Govt accused of Wild Rivers double standards

[annielaurie]

Govt accused of Wild Rivers double standards

By Ken Orr
21 Oct/2009

The Queensland Government has been urged to scrap its Cape York Wild Rivers legislation in the far north and start negotiating with Indigenous communities ...

Cape York community leader Gerhardt Pearson says Natural Resources Minister Stephen Robertson has told people in western Queensland that declarations for Cooper Creek will be different to those on Cape York.

Mr Pearson says the State Government is using double standards to promote the declarations of wild rivers in western Queensland.

He says one of the immediate differences appears to be a willingness to consult with Cooper Creek landholders.

Mr Pearson says people on Cape York were not offered a reasonable consultation period and he has written to the Minister asking for an explanation.

"It appears that Cape York declarations will be different to those in Cooper Creek, where primarily there is a very small Indigenous population and a large rural white population," he said.

"We've asked him what processes and procedures will be different, we've asked him if that means all stakeholders' interests will be assessed and taken into account, not just the views of the Wilderness Society."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009 ... ?site=news

Discussion ...

[Jovial Monk]

This is too hard for me. Have seen articles both con and pro the York Pen stuff.

I see the Coopers Creek system as a supplementary water source for the MD but the Greens would scream if something was done to tap some of the water. Unless it really floods Coopers Creek water just runs into the desert and evaporates. When it floods millions of waterbirds go there to breed.

[Lefteee]

Large rural white population along Cooper creek? You can spend a week out there without seeing another human being. The whole region is basically a desert.

Unless they're referring to the entire Cooper basin - Thomson, Barcoo, Georgina, Diamantna rivers that all join into one to make Cooper creek. Even then, there ain't that many people living there and towns and settlements are few and far between.

Hmm. I'll have to learn more about the issue.