Blog Posts - Cassowary Coast Alliance - for the future

How Nature Conservation Act changes affect National Parks

9/9/2013

Proposed changes to the Nature Conservation Act will turn the Act, like the Vegetation Management Act, on its head.

You can read a draft submission prepared by ASH here ASH DRAFT SUB NCA&OLA Bill (No. 2) 09 Sep 2013

The following is a summary of the changes.

ASH (Alliance to Save Hinchinbrook) news

9/9/2013

Margaret Thorsborne in 'Wren Cottage now moved to its new location at her new home.

Read the latest news from the southern region of the Cassowary Coast in the August edition of Phoenix published by ASH.

Mayor Bow corrects the record

12/8/2013

Artist impression of new Hinchinbrook boundary - click to enlarge

On July 24th the Cairns Post published an article claiming that Hinchinbrook Shire Council Mayor Rodger Bow was in favour of shifting the shire boundaries to include "Port Hinchinbrook" in Hinchinbrook Shire.

News from Coquette Point

12/8/2013

Hello from Coquette Point,

Cassowary Jessie and Snout are into their second week of
courtship and are daily moving around in a one square kilometre range of rainforest, melaleuca and mangrove swamps.
Jan Shang reported she saw the two cassowaries eating fallen Quandong fruits close to her house when for some unknown reason matriarch Jessie got cranky and chased
the male Snout. Whatever the disagreement between the two, later that day they were seen walking together again.

On Wednesday afternoon I saw them enter the Melaleuca swamp walking quickly through the trees.

Read more

OPEN LETTER IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST

18/7/2013

click to enlarge

MEDIA RELEASE 19 July 2013
Alliance to Save Hinchinbrook Inc.
OPEN LETTER IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST

to all the owners at "Port Hinchinbrook", the interested public, and the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments

Port Hinchinbrook Services is in provisional liquidation. Williams
Corporation, the development company, is under voluntary administration. Previous developers Tekin Australia (Resort Village Cardwell) were also wound up, in 1990.

So what's the problem?
The short story is that "Port Hinchinbrook's" waterways cannot be kept
navigable by dredging, because of an unchangeable characteristic of the
Hinchinbrook Channel coast: "severe siltation".

This problem is inherent in the site; it is not caused by cyclones.

News from Coquette Point

8/6/2013

Sam Mitchell driving his self made solar tricycle.

Hello from very busy Coquette Point,

Lots of visitors turned up this week. First to arrive was Sam Mitchell on his self built, solar-powered bicycle. Sam is 18 years old and he is bicycling around Australia to promote sustainable transport. Sam left East Gippsland in Victoria on March 11 and arrived in Innisfail on Monday June 3. After a little R&R Sam will be leaving Coquette Point to continue his trip bound: Cairns, Normanton, Mt Isa, Darwin, Perth and then across the Nullarbor and back home to East Gippsland. Sam has a Facebook page and his blog is http://solarshiftaus.blogspot.com

Read more

Did all these trees really need to be removed?

4/4/2013

A stand of trees that were almost forming a canopy over the road at the entrance to Bingil Bay has been totally removed and replaced with matting to control a long time problem of erosion.

It is very disappointing the Council has not responded to the many concerns voiced by the community about the strategy being used to manage the slip areas on the steep road banks on Alexander Drive.

Despite concerns being brought to three councillors attention, ten days before, the destruction of seemingly healthy vegetation has proceeded.

News from Coquette Point

30/3/2013

The young cassowary 'Rosie' has an injured foot. This week National Park's Rangers came out to Coquette Point three times to try to capture her, however, they were not successful.

Fortunately 'Rosie's' foot is getting better and her limp is still pronounced but not severe. She is searching for food and other than the injured foot she appears to be in good condition.

Capturing cassowaries is always problematic as often the stress of the capture and transportation results in the death of the bird.
The most important thing to do now is to monitor 'Rosies' condition and appraise the progress of her recovery
Read More

Changes turn Nature Conservation Act on its head

26/3/2013

The planned changes have 'turned the intent of the Act on its head'.

"Our Queensland government has recklessly reduced the protection of our natural environment with tunnel vision worship of their four pillars (agriculture, resources , tourism and construction) whilst forgetting that a healthy natural environment is the ground upon which all four pillars stand. Protection for natural assets that has been established after decades of struggle by concerned Queenslanders is being purged by a whim and a pen stroke.

Our Queensland government has emasculated the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) by withdrawing state funding, effectively smashing the ability of individuals and groups of concerned citizens to use what little environmental law we have to protect Queensland's natural environment in the public interest. This is just the beginning". (Russell Constable, Conservation Queensland "Champion of Conservation" 2013)

The proposed changes to the Plants Legislative Framework under the Nature Conservation Act are

unacceptable!!
Please help by sending a clear message to the minister

News from Coquette Point

23/3/2013

Hello from Wet and Windy Coquette Point

The monsoon is making one last attempt to deliver good rain to north Queensland. At the moment it is sitting across the top of Cape York and is expected to drop further down over the Cape next week. Yesterday and today we have experience heavy rain and thunderstorms, 125mm of rain fell
last night and today strong winds are bringing rain squalls onto the coast

Meanwhile, something has triggered cassowary 'Snout's' hormones and much to 'Jessie's' annoyance he has started to stalk her. He follows her, 10 steps behind, until his behaviour annoys her and she turns and gives him the 'evil eye'.

Read more