The Greater Mary Association would like to invite all Alliance members and friends to attend a one day forum we are holding on Sunday, 5 Oct, titled “The River, the Bay and the Strait: a public forum on the downstream impacts of the proposed Traveston Crossing dam”

The line up includes many great speakers who have done specific research on aspects of the Mary River and Great Sandy Strait and Hervey Bay potentially affected by the proposed dam. The forum aims to provide an opportunity for the public and interested groups to become more informed about the Mary River and the Great Sandy Strait and to generate a discussion about the likely impacts of the dam would have. These are impacts the Government is trying it’s best to ignore!

Speakers include:

Max Winders, an imminent environmental engineer who has done research on the environmental flow needs of the Great Sandy Strait estuary

Joachim Ribbe, USQ, who has recently completed research on the salinity profiles of Hervey Bay

Ashton Berry, USC, who is undertaking research on the possible impacts of climate change on the flow of the Mary River

Roger Currie, Wide Bay Burnett Conservation council (WBCCC), who will discuss the Ramsar issues

Steve Burgess, Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee, who will discuss what the Government data tells us about how flows in the river will be affected by the proposed dam.

Other speakers include Tim Thornton (WBCCC), Martin Bellert from Sunfish and Joe McLeod from the Independent Trawlers Association.

It should be a fascinating day including entertainment by a local musician and poet. The program ends with a panel of all speakers during which there will be opportunity to ask questions and discuss the downstream impacts of the proposed dam.

Come along and find out more about your local ecosystem and the threats the proposed dam presents.

The forum will be held at the Hervey Bay Boat Club on Bucaneer Dr Urangan. Registration opens from 9am, the event will close at approximately 5pm.

Cost is $10 per person, $5 for concession holders. Includes a light lunch, morning and afternoon tea.

Please RSVP for catering purposes by emailing GMA at greatermary@gmail.com, calling Tanzi on 0405848375 or contacting Carol on 41295979 or frasercoastwpsq@bigpond.com.