Ecotone Vol32 No4 - CAFNEC

Newsletter of the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre Inc 

E otone 

www.cafnec.org.au 

Vol 32 Number 4 

December 2012 

Ongoing work for the protection of the 

coral sea 

PROTECT THE LAWS 

THAT PROTECT THE PLACES YOU LOVE! 

BARRON RIVER WATER QUALITY 

UNDER EXAMINATION 

URANIUM MINING 

Given the green light 

BATAVIA LAND RETURNS 

to traditional owners 

What’s on the horizon 

for our coAstal areas

Contents 

Vol 32 Number 4 

December 2012 

E otone 


1 

2 

3 

4 

Cape 

5National Ella bay needs you! 

Ongoing work for the 

protection of the coral 

sea 

uranium mining - given 

the green light 

York World 

Heritage woul d provide 

new opportunities 

Heritage 

recognition of the Wet 

Tropics for cultural 

6Update on cowley beach 

to liverpool dune track 

Sharks of the Coral Sea 

7 

Office opening hours 

over Xmas 

The CAFNEC office will close over 

the Christmas / New Year period 

from Saturday 22 Dec 2012 until 

Tuesday 1 Jan 2013. We will 

be open again for business on 

Wednesday 2 Jan 2013. 

A CHANGE OF PLAN - WHAT’S 

ON THE HORIZON FOR OUR 

8 COASTAL AREAS 

THE RIVER FLOWS TO THE 

REEF 

10 

Urgent Action needed 

to save federal 

12 environment protection 

laws 

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 

12 

14 

15 

16 

17 

BARRON RIVER WATER 

QUALITY COMMUNITY 

CONFIDENCE PROJECT 

tribute to di horsburgh 

PLASTIC FREE PARADISE 

RETURN OF BATAVIA IN CAPE 

YORK TO TRADITIONAL 

OWNERS 

Join us to celebrate the 

end of another good year. 

CAFNEC end of year party 

Thursday 13th December 

Upstairs at Cominos House 

27 Greenslopes St 

from 6pm 

Drinks available or BYO, bring 

some food to share if you wish. 

Ecotone is published 

quarterly by the Cairns & 

Far North Environment 

Centre (caFNec) 

Reader contributions 

including letters are 

welcome however content 

is subject to the editor’s 

discretion. 

Disclaimer: 

Views expressed in 

Ecotone are not necessarily 

those of caFNec. 

CAFNEC Management 

Committee 

President - 

Ellen Weber 

Vice President - 

Andrew Picone 

Secretary - 

Melissa McQuillan 

Treasurer - 

Michael Bryan 

Committee Members 

Andre Grant 

Stacey OBrien 

Kevin Mayo 

CAFNEC Staff 

Coordinator - 

Sarah Hoyal/Anna McGuire 

Marine Campaigner - 

Mariasole Bianco 

Administrator - 

Marie Short 

Sustainability & Climate 

Change Campaigner - 

Anna McGuire 

Contact details 

Ph: (07) 4032 1746 

Fax: (07) 4053 3779 

E: admin@cafnec.org.au 


Address: 

27 Greenslopes St 

Edge Hill 

Postal: 

PO Box 323N 

North Cairns, Qld, 4870 

ECOTONE is produced by 

CAFNEC 

Edited by - 

Ellen Weber 

Layout - 

Sheree Dillon 

Cover Photos/ 

www.xantherivette.com.au

Ella Bay needs you! 

BY ANNA MCGUIRE 

On November 20 th , after many years of 

opposition from concerned community 

members, Premier Campbell Newman 

announced the State government approval 

of a highly inappropriate development 

for Ella Bay, north of Innisfail. 

Ella Bay is a sensitive part of the coast with 

significant ecological value. This development 

would result in the area bearing the brunt of a 

large-scale development with 860 units and 540 

permanent residences of low and medium-density. 

The development site, a 450-hectare 

former cattle station, is nestled between 

World Heritage-listed national park 

and the Great Barrier Reef. The site is 

proposed to be transformed into a $1.4bn 

integrated golf course, residential and 

tourist development billed as Queensland’s 

biggest-ever tourism project. 

The development would result in as many as 5,000 

people visiting and living on the site, with a high risk 

of degrading the unique natural and cultural values 

of the area. The influx would result in a huge increase 

in traffic on a very narrow coastal road through 

a regularly cyclone-affected section of the Wet 

Tropics, and is likely to result in increased Cassowary 

strikes and ongoing access issues. The proposed 

development would have grave impacts on the 

native flora and fauna of the area, including the 

southern cassowary and common mist frog listed 

as endangered under the EPBC Act. It would also 

pose a serious risk to an area of littoral rainforest 

listed as critically endangered under the EPBC Act. 

Ella Bay is also an important turtle nesting site, and 

the influx of people and traffic that the proposed 

development would bring, would jeopardise the 

future success of turtle breeding in the area. 

The surrounding lowland rainforest is critical 

Cassowary habitat, which is particularly valuable 

in a landscape already fragmented by urban 

development and agricultural land, and is 

regularly impacted by cyclonic events. Restoring 

this site would help to improve connectivity 

and provide a valuable Cassowary refuge. 

On top of any environmental issues, as a lowlying 

coastal area which is regularly affected 

by cyclones, and given predictions of sea 

level rise and increasing cyclone intensity, the 

wisdom of placing large-scale development 

in this area is questionable to say the least. 

Ella Bay is too special to lose to inappropriate 

development. We plan to fight this development 

all the way to protect the ecological values 

of this unique area, and invite all interested 

community members to get involved. Please send 

an email to Federal Environment Minister Tony 

Burke today to help protect this special area. 

For more information and to send an email 

to Tony Burke visit www.cafnec.org.au. 

www.cafnec.org.au Ecotone December 2012 1

Ongoing work for the 

protection of the iconic 

Coral Sea 

BY MARIASOLE BIANCO 

As many of you would be aware, the national network 

of marine reserves recognises the value of our oceans as 

the common heritage of all Australians and announces 

Australia as a world’s leader in marine conservation. 

During the recent public consultation period on the 

final zoning over 83,000 people entered submissions 

in favour of the marine reserve network. 

However, the process for the effective 

establishment and management of the national 

marine reserve network, including the proposed 

Coral Sea Marine Reserve, continues. 

The next step, which we are expect to be very soon, 

is the ‹proclamation› of the marine reserves that will 

confirm the boundaries and zoning and make them 

official – not just a plan. After the proclamation we will 

enter in what it is likely to be the most crucial phase of 

the process: the development of the management plan. 

This means that, following the proclamation, there 

will be two more rounds of public consultation 

for the management plans when it will be 

fundamental that we provide our input to ensure 

that the iconic Coral Sea is effectively protected. 

The ocean sustains all life on earth and it is 

fundamental to act decisively to protect key areas of 

our unique marine environment. The Coral Sea truly is 

the jewel in the crown of the new national system of 

marine reserves and we now urge the Minister for the 

Environment to do all he can to protect this special 

place into the future by developing a comprehensive 

and effective management plan. So stay tuned and 

celebrate the proclamation with us but remember that 

the Coral Sea needs your input now more than ever! 

The management plan will define all the 

activities that will be allowed within the 

reserve and how they must be carried out. 

By Australian law, management plans are prepared 

by the Director of National Parks with public input, 

and approved by the federal Minister for the 

Environment following the process outlined below. 

1. The Director of National Parks 

publishes a notice inviting public 

comment for a period of 30 days on the 

proposal to prepare a draft management 

plan and then prepares the draft. 

2.The draft management plan is released 

for the public comment for a period of 30 days. 

3. The Director of National Parks 

provides the Minister for the Environment 

with the second draft management 

plan which takes into account the 

public comments on the draft plan. 

4. The Minister considers the draft 

plan and if satisfied, approves 

the management plan. 

2 

5. The plan is then tabled in both 

Houses of the Commonwealth 

Parliment and comes into force 

after 15 Parliamentary sitting days, 

provided it has not been disallowed.

Uranium Mining 

given the green 

light 

BY SARAH HOYAL 

On October 22 nd the Queensland Premier Campbell 

Newman ended the state’s decades-long ban on 

uranium mining and reversed the position the Liberal 

National Party took to the election in March. Uranium 

has not been mined in Queensland since the closure 

of the Mary Kathleen mine in the state’s north-west in 

1982. 

This announcement followed Julia Gillard’s agreement 

on behalf of the Federal Labor Government to allow 

uranium exports to India and the New South Wales 

Liberal State Government approving the resumption 

of exploration for uranium in February 2012. Mining 

is currently banned in Victoria but allowed in South 

Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. 

The Australian Uranium Association has stated that the 

majority of the nation’s uranium deposits are found in 

Queensland, South Australia, the Northern Territory and 

Western Australia. 

A number of figures have been suggested for the 

economic benefits of the industry to Queensland. The 

Queensland Resources Council stated that Queensland 

holds about $18 billion worth of known uranium 

reserves, mostly in the north-west, which would 

generate $900 million in royalties. Campbell Newman 

stated that uranium exports will earn Queensland tens 

of billions of dollars over the next two decades and 

provide thousands of jobs. However, when asked to 

release the economic and employment modeling data 

he relied on to overturn the State’s ban on uranium 

mining he stated that ‘he didn’t have any’. 

IBIS World’s post-Fukushima (2011) assessment of 

the Australian uranium sector states that there are 

just 650 jobs in uranium mining across Australia. The 

World Nuclear Association puts the figure at 1,760 jobs, 

including exploration and regulation − and even that 

generous figure amounts to less than 0.02 per cent 

of all jobs in Australia. This decision to overturn the 

uranium mining ban was clearly not evidence-based 

and didn’t include any independent assessment or 

review, and we can only assume was instead based on 

pressure and promises from the uranium industry. 

A rubber stamp Uranium Implementation Committee 

has since been set up to oversee the resumption 

of mining which will report to Parliament by mid- 

March 2013. It is chaired by former Local Government 

Association of Queensland (LGAQ) president and 

Central Highlands Councillor Paul Bell, and includes 

Noeline Ikin (CEO Northern Gulf Resource Management 

Group), Frances Hayter (Environment Director, 


Queensland Resources Council), Dr Geoff Garrett, 

(Queensland Government Chief Scientist), Dan Hunt 

(Acting Director- General, Department of Natural 

Resources and Mines) and Warren Mundine (Director 

of the Australian Uranium Association and a former 

ALP National President). Queensland Conservation was 

approached to be on the Committee but refused on the 

grounds that it was to implement rather than assess the 

feasibility of the industry. 

The Terms of Reference states that the Committee must: 

‘report to Government recommending a best 

practice policy framework for the orderly 

development and operation of a recommenced 

uranium mining and export industry in 

Queensland. The framework should ensure that 

uranium mining recommences with world best 

practice environmental and safety standards, 

whilst creating an attractive environment for 

investment.’ 

Given the short timeframe there has been no clear 

outline so far about how the committee will undertake 

this task and in particular, undertake adequate 

community engagement around this very contentious 

issue. 

There are also concerns about how and where uranium 

ore will be transported offshore. This is a task given to 

the Uranium Implementation Committee. According 

to the Australian Uranium Association, uranium todate 

uranium has only been exported from safe and 

accredited ports in Darwin and Adelaide. As most of the 

resources are principally in the Gulf, where there is no 

infrastructure, will this mean the public are expected to 

fund the infrastructure facilities to ensure transport to 

Darwin or an east coast port facility. 

Queensland’s uranium from the Mary Kathleen Mine 

west of Townsville was exported through Townsville, 

and the State government has said that it would 

consider shipping uranium through the Great 

Barrier Reef if the advisory committee made the 

recommendation. 

As a result of this decision to overturn the uranium 

mining ban, the Queensland environment movement 

as well as many community groups and trade unions 

have begun to organize a political campaign against 

the mining of uranium in Queensland. For more 

information on how to get involved, please contact us 

at CAFNEC on 4032 1746. 

4 

Cape York World Heritage 

would provide new 

opportunities 

BY SARAH HOYAL AND 

ANDREW PICONE 

Progess continues on a potential World Heritage 

nomination for parts of Cape York Peninsula (CYP), 

even though the State Government withdrew 

its support in mid-October 2012 and returned 

$2M to the Federal Government. At that time, 

Queensland Minister for Environment and Heritage 

Protection Andrew Powell stated that since the 

Federal government had already begun separate 

negotiations with some Cape York traditional 

owners it would be counter-productive for the 

State Government to consult with interest groups 

simultaneously. 

However the Newman government still says it 

will support the Commonwealth with a potential 

nomination of ‘the best of the best’ areas that 

demonstrate outstanding universal values. In 

fact, World Heritage has been federal and state 

government policy for more than six years and 

discussed by community groups on and outside 

CYP for well over 20 years. 

For the last two years, the Queensland Government 

(with Federal Government support) has consulted 

Cape York Peninsula residents, communities 

and organisations through a range of processes 

including Country Based Planning with Traditional 

Owners and sectoral consultation with the pastoral, 

tourism and conservation stakeholders. A range 

of consultation papers were released by the 

Queensland Government in 2011, over 12 months 

ago. 

The Federal government has recently initiated its 

own negotiations with Traditional Owner groups 

through the Balkanu Aboriginal Corporation and 

in early November Federal Environment Minister 

Tony Burke visited parts of the Cape to talk to those 

groups working through Balkanu. Some tensions 

then developed from groups already engaged 

through other processes such as the Country Based 

Planning process as they felt ignored by the Federal 

Government. Therefore over the last few months 

environment groups have been working hard to 

ensure that the process of consent and community 

engagement now being undertaken solely by the 

Federal Government includes all of the Indigenous 

communities interested in considering support for 

World Heritage. 

The next deadline to submit a World Heritage 

application to UNESCO is February 2013. Federal

Environment Minister Tony Burke insists the decision 

to proceed with a World Heritage nomination is 

entirely in the hands of Traditional Owners. No area 

will be part of this nomination that has not received 

the consent of Traditional Owners, although the 

increased threat of broad scale mining highlights 

the importance of getting the nomination right and 

lodged by February 2013. 

World Heritage recognition of Cape York Peninsula’s 

outstanding natural and cultural values would help 

communities on the Cape achieve greater prosperity, 

and therefore environment groups have been 

lobbying for an appropriate economic package for 

the Cape York region that supports a nomination. 

This should include: 

A business support package to 

assist small/medium-sized business 

enterprises to develop and take advantage 

of business opportunities that arise from 

the nomination improved infrastructure 

such as sealed roads and wet-season access 

(bridges) 

facilities to support increased 

tourism and associated industries, such as 

better roadside services and protected area 

facilities, and 

conservation infrastructure to 

support the cultural and natural resource 

management of the landscape, including 

greater financial support for protected area 

and natural resource management 

World Heritage properties around Australia generate 

more than $7 billion in economic activity every year. 

In Queensland alone, World Heritage sites contribute 

more than $4 billion in economic activity and provide 

nearly 25,000 direct and related jobs (ref: Gillespie 

Economics & BDA Group’s 2008 study of Economic 

Activity of Australia’s World Heritage Areas). The Cape 

is certainly in a position to take advantage of these 

opportunities - but it will need our support. 

National Heritage 

recognition of Wet Tropics 

for Cultural Values 

BY LEAH TALBOT - ACF Cape York 

Project Officer and Traditional Owner from the 

northern end of the Wet Tropics 

After almost 25 years since the original World 

Heritage listing of the Wet Tropics, on the 9 th 

November the Federal Government formally 

recognised the outstanding Indigenous 

cultural values of the Wet Tropics National 

Heritage Area. Congratulations must go to 

all the Traditional Owners who have fought 

for recognition of the cultural values of the 

region and to protect and manage them 

according to their cultural knowledge. 

In 1988 North Queensland’s Wet Tropics was 

recognised for its outstanding universal 


natural values. At the time, no consideration 

was given to the wishes of Traditional 

Owners of the Wet Tropics region and the 

cultural values went largely ignored. 

The Wet Tropics region consists of 20 Traditional 

Owner groups from Townsville in the south 

to Cooktown in the north. With a number of 

Aboriginal Traditional Owner organisations and 

native title determinations now in the region, 

Traditional Owners are ready more than ever 

to engage in the National Heritage process, 

and if desired, World Heritage processes. 

This is a significant milestone for the Wet 

Tropics Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples. Many 

Elders have passed away while waiting for 

governments to recognise their significant 

cultural heritage and knowledge. 

From this point forward the State and Federal 

government must work alongside Traditional 

Owners to enable them to manage their 

country according to their cultural knowledge. 

You can find out more about the National 

Heritage Listing of the Wet Tropics for its 

cultural values at www.wetropics.gov.au 

Update on Cowley Beach 

dune track 

BY RUSSELL CONSTABLE 

AND YVONNE CUNNINGHAM 

At the Cassowary Coast Regional Council meeting on 29 

October 2012 the Cowley Beach to Liverpool Creek dune 

track was discussed. This dune track is Council’s strategy 

for dealing with the large number of illegal drivers (both 

quad and 4WDs) which drive up and down Cowley Beach 

to the Spit. We have reported in previous Ecotone editions 

6 

about the devastating effect this driving has had on 

turtle nesting sites and migrating birds. This process of 

finalising the track alignment has been ongoing since it 

was resolved in December 2009 to re-open the area to 

vehicle traffic in an environmentally sensitive manner. 

At the meeting Councillors voted that the track section 

in front of the kitchen barbeque area of Cowley Beach 

Caravan Park (a 20m section of the track) would be 

relocated seaward by approximately 5m to re-enter 

the track butting the caravan park boundary. 

This decision came to Council as a result of pressure 

from some local residents who would like to see the 

track go even further east. However,this will impact 

on a culturally significant site to the Mandubarra 

Traditional Owners as well as EPBC listed critically 

endangered littoral forest communities. 

The caravan park owners are concerned about the 

track being noisy and dusty near their camp kitchen 

facilities which are apparently very close to the boundary 

of their property. This decision will ensure that the 

track is another 5 metres further east of the kitchen 

and protected by a timber railing. Local residents 

have continued to state their opposition to this track 

and have threatened to drive illegally on the beach 

rather than support this compromise position. 

Mayor Bill Shannon spoke at the Council meeting 

about the history of the track while Councillor Mark 

Nolan spoke passionately about respecting cultural 

sites and the environmental issues surrounding the 

Cowley Track. Councillor Ian Rule asked if this track 

realignment was acceptable to the Mandubarra 

Clan, which a council officer advised it was. 

The only discussion on the issue at the Council meeting 

came from Councillor Glenn Raleigh who is on the 

Local Marine Advisory Committee and is responsible 

for overseeing the Environmental Services and Waste 

portfolio. Raleigh stated forcefully, that in his opinion 

vehicles should not be allowed on the Cowley spit. 

He stated that this was an area that was subject to 

storm surge and that vehicles were causing damage 

to the Spit. He voted against the motion along with 

Councillors Macdonald and Farinelli. However the motion 

was passed with the Mayor making a casting vote. 

Local activist Russell Constable has sought clarification 

from Council as to whether the caravan park buildings 

that the track is being diverted for are indeed 

lawfully constructed dwellings that have council 

permits. He believes evidence suggests that this is 

indeed not the case and if that is so why is Council 

diverting a lawful road around buildings that are not 

lawful (and probably not built to code) To date the 

Council has offered no clarification on this point. 

Within the Council meeting, no discussion was 

made about keeping vehicles off the beach 

or maintenance to the Cowley Spit road or 

enforcement of conditions for quad bikes. 

Please write to the Mayor and Councillors of the 

Cassowary Coast to let them know you are concerned 

about this issue. They can be contacted on 1300 

763 903 or enquiries@cassowarycoast.qld.gov.au

Sharks of the 

Coral Sea 

BY MARIASOLE BIANCO 

Scientists estimate that up to 90 percent of the 

big oceanic fish, including sharks, have been lost 

from our oceans over the past 50 years due to 

overfishing. The Coral Sea is one of the world’s last 

ocean areas where healthy populations of large 

ocean predators still exist. For this reason the 

Coral Sea is considered a global shark biodiversity 

hotspot and represents the opportunity to create a 

safe haven for sharks and other oceanic species. 

Sharks are ‘apex predators’ and play a vital role 

in the health of our ocean. Removal of large 

predators from coral reef ecosystems throws out 

the natural balance. They are necessary to ensure 

the stability of the entire system. In both marine 

and terrestrial ecosystems, predator removal can 

cause a potentially irreversible cascade of complex 

knock-on effects (known as trophic cascades) that 

destabilise food-webs and the marine environment 

as a whole. We can spare the Coral Sea this fate. 

A study conducted in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) 

Marine Park reveals that shark populations are heavily 

affected by fishing but benefit greatly from the 

establishment of green zones, which are closed to 

fishing. There is strong evidence that shark populations 

of the Great Barrier Reef are in decline due to fishing 

pressure, with Grey reef sharks reduced to only 3 

percent of natural populations on some fished reefs. 

Whitetip reef sharks had also declined around 80 

percent on fished reefs. Small 

reserves or networks of reserves 

cannot offer sharks the same 

protection as a large scale marine 

reserve, due to the size of their 

home range. The proposed scale 

of the Coral Sea Marine Reserve, 

its green zone and the removal of 

long-line fishing from two-thirds of 

the area will contribute greatly to 

the protection of shark populations. 

The recently proclaimed Coral Sea 

Commonwealth Marine Reserve 

encompasses almost 1 million 

km 2 . Within the marine reserve 

is a series of zones which provide 

different levels of protection. 

Importantly, key areas considered 

as significant habitat to the 

oceanic species that reside within 

it, including sharks, are currently 

left unprotected. It would take 

only minor changes to improve this greatly. 

Osprey Reef, for example, one of the world’s iconic 

shark diving experiences, has been given only hairline 

protection. The green (marine national park) zone 

extends just 30-50m from the reef edge, leaving the 

entire reef slope and reef-associated shark population 

vulnerable. Grey, blacktip and whitetip reef sharks 

are regularly seen here, with silvertips, tigers and 

great hammerheads patrolling the blue. At least ten 

species of pelagic sharks move through the Coral 

Sea including shortfin mako, bronze whalers, oceanic 

whitetips, hammerheads, tiger, and great white 

sharks. The Coral Sea is also home to a rare whale 

shark aggregation and 52 species of deepwater 

sharks and rays, 18 of which are unique to the area. 

As the process for the effective establishment and 

management of the Coral Sea Marine Reserve 

continues, we will now be asking the Environment 

Minister Tony Burke to develop a comprehensive 

and effective management plan. We will urge him 

to extend the marine national park zone around 

Shark, Vema and Osprey Reefs further west by 

10kms to ensure that the important reef-associated 

pelagic species and reef slopes are fully protected 

as they are vital elements of the reef ecosystem. 

In the southern Coral Sea, where the shark 

biodiversity hotpot is located, longline operators 

have indicated they are willing to exit the area 

down to 22 degrees south, with fair financial 

compensation. We will then urge Burke to increase 

the protection of this area and effectively protect 

the seamounts, Townsville Trough (an important 

migratory pathway) and part of the shark biodiversity 

hotspot that has currently been left vulnerable. 

Help us to make the Coral Sea a safe haven for sharks: 

The Ocean takes care of us, let’s return the favour! 


A CHANGE OF PLAN - WHAT’S 

ON THE HORIZON FOR OUR 

COASTAL AREAS 


• This SPRP suspends the 

operation of State Planning 

Policy 3/11: Coastal Protection 

(the legislative ‘teeth’ of the 

Queensland Coastal Plan) 

as well as part 1.2 Coastal 

Management of the Far North 

Queensland Regional Plan 2031. 

So what does this mean 

To those of us who aren’t planners or legal specialists, 

changes to planning legislation can seem pretty 

dull and incomprehensible, but it’s worth persisting 

through the pages of confusing terminology, as the 

implications of these changes can be dramatic. 

The Newman government recently repealed the 

Queensland Coastal Plan which governed development 

and environmental protection in coastal areas, and 

introduced the Coastal Protection State Planning 

Regulatory Provision - a change which is likely to have 

immediate and resounding impacts on our coastal areas. 

The stated reason for these changes is that the 

Government is undertaking a full review of the 

Queensland Coastal Plan because the policies 

within it were not considered to be sufficiently 

supportive of the Government’s commitment to 

grow the four pillars of Queensland economy. 

What’s changed 

• The now outdated Queensland Coastal 

Plan was introduced in February 2012 and 

contained two parts: the State Planning 

Policy 3/11: Coastal Protection and the 

State Policy for Coastal Management. 

8 

• On 8 October 2012 the Queensland 

government released the draft 

Coastal Protection State Planning 

Regulatory Provision (the SPRP) that 

sets out requirements for coastal 

protection in Queensland. 

CAFNEC is greatly concerned 

that this change effectively 

removes the checks and 

balances previously provided 

through the Queensland 

Coastal Plan that were 

designed to protect coastal 

environments and icons like 

the Great Barrier Reef. The 

new SPRP contains provisions 

that allow development 

in otherwise protected 

areas if the development 

is considered of ‘net benefit to the State or region’ 

by the Minister for State Development. 

The core purpose of the Coastal Plan was to protect 

the natural environment and coastal processes and 

to prevent inappropriate development. It was not 

designed to promote economic development. If 

the planning policy has prevented development, 

it is because that development would have 

damaged the local environment, threatened 

community safety or was unsustainable. 

Tourism is considered one of the four pillars of the new 

government’s agenda. The Australian Government’s 

National Landscapes program shows that for the tourism 

industry to grow it must be based on unique natural and 

cultural adventure experiences. We are concerned that 

this new planning regulation will allow development 

to occur in sensitive coastal areas on whose natural 

values Queensland’s tourism industry depends. 

Less certainty for local governments around 

how to respond to climate change 

• Local governments are no longer required 

to prepare coastal hazard adaptation 

strategies for high risk areas. 

• Local governments are still required to 

consider likely risks to life and property 

from coastal hazards in land use planning 

decisions, but there are no sea level rise 

or cyclone intensity increase estimates 

given in the SPRP. The previous Coastal 

Plan defined estimates of 0.8m sea level 

rise and 10% increase in cyclone

district. This is a massive reduction in the 

coverage of protections for coastal land. 

• The suspension of part 1.2 of 

the Far North Queensland Regional Plan 

effectively hands back management 

of the urban footprint areas to local 

government. This is problematic 

because it means local governments 

no longer have State government 

backing for refusal of inappropriate 

development applications outside 

the designated urban footprint area, 

making urban encroachment into 

surrounding habitat areas more likely. 

Some concerns and questions 

intensity. This leaves local governments with 

no guidance as to what figures to use. 

Less protection for areas of high ecological significance 

• Provisions within the draft SPRP only 

include reference to protecting areas of 

High Ecological Significance (HES) and not 

areas of general ecological significance 

as the suspended SPP did. This in effect 

reduces the area to which the draft SPRP 

applies. The provisions also introduce 

the ability for the Minister to allow urban 

development in areas of HES where there is 

an ‘overriding social and economic need’. 

Less control over development and 

urban footprint in coastal areas 

• The draft SPRP only applies to impact 

assessable development in a coastal 

management district. The suspended 

SPP applied to a much wider range of 

development scenarios including building 

work, material change of use, reconfiguring 

a lot and operational work within the coastal 

management district as well as certain 

material change of use, reconfiguring a lot 

and operational works in the coastal zone but 

outside of the coastal management district. 

• The SPP also applied to a range of 

development located in the coastal zone but 

outside of a coastal management district, 

whereas the SPRP limits assessment to 

development inside a coastal management 

• Areas of high ecological 

significance are not sufficiently protected 

under the new SPRP. Development 

should not be allowed in these areas. 

Furthermore, clarification of what 

constitutes an ‘overriding social and 

economic need’ is needed. Development 

in areas of HES has the potential to degrade 

important habitat, and leaving this to the 

discretion of the Minister is a major risk. 

• How are the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage 

Area’s values to the State’s economy to be 

considered in any assessments of ‘net benefit 

to the state/region’ as per the draft SPRP 

• The SPRP appears to allow developments 

to proceed within mapped “hazard areas”, 

exposing Queenslanders to unacceptable 

flood risk and areas that have been identified 

as having High Ecological Significance. 

• The SPRP should include a definition of 

coastal hazards including sea level rise and 

cyclone intensity increase estimates. This is to 

ensure consistency across coastal councils in 

applying the SPRP to reduce community risk. 

• Development in coastal waters should 

comply with State Marine Park zoning plans 

and management plans, Commonwealth 

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park zoning plans 

and special management areas, as per 

section 3.3.3c of the suspended SPP. 

• The SPRP should include a policy to 

ensure the scenic amenity of the coast is 

protected and enhanced, as per section 4 

of the suspended SPP. The coast provides 

a strong sense of place and connection for 

local communities and visitors alike. 


THE RIVER FLOWS TO THE REEF 

BY YVONNE CUNNINGHAM 

I have lived alongside the Johnstone River for forty-two 

years and watched the river run red every time heavy rain 

falls. Lately, I have noticed it needs less and less rainfall to 

cause the river to run red. (see Photo1) 

all coral cover. For some time there has been conclusive 

evidence to demonstrate the link between nutrient runoff 

and escalating crown-of-thorns starfish infestations. 

The evidence of the link between crown-of-thorns starfish 

outbreaks and nutrient run-off was first revealed at the 

Catchment-to-Reef conference in June 2004. 

I asked Martin Cunningham, a fisherman and my son, 

what is happening to the coral. Martin told me ’Coral 

along the headlands and around the inshore islands is 

gone. The fringing reefs are all but completely gone. 

Reefs 20 miles offshore are also in terrible shape. The near 

reef shoals such as Gouge Banks, Arthurs Patches and 

Surprise Shoal have a distinct red stain to the surrounding 

sediment and the coral cover would be less than ten per 

cent. The mid shelf reefs are in poor shape.’ 

To investigate the cause of all this additional sediment 

that seems to be coming down the river these days I 

went with Victor Cassidy a local aboriginal Elder and keen 

fisherman, up the North Johnstone River. (see Photo 3) 

At the mouth of the Johnstone River the mangrove forest 

has died. It is thought that the sediments carried by the 

river contain many chemicals including herbicides. When 

these sediments are deposited, by the action of the river 

around the mangroves, herbicides slowly leach out and 

kill the mangroves. (see Photo 2) 

We left the town wharf and immediately saw riparian 

vegetation had been removed completely in front of 

some subdivisions along the river. Elsewhere gaps have 

been made in the vegetation to view the river. There was 

severe erosion on the riverbank adjacent to these riverside 

developments. (see Photo 4) 

The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) has 

reported the Great Barrier Reef has lost half its coral 

cover over the past 27 years. Much of the blame for coral 

loss has been placed on the effects of storms and coral 

bleaching. However, sediment and nutrient runoff from 

agriculture and coastal development are believed to have 

a far greater impact on the reef-ecosystem and affect the 

reef’s ability to naturally regenerate after storm events. 

One of the impacts of storms is the re-suspension of 

bottom sediments, reintroducing buried pollutants from 

earlier days. 

High background populations of crown-of-thorns starfish 

are reaching plague proportions every decade and are 

believed to be responsible for the loss of 42 per cent of 

10

Victor remarked that there were few fish in the river 

nowadays and he asked me: “Where are all the birds” I 

suddenly noticed the birds we would expect to see along 

a river were not there: there were no birds and all was 

quiet save for the sound of the boat’s engine. 

Victor pointed out how terribly the river has suffered. The 

eelgrass beds in the Johnstone River are gone and gone 

with them are the many species of fish and crustacean 

they supported. This has left a river unable to support 

even a fraction of the fisherman once reliant on her for 

existence and recreation. This is ironic as the local council 

went to great expense to erect fishing platforms along the 

river to attract tourists to fish. (see Photo 5) 

Christmas time are gone. The myriad of juvenile fish 

around the banks of the river are gone. 

All along the river we saw banana and sugarcane growing 

all the way to high water mark. The riparian vegetation 

was gone. This has changed the river’s hydrological regime 

and large areas of the river bank are undermined and 

collapsing. (see Photo 6& 7) 

Erosion in the bend of the North Johnstone River near 

Polly Creek has caused a critical situation which is 

threatening farm lands and buildings. Where the river 

normally meandered around a long bend, without the 

riparian vegetation the speed of the water appears to 

have increased and subsequently undermined the river 

bank. (see Photo 8) 

How had this happened Surely, I thought, it was illegal 

to remove riparian vegetation and extend cultivation to 

the river bank A farmer I asked told me: “No. I have a 

Riparian Land Lease and I pay around $500 a year to the 

Lands Department to lease the riparian land adjacent to 

my farm.” 

Once there were dolphins, dugongs and turtles all up 

the river but with the loss of the sea grass they too have 

gone. The schools of saurus fish roaring up the river on 

the summer king tides are gone. The masses of prawns at 

I rang the Lands Department, after many phone calls, was 

told farmers were given the right to lease riparian lands 

under the Riparian Land Lease Act of 2000. Since then and 

despite many phone calls and requests I have been unable 

to find this Act which I understand covers all watercourses 

in Queensland. 

Of course the Government is looking at winding back 

even these inadequate provisions when what we need 

is more adequate protections of riparian areas along 

GBR waterways must be put in place to stop these huge 

sediment loads from continuing to end up on the reef. 

All photos provided by Yvonne Cunningham. 


Urgent action to save federal 

environmental law 

As you would be aware from previous articles in 

Ecotone where the Federal government is planning 

to hand over environmental approval powers 

to the states through the Council of Australian 

Governments (COAG). A national campaign – The 

Place You Love (placesyoulove.org) - of which 

CAFNEC is an alliance member, has been formed 

to help fight this change at a time when we are 

seeing a massive unravelling of environmental laws 

and protections built up over the past 20 years in 

Qld. Since the Newman LNP government came to 

office in March 2012 the government has slashed 

environmental regulation at a rapid speed with 

very limited consultation outside of government. 

We must protect the places we love, like Ella Bay, and 

stop the 1132 species on the vulnerable list under 

the Nature Conservation Regulation 2006 from going 

extinct. You might ask, given the government’s rush 

to reduce regulation in Queensland, how can we 

protect environmental regulation One way is to 

make public submissions on the Bills introduced to 

Queensland Parliament, see http://www.parliament. 

qld.gov.au/work-of-committees/Guidelines 

At a Federal level the situation is at a critical level 

with the next Council of Australian Government’s 

(COAG) meeting on 7 December 2012 looking to 

progress the Business Advisory Forum’s “green tape 

reduction” agenda. The Prime Minister and elected 

members need to hear from the community that 

handing over environmental approval powers to 

the Queensland government is a very bad idea. 

Fill-in and mail the postcard included in this edition 

of Ecotone, and visit http://placesyoulove.org/takeaction 

and the Places You Love Facebook page to see 

the various actions you can take right now to save the 

wildlife and the places we love! 

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 

BY ELLEN WEBER 

A warm season’s greeting to our members, staff 

and volunteers. It has been another important 

year for CAFNEC and I am pleased to see how the 

dedication of CAFNEC staff and supporters has 

made a real difference for the environment. 

Over the past twelve months, CAFNEC continues to 

deliver on the major goals developed in our Strategic 

Plan. These goals include leading and supporting 

community in valuing the natural environment through 

conservation and ecological sustainability; developing 

strong partnerships with allies and key stakeholders and 

strengthening our financial and organisational health. 

Major campaigns 

The Management Committee and staff have strategically 

consolidated a number of our major campaigns including 

our urban sustainability and climate change, coastal 

development and renewable energy initiatives. We 

have done this while continuing to advocate against 

inappropriate developments along our fragile coastline. 

We continue to engage with key government agencies 

around urban sustainability with a keen focus on 

development planning and establishing a more robust 

dialogue between the far north’s environment movement, 

the region’s natural resource management bodies and 

other regional interests. In the recent months this has 

become more difficult with the LNP State government’s 

decision to repeal a number of state (coastal and urban 

footprint) statutory planning tools as well as overturning 

the decision on uranium mining. For those of us who were 

alive during the 1970’s, it feel’s like we are campaigning 

on the same issues we fought for over 30 years ago. 

We continue to invest in the Coral Sea Heritage Park. 

This proclamation of the Marine Reserve to create the 

world’s largest marine park in the Coral Sea as the best 

place on earth where some species of fish, such as the 

large humphead wrasse can still be found in big numbers 

is a fantastic outcome. The Coral Sea covers nearly 

a million square kilometres and features spectacular 

coral reefs, remote islands, underwater mountains and 

deep sea canyons. However, more work still needs to 

be done and we will continue to need your support. 

CAFNEC continues to lead and be actively engaged 

in national and state level forums including the State 

Environment Roundtable (Queensland) and the National 

Environment Roundtable, each meeting a number of 

times per year. We continue to regularly collaborate 

and liaise with our local, regional, state and national 

colleagues in the environment movement about key 

campaigns, including biodiversity, climate change, 

water and sustainable regional development. 

Major events 

Our 30 th Anniversary celebrations, the launch of our new 

website and the Far North Wilderness Bike Tour were, for 

12

me, the highlight events of the year. Sincere thanks to all 

who worked extra hours to make each of these events a 

success. 

In particular, I would like to thank Ann Mansfield for 

taking a leadership role in organising our 30 th anniversary 

celebrations. She organised venue, menu and catering, the 

wonderful cake, dance floor. She’s a champion and we love 

her. 

Thanks to Steve Ryan in getting the website completed 

before he headed to Italy. Steve and his family have headed 

overseas for a couple of years, but are still keen to be 

involved in FNQ environment issues. We are trying to work 

out a way to get him on MC and skype into meetings. 

Thanks also to Sarah Hoyal and the team for organising the 

bike ride. This event was lead by Sarah Hoyal on of top the 

hours she spends employed as our coordinator. Sarah was 

lucky to be supported by excellent volunteers.. The CAFNEC 

MC made a decision this year to employ a marketing 

manager for this event, Tania Cobhan. This turned out to be 

an excellent decision, as we estimate that with additional 

investment, the organisation netted over $38K profit for 

this event. How good is that! 

Financial support is crucial to CAFNEC’s work and we are 

grateful that both the Commonwealth and State have 

provided some funds for us to represent the community’s 

conservation interests. Whilst CAFNEC would like to 

become independent of such funding, the realities are that 

a relatively small (though greatly dedicated) membership 

base and limited (though very much welcomed) donations, 

exacerbated by the general economic downturn and 

a prevailing lack of active interest across the broader 

community, constrain CAFNEC to a very modest operational 

turnover. 

Despite this, we have managed to keep our financial 

position strong to allow us to continue to be a key player 

in significant environmental and biodiversity protection 

activities over the medium term. We encourage our 

supporters to assist CAFNEC through our EcoStar - Monthly 

Giving Program. It’s a great program. Automatic monthly 

deductions cut down on CAFNEC’s administration costs, as 

well as paper costs. It also gives us security to develop long 

term campaigns. 

Staffing 

I would like to thank CAFNEC staff, lead by Sarah Hoyal, 

our Coordinator. Sarah does a sterling job in maintaining 

a strong focus in delivering on key internal and external 

projects and campaigns. Thanks also to Mariasole Bianco, 

our hard-working marine campaigner and Anna McGuire, 

our energetic Sustainability Officer. 

Sarah is taking one year’s maternity leave as the end of 

November. We wish her and Renee all the best in this new 

adventure. The ever capable Anna McGuire will be the 

coordinator for 2013. It is good for the organisation that we 

were able to make this transition so smoothly 

Also a big thanks to the eternally effervescent Marie Short 

who remains an invaluable CAFNEC stalwart in her key role 

as Business Manager. My thanks also go to the Friends of 

Cominos House Trust and the Cairns Regional Council in 

their continued support in housing CAFNEC and its events. 

We have been fortunate in having a newly appointed and 

dedicated Management Committee who provide strong 

leadership across the organisation. The new committee 

provides and foster an excellent and wide-ranging skills 

set for CAFNEC to draw on. A special thanks to outgoing 

member Jess Kendall and Jeremy Little for their support 

and wisdom over the past twelve months. Also to Shanna 

Simms who decided to refocus on her university studies 

this year. We also welcome a new face to the Committee. 

Many of you will remember the very wise Dr Kevin Mayo 

and the work he does in community and professional art 

and culture. Welcome to the committee, Kevin 

A big thank you! 

We would not get anywhere without our committed 

members or supporters, and, of course, our dedicated 

volunteers. It is these people who are the lifeblood of 

CAFNEC and I join all our committee members and staff in 

thanking you for your vital interest, your keen input and 

your welcome contributions in all their various forms. For 

a community not-for-profit organisation we are fortunate 

to have sustained access to incredible expertise and great 

dedication. 

There are many ways CAFNEC supporters contribute to 

our success and throughout the year I have been inspired 

by the dedication and commitment of CAFNEC staff, 

volunteers and supporters who in their each way, enable 

CAFNEC to work with individuals, government, business 

and communities to create a healthy and more sustainable 

region. 

I am excited about working with you all in 2013 and know 

together we can continue to make substantial gains to 

protect, conserve and restore our environment. 

On behalf of the CAFNEC Management Committee we wish 

all our members and their families a very Happy Christmas 

and a healthy 2013. 

Peace on Earth. 

I hope to see heaps of you at the Christmas party on the 

13th of December! 

Dont forget to 

nominate at IGA 

Next time you shop at Piccone’s Supa 

IGA, Pease Street, Manoora, don’t 

forget to nominate us as your choice 

for the Local Community Benefits 

Program. 

It’s easy. Just let the operator at the checkout know 

before you make payment for your groceries that 

you wish to nominate the Cairns and Far North 

Environment Centre (make sure you say our full name, 

not just CAFNEC). 

Points are then allocated according to the value of 

your purchase and periodically transferred to a dollar 

value which is paid to us.This is an easy opportunity 

to fund raise for our organisation while you shop. So 

tell your friends and family to nominate CAFNEC at the 

checkout to maximize our points. 


BARRON RIVER WATER 

QUALITY COMMUNITY 

CONFIDENCE PROJECT 

BY FOE KURANDA, SYD WALKER 

Friends of the Earth in Melbourne have just released 

a study into the drinking water supplied to greater 

Melbourne [1 ] . The results are disturbing to say the least. 

The study may well have relevance to our own situation 

as several key factors are similar: a wide diversity of 

pesticides used in an agricultural catchment; patchy 

data; reluctance to test for the comprehensive range 

of potential pollutants; official evasiveness over the 

adequacy of testing; and, lack of elaborate filtering 

that might remove pesticides from drinking water. 

The author, Anthony Amis also raises another issue: 

the potential for chemical reactions between chlorine 

added to the water supply, as done in Kuranda, and 

some of the pesticides, fungicides and herbicides 

that find their way into that water. There’s evidence 

some of these ‘Disinfection By-Products’ (DCBs) 

may be more toxic than the original pesticides [2] . 

The International Agency for Research on Cancer 

has classified Bromodichloromethane [BDCM] in 

Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans). What 

this could indicate is that many other communities 

across Australia may have none or low numbers of 

breaches for Trihalomethanes’s (THMs), yet could 

be consuming potentially dangerous levels of 

individual Disinfection By-Product’s (DBPs) and these 

results are not made public by water authorities. 

Some DBP’s have been linked to bladder cancer 

and adverse reproductive outcomes. Water 

authorities test for a handful of DBP’s, yet 700 have 

been discovered. DBP’s are created when chlorine 

used as a disinfectant, combines with organic 

molecules in the water distribution process. 

Friends of the Earth Kuranda have now applied for 

a $13,500 State Government grant titled Barron 

River Water Quality Community Confidence 

Project as part of the LNP Governments 

Everyone’s Environment Grant program. 

This will allow us to commission the expensive and 

sophisticated testing needed to help inform this 

debate. We aim to determine if the drinking water 

supply for Kuranda and Mareeba meets national 

water quality guidelines in relation to the wide range 

of chemicals used historically and now in the Barron 

catchment. The study will take over 12 months. 

We need real information out in the public domain 

where it can be scrutinised by the community as 

a whole, so we can have informed debate and 

outcomes that are seen to be satisfactory. 

We are grateful our application has already 

received wide endorsement, from diverse quarters 

including Djabugay Tribal Council, Kuranda 

Envirocare, the Community Action Network and 

the Member for Barron River, Michael Trout. 

We have been looking for evidence of credible, 

regular, specific testing for traces of the hundreds 

of complex chemicals that drain every year into 

the Barron from agriculture and mining on the 

Tableland and for Disinfection By-Products. 

In the absence of this, can we be confident the water 

is safe If not, is it wise to use this water for drinking 

(as well as for irrigation, bathing and fishing) 

The safety of our drinking water is an urgent 

public health issue and deserves the support and 

cooperation of the Tableland Council and the 

involvement of the Federal and State politicians 

representing the people of Mareeba and Kuranda. 

REFERENCES 

[1] 

Report by Anthony Amis ‘Issues Regarding 

Melbourne Drinking Water & Pesticides’, Friends of the 

Earth Australian web site, www.melbourne.foe.org.au 

[2] 

An extract from Report by Anthony Amis SA Water 

Drinking Water Quality, January 2000 July 2012, full 

report can be found at www.melbourne.foe.org.au 

14

Tribute for Di 

BY KRISTIN KEANE 

Di Horsburgh – eco-warrior, wilderness-warrior, mother 

earth, forest dweller, mother, grandmother, best friend and 

confidante were some of the affectionate names used to 

fondly remember Di at her ‘Last Hurrah’. Di’s ‘Last Hurrah’ was 

a get together for friends and colleagues to celebrate her 

life – a life that ended too early. Di passed away on 6 October 

2012 at her home after a short battle with cancer. It was a 

very short battle; just 7 weeks from the time of diagnosis. 

I remember when I first met Di. I thought she was openminded 

and quite cheeky. I liked her. It was 1997 and we 

were sharing a dinner at Little Italy restaurant at Machans 

Beach. We came to meet through mutual friends involved 

in the campaign to try and stop the resort development 

proposed for Cardwell at the time. Little did I know then that 

Di would come to be such an influential figure in my life and 

become such a close friend. Around that time life was all 

about campaign strategies and media, time in Cardwell and 

the Daintree, swimming in creeks, laughs, hiking, camping, 

more laughs and more campaigning. There were so many 

regional campaigns that we attended to support at that time 

that the media came to refer to us as the ‘Cardwell Rent- 

A-Crowd’. Di was happy with that; it meant we made an 

impression! 

Di was juggling her grass roots campaigning with operating 

a successful business and planning to build her dream home 

in the rainforest of Kuranda. Her business started when Di 

was in the Torres Strait while still living on a yacht with her 

partner and two boys. After living on the yacht for 14 years 

Di and the boys moved to Sydney for six months and then to 

Cairns. Her business was booming and she was able to invest 

in her dream rainforest block in Kuranda in 1996; perfect 

because it had an existing cleared house pad and an already 

constructed foot bridge suspended high over a creek. For Di 

it was important to source sustainable materials and create 

a design that would enable her to live closely with nature; 

that is, extremely open plan. Construction of her home 

was completed in 1999 and Di could then finally move in 

and enjoy being woken daily by the ‘Dawn Chorus’ put on 

by what sounds like the entire Kuranda bird population! Di 

would sometimes wake up to the chorus from her favourite 

space in the house, the sunken lounge, that had been 

designed to represent a cock pit so that she could keep 

her sea faring history in the present. The living with nature 

concept of the house design resulted in wildlife always 

feeling welcome and helping themselves to objects lying 

around the house. ‘My soap has disappeared again; those 

white tails.’ ‘Who has helped themselves to the red pawpaw’ 

It didn’t take long for Di and the animals to work out the 

living arrangements. After all, these events were off-set by 

visits from some of her favourites including the green-eye 

tree frog Litoria genimaculata; and that delighted Di. 

York that also held a special place in her heart. Di believed 

that every action had a place in translating the message 

of conservation, and she had a very real respect even for 

the ‘little things’. She believed that a child’s interpretation 

of issues through drawings and story had just as much 

relevance as lobbying the next politician or media story. This 

was quite evident in the way that Di engaged with people; 

she was consistent with her message and very focused on 

the conversation. Friends and people that have known Di 

have expressed that they now clearly feel her absence at 

stalls, festivals and events and miss the sometimes frank 

discussions to be had about environmental issues. 

Conservation was definitely a passion for Di and a 

philosophy that was incorporated into her day to day life. 

Di was fastidious to recycle, minimise waste and wherever 

possible not purchase anything disposable; I’m not sure Di 

would have ever been seen to have a take away coffee in 

anything other than her ‘Keep Cup’! In addition to strong 

environmental advocacy, Di maintained a philosophy of 

incorporating good coffee, food, wine, music, travel, family 

and friends into her life! A flat white with honey at a coffee 

shop daily was a given. Too many a bottle of wine have we 

shared on a good night out or a good night in; quite often 

it had to be a New Zealand vintage to warm the cockles of 

her origin! Di loved to chat with her ‘boys’, no matter where 

they were in the world, and hear about her grandkids playful 

antics. Di was frequently off holidaying with friends and 

sharing new experiences. If Shane Howard was in town there 

were no second guesses as to where Di would be. A lover of 

living life to the full, Di did it well. 

We spent a lot of time together in the last 6 weeks of her life 

and I have to share with you that Di lived her philosophies to 

the very end. Heck we still had to bring her tea in the ‘Keep 

Cup’ in the hospital! All I can say is that she is one amazing 

woman. When Di wasn’t feeling very strong she wanted to 

talk about Hinchinbrook Island; Banksia Bay and the low lying 

melaleuca forests and the rope ladder down from Zoe Falls. 

Di’s boys Jamie and Justin stayed by her side in hospital and 

they were so strong; diligently caring for their mum. I was 

fortunate during this time to get to know the boys better 

– the boys that Di was so proud of and that often formed 

part of our conversations. Di had so many people special to 

her visit or call when she was in hospital and then when she 

returned home; and the tributes have been flowing since she 

passed away. We may have lost our eco-warrior, wildernesswarrior, 

mother earth, forest dweller, mother, grandmother, 

best friend and confidante but now we have the most 

amazing guardian angel. 

Di closed up her business and completed a science degree 

to pursue a professional life in the environment conservation 

sector. As with everything Di attempted, she was a high 

achiever and blitzed university. During this time Di was 

active with CAFNEC on the management committee and 

continued to be active with a range of other groups and 

campaigns including Kuranda Range Road, Hinchinbrook 

and Cape York. After graduating Di was employed by 

The Wilderness Society as their Cairns-based Community 

Campaigner and tirelessly promoted campaigns such as Cape 


CREATING A PLASTIC- 

FREE PARADISE 


CAFNEC recently kicked 

off the Think Outside 

the Bag campaign, to 

encourage a phase-out of 

plastic bags in a couple 

of trial areas in the far 

north. One of these 

areas is Port Douglas, 

where we’re excited 

to be working with 

the Douglas Shire 

Sustainability Group 

and Tangaroa Blue. 

Think Outside the Bag 

is about encouraging 

shoppers and businesses to 

shift away from a disposable bag culture 

and towards reusable bags. This transition makes a 

lot of sense both economically and environmentally, 

particularly as our local economy relies on nature 

based tourism. 

Our work so far has focussed on finding creative 

ways to communicate our message and encourage 

community participation in the project. 

Recently in Port Douglas we ran a competition for 

local residents to design an image for a Port Douglas 

reusable shopping bag. Congratulations to competition 

winner, Jenni Fox, who created a beautiful underwater 

design. Keep an eye out for these bags which will be 

printed and ready to go early in the new year. 

Local Cairns artist Kevin Mayo has kindly helped out 

with the project and created an impressive window 

display at Community Foods cooperative in Cairns. It’s 

a glowing and intriguing world of plastic, so stop by 

the shop at 74 Shields St and have a look if you haven’t 

already. 

As part of this project we’re also pushing for a statewide 

ban on single-use disposable plastic shopping 

bags. You can join the growing number of people 

supporting this idea by signing our petition at www. 

cafnec.org.au. 

A bit about bags…. 

If you think it’s not your plastic bags ending up in the 

oceans, think again: our plastic bags can ‘escape’ from 

bins, waste trucks and landfill sites and end up in our 

rivers and oceans via stormwater drains. So each plastic 

shopping bag that we use might just end up in a sea 

turtle’s stomach. 

Confused by ‘degradable’ versus ‘biodegradable’ 

The ‘degradable’ plastic bags· 

that are commonly used in supermarkets 

are still made from petrochemicals and 

are not necessarily any better for the 

environment. These bags have an additive 

that makes them break apart more quickly 

when exposed to direct sunlight or heat. 

They do not biodegrade, but instead break 

apart into smaller and smaller plastic pieces 

which accumulate in the environment 

‘Biodegradable’ bags are not· 

made of petrochemicals, but are instead 

made of plant starch, often corn. These 

bags biodegrade, meaning that they break 

down into natural elements like carbon and 

water. They can still pose a threat to marine 

life if they end up in the sea, but are a better 

option than regular plastic bags. 

Where do plastic bags go for recycling 

You can take your plastic bags to major supermarkets 

for recycling. From there they are transported to 

Brisbane, then overseas (usually to China) for recycling 

into low grade plastic items. Recycling your plastic bags 

is better than putting them in the bin, but beware: the 

process is not as environmentally friendly as you might 

think — it involves a lot of energy, emissions, heat, and 

chemicals, and the end product is always of poorer 

quality than the original material. 

So what’s the solution 

The best choice is to take your own reusable bag 

when you go shopping. Using a reusable bag of any 

description is environmentally better than using 

disposable plastic bags. Natural fibre reusable bags 

(such as cotton or bamboo) are the best option. 

Take action! 

Sign our petition to make Queensland plastic bag 

free! South Australia, the Northern Territory and 

the ACT have already banned single use disposable 

plastic shopping bags and we can too. 

Help us put Queensland on the map – sign the 

petition at www.cafnec.org.au 

Why go bag free 

The average plastic bag is used· 

for about 12 minutes but takes up to 1,000 

years to break down 

Plastic kills 1 million sea birds· 

and 100,000 sea mammals each year 

Australians use over 4 billion· 

plastic bags each year, most of these ending 

up in landfill, contributing to growing waste 

disposal problems. 

But it’s not my plastic bags choking turtles! 

16

RETURN OF BATAVIA IN CAPE 

YORK TO TRADITIONAL 

OWNERS 

On the 21 st of November, the Queensland government 

returned 241,637 hectare Batavia property to 

Traditional Owners under the Cape York Peninsula Land 

Tenure Resolution process. 

Batavia, which includes significant conservation areas 

including the Wenlock River Corridor, the Embley Range 

and the Olive River headwaters, is part of the traditional 

homelands of the Atambaya, Northern Kaanju and 

Yinwum peoples. The area has now become Aboriginal 

freehold land with some areas managed primarily for 

conservation of natural and cultural values. 

This program of returning properties of natural 

and cultural significance on Cape York Peninsula to 

Aboriginal ownership provides Traditional Owners with 

new economic opportunities. And with the Cape’s main 

road traversing the length of Batavia and its proximity 

to Moreton Station, the opportunities for culturally and 

environmentally appropriate tourism are enormous. 

The area is home to palm cockatoos, spotted cuscus 

and includes wetlands, monsoon and riverine 

rainforests and the eastern extent of the Weipa Plateau 

open forest. There are also extensive areas of savannah 

that support the largest population of the rare and 

endemic Cape York Cycad Cycas yorkiana. 

The environment movement strongly supports the 

Queensland Government’s commitment to returning 

land to Traditional Owners on Cape York and we 

welcome the great social, cultural, economic and 

environmental opportunities this process brings. 

Since 2004, the land tenure resolution process has 

returned close to two million hectares of land to 

Aboriginal ownership. It includes more than a million 

hectares of existing national parks and around 

300,000 hectares of new conservation reserves. 

Nearly 700,000 hectares has been returned as 

Aboriginal freehold for economic purposes. 

MEET OUR MANAGEMENT 

...COMMITTEE 

Stacey O’Brien 

(Ordinary member) 

I grew up in Cairns 

and have lived 

in FNQ for most 

of my life. I have 

a background 

in agriculture 

and graduated 

from JCU in 2012 with a Bachelor of Planning. 

My interests in environmental protection and 

education stem from a deep respect for the 

natural systems and species that provide us 

with basic needs and the processes that keep 

our beautiful planet stable and fit to live upon. 

I am concerned for our amazing biodiversity, 

our water systems and the state of our soil and 

believe that food insecurity is a growing threat 

to our beautiful country. I am inspired by the 

fantastic people that make up this organisation. 

Dr Kevin Mayo 

(Ordinary member) 

I was born in Cairns 

and grew up north of 

Cairns. I have a strong 

attachment to the 

area and share with 

so many people a 

love of this beautiful 

environment. CAFNEC 

is an organization 

I have admired 

for many years 

and with which I have been happily involved 

through Envirofiestas and various campaigns. 

Hopefully I can contribute a little more on the 

Management Committee. I have a background in 

community and professional arts, worked in health 

programs on Cape York Peninsula, and lectured in 

anthropology at JCU Cairns. 


Be a star, become a 

CAFNEC member! 

Be part of ensuring 

the unique natural heritage of 

Far North Queensland 

is protected 

forever 

cafnec 

Call 07 4032 1746 

email us at admin@cafnec.org.au 

or go to 

www.cafnec.org.au/get-involved/donate/ 

to join or donate online 

Photo - www.xantherivett.com 

Prefer to receive your ecotone electRonically iNstead 

Just send an EMail to admin@CAFNEC.ORG.AU 

Give green this christmas 

give to your local environment 

become an 

ecostar to help 

protect the places we 

love, or 

give an earth 

friendly gift to 

friends or family with a 

yearly membership 

Find out how at 


or call 4032 1746

Ecotone Vol32 No4 - CAFNEC

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