A cross-section of organisations and group leaders were invited to meet last night at Kandanga Hall to start the complex process of moving forward for the community after the announcement of “NO DAM” at Traveston Crossing. Save the Mary River Coordinating Group President, Glenda Pickersgill said “There is a great opportunity for the community to be involved in the rebuilding process, caring for the river and the environment.” “A way forward through a framework and a lead Renewal team concept was endorsed that represents local government, community and the environment.” she said. The groups represented on the Renewal Team were identified at a community meeting and will provide links from all aspects of the community, economy and environment ensuring a triple bottom line approach.

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Campaigners who have successfully stopped the construction of the proposed Traveston Crossing dam were today calling on the Premier to “stop the scaremongering” over the price of water in the wake of Minister Garrett’s decision regarding the proposed dam. “We are responding to the repeated claims by the Premier that now that the Traveston Crossing dam has been knocked back by Garrett, water prices will have to go up in Brisbane,” said Glenda Pickersgill, president of the Save the Mary River Coordinating Group. “The independent assessment Minister Garrett commissioned found the economic analysis used to justify the failed Traveston Crossing dam to be seriously flawed. This report vindicates criticisms that we, and many other groups have made over the last three and a half years.” “Are they using the same flawed economic analysis to support the statements made last week about the increase in water costs? - asked Ms Pickersgill. “The figures suggested by Minister Robertson last week certainly don’t stack up in our view and we are very concerned that the Premier is making the same mistakes all over again.” “If prices go up, the numbers show it would be no fault of Minister Garrett but the fault of the Queensland Government for their dogmatic approach to water management, their consistent economic bungling and repeated cost blowouts in their water infrastructure projects.” The Coordinator General himself admitted in his report on the Traveston Crossing dam proposal, that even with the highest population growth predicted only 20 billion litres more water would be needed in South East Queensland by 2026.

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The announcement of Peter Garrett’s “proposed decision” to can the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam has been welcomed by all those who have spent the last three and a half years examining the proposal and campaigning against it. Save the Mary River Coordinating Group President, Glenda Pickersgill said she was pleased and relieved that the decision was based on sound science. “We wish to commend Minister Garrett and the staff of his Department for their professional and scrupulous conduct on this issue and urge him to hold his position. This decision is consistent with the Federal Government’s policies on water, climate change and biodiversity. It is the right decision,” Ms Pickersgill said. “Although we need to wait for the final decision, we will shift our focus to making sure the community is involved in determining the use of over 14000 ha or so of land which has been purchased since the dam was announced by Queensland Water Infrastructure Pty Ltd, the company created to build the dam.”

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THE Save the Mary River Co-ordinating Group has marked the recent National Water Week with a campaign to take its fight against the dam to Canberra. THE Save the Mary River Co-ordinating Group says it has marked the recent National Water Week with a campaign to take its fight against the dam to Canberra. “The campaign to save the Mary River and Great Sandy Strait will expose the Premier’s cover-up of the facts regarding the proposed Traveston Crossing dam to key politicians in Parliament House in Canberra this week,” group president Glenda Pickersgill said. She said she had aimed to meet politicians and explain “the key flaws in the proposal to a conference organized by the peak body of environmental practitioners, the Environmental Institute of Australian and New Zealand. “This was a great opportunity for environmental assessors from all over the country, including some who might be involved in the decision, to hear the true facts behind this proposal,” she said.

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Updated on Friday, October 30, 2009 at 09:48AM by stevem

National and interstate newspapers will be targeted in the latest twist of the campaign to Save the Mary River and Great Sandy Strait. “Tomorrow, we’ll be asking people to sign letters to the editors of national and interstate newspapers such as ‘The Australian’, the ‘Sydney Morning Herald’ and ‘The Age’ at our stall at Station Square in Maryborough,” explained stall organizer, Beryl Heidenreich from the Greater Mary Association. Representatives from the Greater Mary Association said that these newspapers had printed several stories on the proposed dam and that the letters to the editor focus was part of the strategy to keep the issue on the national stage.

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Updated on Friday, July 31, 2009 at 04:55PM by stevem

With a Courier Mail poll running at over 70% in support of teachers deserving more pay, new support has come their way. Groups fighting the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam on the Mary River say that while Premier Anna Bligh cries poor to teachers, she conveniently overlooks the fact that her government has poured more than $600 million over the past 3 years into what most believe is a doomed proposal. Save the Mary River Coordinating Group president Glenda Pickersgill said Ms Bligh’s double standard was never more obvious than in the recent budget when she opened the cheque book for another $75 million to Queensland Water Infrastructure(QWI), the government “company” charged with building the dam.

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Updated on Friday, April 24, 2009 at 12:26PM by stevem

Updated on Monday, April 27, 2009 at 08:38AM by stevem

Updated on Monday, April 27, 2009 at 09:21AM by stevem

Updated on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 08:19AM by stevem

April 26 might not be marked in the history books… it mightn’t be listed as a national day of significance, but in the diaries of Save the Mary River Campaigners, it’s highlighted by a big red circle! April 26, 2009, marks three years since Premier Beattie flew over the Mary Valley and declared it to be the location for a new dam. Back then, as the community rallied, nobody anticipated the epic campaign that has ensued… the government certainly didn’t anticipate our determination to stop the proposal, and we didn’t anticipate the groundswell of support from outside the Mary Valley that has helped keep this campaign viable over time.

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The community campaign to oppose the proposed Traveston Crossing dam on the Mary River will remain strong, united, active and vibrant despite the election of a majority Labor Government. Save the Mary River Co-ordinating Group President Glenda Pickersgill said that the Premier had a responsibility to act in the interests of all Queenslanders, not just those in the metropolitan seats in Brisbane.

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Updated on Monday, March 23, 2009 at 08:51AM by stevem

Updated on Monday, March 23, 2009 at 09:38AM by stevem

Updated on Monday, March 23, 2009 at 03:29PM by stevem

Updated on Monday, March 23, 2009 at 04:53PM by stevem

Updated on Monday, March 23, 2009 at 05:00PM by stevem

Glenda Pickersgill, president of the Save the Mary River Coordinating Group, likes to take the positives from every situation - even if the Labor Government, who plans to dam the Mary River at Traveston Crossing, has been re-elected to lead Queensland. “It’s a disappointment to us Labor were re-elected, but across the state there’s been a very strong message sent, especially in areas affected if the dam is built. Undoubtedly, there is a lot of anti-Labor sentiment. “The result in this election will really force Anna Bligh to reassess her position on the dam and listen to people’s concerns.”

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It seems clear now that the instructions have gone out from Queensland Labor headquarters spin doctors to the candidates “don’t talk about the dam”. Maroochydore ALP candidate Sue Carlos questioned today by an ABC radio today struggled desperately to avoid saying she wasn’t in favour of damming the Mary River at Traveston Crossing. But in the end she resorted to saying that anyway, the decision is now in the hands of the Federal Government. The problem is, what she said is simply not true! The reality is that the Federal Government is waiting for the State’s Coordinator General assessment report on the dam proposal before it considers the request and makes a decision. The Queensland Government has its finger on the pause button. After all, it wouldn’t look too good to have the Federal Government knock the dam on the head just before the election. Over $500 million of taxpayers’ money has been spent so far on consultants’ reports, preparation of the paperwork and buying up property and still the dam proposal has not progressed to a decision. Independent experts have slammed the plan for its enormous cost, environmental damage, and failure to demonstrate that in the dry times it can reliably supply water at the levels the government say it will.

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