NEWS BLOG

PREMIER PALASZCZUK - CLEAN UP YOUR ACT! YOUR GOVERNMENT HAS CHEATED QUEENSLANDERS

14/11/2018

NATIONAL PARKS ARE NOW “NATIONAL PARK” IN NAME ONLY.

The Labor Party, in opposition during parliament and as a
pre-election commitment 2014, and again pre-election 2017,
promised to reverse the Newman changes.

Premier Palaszczuk was trained as a solicitor, yet her government retained the Newman changes, knowing full well the implications – and then used the contaminated Act to invite Expressions of Interest (EOI) for private business infrastructure on Hinchinbrook Island and other national parks.

No “principle” has effect unless it is fully expressed in the clauses of legislation. Yet the Palaszczuk government looked us in the eye and said “we restored the Cardinal Principle”. Not true.

The Palaszczuk Government dishonoured their thrice-made commitment.

The Palaszczuk Government must reverse all the Newman changes.

And how sneaky - no public consultation!

There was no consultation with the public, or with known stakeholder groups such as ASH, or with Margaret Thorsborne A.O., or with the Thorsborne Trust.

This left the new Environment Minister Leanne Enoch hung out to dry. In April 2018, Leanne Enoch’s office had advised ASH, in writing, that ASH would be notified of anything relating to Hinchinbrook Island. But they didn’t.

In June 2018, on behalf of ASH, Margaret Moorhouse presented Minister Enoch with a little booklet (published by the National Parks Association of Queensland) containing the Romeo Lahey Memorial Speech 1969, in which the ornithologist Alec Chisholm spoke about what a national park means.

Minister Enoch heard about the three Clelland brothers (Margaret's uncles), one of whom gave the 1969 Romeo Lahey Speech in which he said:

"The Palaszczuk government MUST reverse ALL the Newman changes to the Nature Conservation Act".

Not just because it was a promise made over and over, but because:

NATIONAL PARKS REALLY MATTER.
THEY MAKE UP ONLY 4% of QUEENSLAND AND
HAVE BEEN PROTECTED FOR 110 YEARS.

You do have to wonder why Kate Jones thinks her relationship with the Godfreys of this world is worth more than all the national parks of Queensland.

While the Palaszczuk government retains the Newman amendments, they:

must not take sneaky advantage of their dishonoured promise:
must not let the Black Shoe Brigaders in to the peoples’ precious places.

PREMIER: with all due respect, You can't have it both ways.

WITHDRAW THE INVITATION for EXPRESSIONS of INTEREST (EOI) (national parks).

RE-AMEND the NATURE CONSERVATON ACT and TRUTHFULLY RESTORE THE CARDINAL PRINCIPLE.

CONTACT: Margaret Moorhouse (Mob) 0427 724 052 email: hinchinbrookforever@gmail.com

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110 YEARS OF QUEENSLAND NATIONAL PARKS SOLD OUT BY GODFREY AND JONES

12/11/2018

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Newman Gov turns Nature Conservation Act on its head.

The only way to protect Hinchinbrook Island and ALL national parks is for the Palaszczuk Government to REVERSE the Newman amendments to the Nature Conservation Act

That is EXACTLY WHAT THEY PROMISED when they were in opposition – AND DIDN’T DO.

110 years of Queensland national parks sold out by Godfrey and Jones.

It is clear from parliamentary records that Labor MPs in opposition were well aware of the implications of each Newman amendment. HERE ARE THE WORDS OF BILL BYRNE MP (Labor, in opposition):

“LABOR WOULD REPEAL THESE CHANGES”
(Bill Byrne MP to ASH November 2013)

HERE IS THE MOST RECENT (2017) PRE-ELECTION PROMISE MADE BY THE LABOR PARTY:

5.40 Labor will ensure that National Parks and the protected area estate is
managed in accordance with the Cardinal Principle.

5.41 Labor supports the use of National Parks for appropriate and ecologically
sensitive activities. To avoid adverse impacts, Labor will ensure that
intensive development required to support the appropriate and
ecologically sensitive use of National Parks is located outside of the
boundary of protected areas.

5.42 Labor will ensure that development and other types of activities within
National Parks and the protected area estate are managed in accordance
with the Cardinal Principle.

5.43 Labor will continue to ensure the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
is adequately resourced to enable National Parks and the protected area
estate to be properly managed.

5.44 Labor will ensure that comprehensive scientific management plans are
established for all National Parks and the protected area estate (including
Marine Parks).

AND THEY DIDN’T HONOUR IT

There is NOTHING we can do to protect Hinchinbrook Island, unless the Palaszczuk government honours this pre-election commitment.

The incoming Labor Government 2014 (Environment Minister Miles) thought they'd fool the conservation movement by re-amending only the Object Clause of the Nature Conservation Act, leaving in the Act the other Newman amendments that allow virtually any activity in a national park.

This month we’ve heard the ambitious and innovating Kate Jones crowing on ABC TV - "the Nature Conservation Act allows it!" – showing her determination to dishonour the Labor Party promises, the Labor Party itself, and the Cardinal Principle of national park management.

Related topics

See ASH submission 24 Mar 2013 re Review of the Protected Plants Legislative Framework under the Nature Conservation Act 1992

How Nature Conservation Act changes affect National Parks Cassowary Coast Alliance blog 9/9/2013

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CARDWELL LIFESTYLE UNDER THREAT AGAIN

8/11/2018

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MEDIA RELEASE
8 November 2018
Alliance to Save Hinchinbrook Inc.

ASH supports Cardwell in rejecting the Black Shoe Brigade.

WHITE SHOES 1990s BLACK SHOES 2018

The Palaszczuk government has invited the Black Shoe Brigade – Big Tourism - to take over business that belongs to the local village of Cardwell (invitation to EOI October 2018).

Cardwell has already suffered from take-overs by the White Shoe Brigade (1990s) and the inevitable parasites who hang off their coats.

It’s all about Cardwell’s relationship with:

The Hinchinbrook Island National Park, in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA), just across the Hinchinbrook Channel from Cardwell.

The Thorsborne Track, a wilderness walk named for Cardwell locals Arthur and Margaret Thorsborne, now deceased. Margaret was a very visible and much-loved member of the Cardwell community.

Breaking a pre-election promise, the Palaszczuk government innovated the Nature Conservation Act to allow Big Tourism on Hinchinbrook Island (as boasted by Innovation Minister Kate Jones on ABC TV).

Big Tourism disrespects village communities and their sustainable lifestyle and economy. Big Tourism would rob Cardwell, Lucinda and Dungeness of their economic and social connections with one of the world’s greatest treasures, and their greatest treasure, Hinchinbrook Island.

Hinchinbrook Island’s wilderness value benefits Cardwell by generating tourism business for locals – but only while it remains a non-residential and low-visitation destination.

Ends

CONTACT: Margaret Moorhouse (Mob) 0427 724 052 email: hinchinbrookforever@gmail.com

Photos:
White shoes – Hinchinbrook Campaign postcard 1990s - ASH files
Black shoes –"Former rivals Geoff Dixon and Brett Godfrey partner in walking tourism venture" Australian Financial Review Magazine 24 Nov 2016

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INSIGHTS INTO THE REFINEMENT OF QUEENSLAND’S NATIONAL PARK PROTECTION

5/11/2018

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By Margaret Moorhouse
Syd Curtis (1928-2016) was a committed proponent of the Cardinal Principle of national park management. His principled thinking was important in establishing a representative basis for selection of new national parks. He had initiated this approach after moving from forestry work to the Forestry Department’s national park section, in 1963.

The Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service (QNPWS) was not founded until 1975. Syd was QNPWS Director of Management and Operations and later (1992) Assistant Director (Policy and Legislation), retiring in 1988.

'Newspaws' March 1988 with Margaret Thorsborne's handwritten remarks.

The following is an excerpt from a 1989 letter from newly-retired Syd, published in an underground ex-employee QNPWS newspaper “Feral Cat”. The newsletter’s feline logo was a take on the QNPWS logo:

"When I joined the Department of Forestry in 1946 on the advice of Dr. (later Professor) D.A. Herbert head of the University's Botany Department who predicted that a time would come when the Department would use graduate staff on National Park administration, a public service career was something in which one could take pride, and the National Park concept was one of mankind's finest ideals. The latter is still true. And if Queensland changes its government to one that understands and respects the Westminster system of democracy, the public service too may rise above its present problems, and again serve the wider community and not merely the political ends of the favoured few. Hang in there, you dedicated National Parks staff, you've got something tremendously important to fight for. And you seem to have a strong ally in one Herbert F. Cat"!

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HANDS OFF HINCHINBROOK!!

17/10/2018

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MEDIA RELEASE
17 October 2018
Alliance to Save Hinchinbrook Inc.

Queensland Government wants built accommodation OUTSIDE resort lease – on self-reliant WILDERNESS walk!
The last time we called HANDS OFF HINCHINBROOK! was in the 1990s – to protect Hinchinbrook Island from the depredations of white shoe brigader Keith Williams. Williams wanted track hardening of the Thorsborne Trail, rock walled harbours and other built infrastructure on Hinchinbrook Island - outside the resort lease.

Photo besthike.com

Now it’s the government to whom we say HANDS OFF HINCHINBROOK! - to protect Hinchinbrook Island from government proposals for accommodation infrastructure and guided tours along a self-reliant wilderness walk, in a national park that is the jewel in the crown of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA). See:
“Delivery and operation of eco-accommodation and tour guidance for Thorsborne Trail” - tender invitation 12 October 2018 (Queensland Department Innovation Tourism Industry Development and the Commonwealth Games).

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PREMIER PALASZCZUK - CLEAN UP YOUR ACT! YOUR GOVERNMENT HAS CHEATED QUEENSLANDERS

110 YEARS OF QUEENSLAND NATIONAL PARKS SOLD OUT BY GODFREY AND JONES

CARDWELL LIFESTYLE UNDER THREAT AGAIN

INSIGHTS INTO THE REFINEMENT OF QUEENSLAND’S NATIONAL PARK PROTECTION

HANDS OFF HINCHINBROOK!!

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