with the Stage 2 fiasco's..and conspiracies. It is a quagmire indeed.

As you may realise, the dam is 'officially' to be built in 2 Stages.

Originally it was going to be built as one big mega dam in 2006. Then, to be kind to the people??..cough, cough, splutter...they said they would 'stage' the dam.
Stage 1 was to be built now, then the Borumba Dam wall would be raised and then Stage 2 would go ahead and I quote "only if needed" in 2035.
The EIS was supposed to be only for Stage 1, the plans were supposed to be for Stage 1 and yet the wall is being built to Stage 2 height, land is being purchased in the Stage 2 inundation and buffer zone, a lot of the EIS has covered the Stage 2 area and many do believe, myself included along with plenty of others fighting this dam and on this forum, that there is no such thing as Stage 2, that they are building Stage 2 now and we won't be waiting until 2035 for Mr Stage 2 to pop up.

Hopefully SteveB or Darren E (or others with strong opinions about the multi Staging of the project) will see this thread soon and help me to expound upon it as it is most definitely a complex subject and a few different explanations on it can only help you digest it more.

Trust me hairymick, it may take you a long, long time to digest and fully soak in the snakes and ladders game that has been going on in the Mary Valley and in the offices of George Street (and beyond) over the last 2 years.
There's probably not a soul, for or against this dam, who doesn't believe the water is for more than just a potable water supply for Brisbane.
_________________
CESARE LOMBROSO "The ignorant man always adores what he cannot understand"

Darren E · Joined: 04 May 2006 Posts: 2075 Location: Dagun, Qld

hairymick,
as westholme has mentioned, the "staging" of the project is all about politics, and trying to sneak past environmental laws and regulations with a smaller "stage 1" dam, even though the wall is actually being built to full "stage 2" height.

Statistics for the smaller stage 1 are always quoted when the government talks about negatives such as environmental and social impacts, and $ costs. But stage 2 numbers always come out when they talk about things like securing Brisbane's water supply, or size comparisons with other dams.

Here's a link to the letter which first announced the stage 1 / stage 2 concept (on the day after Beattie's infamous trip to Gympie).
http://travestonswamp.info/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3047

Here's a link to some excerpts from the Senate Inquiry, about stage 1 / stage 2 and other related topics.
http://travestonswamp.info/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2562

And here's a brief summary of the relative sizes of the stages, including a comparison with the numbers from the GHD desktop study - the document upon which the decision to build the dam was solely based.
(Note: the figures are not additive - "Stage 2" is the total of stage 1 plus stage 2)

_________________
"If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything" - anon.
"There can be no liberty for a community which lacks the means by which to detect lies" - Walter Lippman

hairymick · Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 9:13 pm Post subject:

OK, Thanks guys,

It seems to me to be what I would call more from the "Smoke and Mirrors Dept"

They are saying more by what they are deliberately not saying than what is in the text of the letters.

I am new here so I am trying my best to catch up.

Forgive me if I seem to be asking the obvious.

Has anybody ever asked the question, "Is this water required for urban use or is it required for planned future power stations - or heavy industry.

Hope to meet you guys on the river tomorrow. I will be in a wooden canoe Very Happy

Never been to a demonstration before as a demonstrater. Hope I might be able to contributre in some small way. If you see me, please say G'day Very Happy

_________________
The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis. Dante Alighieri
Regards,
Mick

westholme · Joined: 02 May 2006 Posts: 2628 Location: Amamoor

I'll be a land lubber on Sunday, but if I do see a bloke befitting of the name hairymick and accompanied by a wood canoe, I'll be sure to say g'day.
Very Happy

_________________
CESARE LOMBROSO "The ignorant man always adores what he cannot understand"

hairymick · Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 2:42 am Post subject:

Names can sometimes be deceptive mate. - long story. Very Happy

Hope to head down that way this afternoon - if I can ever get my stuff ready.

_________________
The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis. Dante Alighieri
Regards,
Mick

hairymick · Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 2:49 am Post subject:

Oh yeah,

I have been having a little rant on an American Paddler's forum about this bloody dam. Embarassed

There is considerable interest and support over there, good wishes are sent, and an offer to start a "Save the Mary" thread. Would anybody mind if I did this and posted some of the links here to give these blokes an idea of the battle you have been facing for the last couple of years.

These are good people and they are as appalled as I am at the way you have been treated so far.
_________________
The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis. Dante Alighieri
Regards,
Mick

Darren E · Joined: 04 May 2006 Posts: 2075 Location: Dagun, Qld

hairymick,
thanks so much for spreading the word. It seems everyone who hears about this proposed dam, whereever they are in the world, thinks it is a terrible idea.

A student recently gave a presentation about it at a university in the UK. International scientists have spoken out about it on scientific forums. The European Rivers Network is opposed to it. This year's World Expo in Spain is themed "Water and Sustainability", and a display highlighting Traveston Crossing Dam's negative impacts will be Australia's only contribution to the Expo.

So, yes please, it would be great to see a Save the Mary thread on the American Paddlers forum.

See you tomorrow.
_________________
"If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything" - anon.
"There can be no liberty for a community which lacks the means by which to detect lies" - Walter Lippman

westholme · Joined: 02 May 2006 Posts: 2628 Location: Amamoor

That'd be great if you could spread the word some more. Fantastic even.
While you're posting links to the forum and links to any threads of interest on the Traveston Swamp forum, don't forget these couple websites.

http://www.savethemaryriver.com/
and
http://www.stoppress.com.au/

Save the Mary River being the Mothership when it comes to the 'anti dam' fight websites and Stop Press being Arkin Mackay's baby - activism through the photographic lens. This site has plenty of images for your American friends to devour, of the area, the fight so far, the people and of the state of the antiquated technology that is dams, most especially, Queensland dams. Some of those pictures give a good insight into what will be the Mary River/Mary Valley's fate one day.

CYA tomorrow maybe, not-so-hairymick. P.S Beautiful canoe! I hope you still haven't painted it. Natural wood canoe's are beautiful things.
_________________
CESARE LOMBROSO "The ignorant man always adores what he cannot understand"

hairymick · Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 6:22 pm Post subject:

Rev Watt · Joined: 04 May 2006 Posts: 562 Location: Imbil

Hi hairymick.
I have been looking at your postings on this site and the "rant" you posted on the above link. It is encouraging to see your support and involvement. You have summed up pretty well the last two years. It does make people very angry to be treated like this by an elected government.
_________________
Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. John 4:13f