Traveston EIS a sham says Truss
18th October, 2007
The Federal Member for Wide Bay Warren Truss has today described the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Traveston Crossing Dam as a cruel hoax.Mr Truss said the draft EIS has ignored the findings of the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs enquiry into the proposed dam and public submissions which outlined the disaster this proposed dam would be.
“Many of the claims in the draft EIS are simply not believable and are an insult to the people of the Mary Valley,” Mr Truss said.
“The EIS claims, for example that the lungfish, Mary River Turtle and the Mary River Cod will all be better off if the dam is constructed,” Mr Truss said.
“Yet on page 2-18 of the report, the EIS admits the consultants could not find any juvenile lungfish. How could they then pronounce that the lungfish will benefit when they could not even find juveniles to study?”
“Again on page 2-18, the report states lungfish “should” survive well in dams, “may breed in the storage” and “may move upstream to breed”. The lungfish is too precious a species to proceed with the dam without actually knowing how they will be affected.
The EIS claims that the local gross income in the region will increase by $244 million per year as a result of the dam, and that 778 more people will be employed - 1745 during construction.
The EIS also repeats discredited claims that the Traveston Crossing Dam would have a better catchment than Wivenhoe and adds that evaporation from the proposed dam would be less than either Wivenhoe or Borumba.
The EIS also claims the project will be cheaper than the original estimate of $1.7 billion. These statements are simply illogical.
Mr Truss said it is important for the public to take advantage of the consultation period to hammer the flaws in the document and to make sure the Queensland Government is held accountable for their proposal.
“The proponents of the project have summarily dismissed the concerns of local people about the project and seem to be able to find no problems at all with the dam.”
Mr Truss said the EIS findings are simply not credible and cast doubt over the integrity of the entire process.
“This EIS whitewash makes the Commonwealth assessment of the environmental impact of the Traveston Crossing Dam under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act all the more important. The Australian Government will fully test the claims made in the EIS in relation to the EPBC Act before any approval will be granted for the project.”
“I am not convinced by this EIS and I will continue to strongly oppose the project,” Mr Truss said.
ENDS
