Let the Baffle run free.

Click here for photos and information from the Community Action Day

A bit of history:

In February this year sources within Government leaked information to The Wilderness Society that a proposal to dam Baffle Creek was about to be put to the Queensland Cabinet. A later Freedom of Information search confirmed that a document had been prepared considering the viability of a dam on Baffle Creek (see http://www.wilderness.org.au/files/baffle-creek-foi.pdf).

Although Premier Anna Bligh told reporters after the scandal broke that ";There will be no dam built on Baffle Creek for as long as I am premier and as long as I lead the Queensland government - in fact I can't see a dam being built on Baffle Creek in my lifetime. All of the advice I have is that it's a very environmentally sensitive area and the water supply to Gladstone can and will be secured by the pipeline that's currently being built from the Fitzroy River," there has been no further confirmation of this in writing. The only media release was earlier on from the Minister for Natural Resources and Water Craig Wallace stating No decisions have been made about putting any new water infrastructure, including a dam, in the Baffle Creek catchment, which provides no guarantee at all.

We are very afraid that Baffle Creek could turn into another Traveston Dam tragedy where the Government denied all rumours of a dam until it was already under way.

We are asking for legislative protection, such as that under the Wild Rivers Act 2005. Protecting pristine or near pristine Queensland rivers by declaring them wild rivers is a Labor election commitment. Six wild rivers in Qld have already been declared, with a further three "pristine and near pristine" rivers nominated by Premier Bligh and Minister Wallace in June. We believe that Baffle Creek should also be considered - its crucial location in highly populated SE Qld means that its near pristine nature is under much more threat than the previously nominated rivers (all in remote Cape York). Feeding on to the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the northern end of the Great Sandy Marine Park is further justification for careful management of the Baffle Creek Basin. The area is recognised as significant in terms of natural heritage, being a near pristine estuarine system according to the National Land and Water Resources Audit 2001. The numerous National Parks in the Baffle Basin have allowed fishing and other nature-based tourism activities to prosper, and the declaration of Baffle Creek as a Wild River will ensure the future of these important industries. The natural and cultural values indicative of a "Wild River" are all present, especially if Baffle Creek is considered as part of a "second tier" in the Wild Rivers program, allowing for more human impact.

Minister Wallace has said about Wild Rivers “while we want to preserve our wild rivers we also want local communities to continue to prosper.” We wholeheartedly agree and will provide our full support for any nomination of Baffle Creek under the Wild Rivers Act, and welcome the community consultation that will occur as part of this process.

The text of the petition we will submit reads: The community of the Baffle Creek Basin demands Premier Anna Bligh protects Baffle Creek’s pristine environment and flows from dams and weirs by placing it under permanent preservation legislation now. You can download and print the petition here (http://fobb.enviro.org.au/baffledampetition.pdf). Please send the completed form to The Honourable Anna Bligh, PO Box 15185, CITY EAST QLD, 4002 or hand it to a FOBB member.

The petition is now available online, worded slightly differently: Queensland Residents draw to the attention of the House: concerns over long-term threat over the development of a dam or weir on Baffle Creek. Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to protect the Baffle Creek’s pristine environment and flows from dams and weirs by placing it under permanent preservation legislation. This is at the governmental website and any resident of Queensland can sign (http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/EPetitions_qld/CurrentEPetition.aspx?PetNum=1091)