Blog Posts - Cassowary Coast Alliance - for the future

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'.

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News laws passed to protect ground water

22/3/2013

TAKE ACTION

Click here to send a letter to the minister

The Places You Love Alliance (see campaign left) have spent a furious week of campaigning and lobbying hoping to convince federal environment minister Tony Burke to amend the EPBC Act to remove the approval bilateral provisions so the threat of the hand-over of powers to the states could be averted once and for all.

Water is now a Matter of National Environmental Significance (MNES) AND it is exempted from inclusion in any possible bi-lateral approvals. However, the other MNES are still potentially included in possible bi-laterals.

(The approval of Ella Bay was determined using the State/Federal
bi-lateral agreement)

Read the statement from Places You Love Alliance (PYL) below

Constable a champion of conservation

21/3/2013

CCA member Russell Constable with partner Sara Dobson in Brisbane to accept the 'Champion of conservation' award

"As Many of you know I went down to Brisbane to accept my Queensland Conservation Council "Champion of conservation" award from Minister Powell a couple of days ago.

Within my short speech I gently reminded Minister Powell that his government had emasculated the Queensland Environmental Defenders Office, a place where ordinary citizens can obtain information regarding using the law to protect Queensland's natural environment".

I am very upset that the Queensland LNP Government has disempowered its North Queensland citizens in such a shameful manner, especially as we have so much that is worth protecting.

News from Coquette Point

4/2/2013

Hello from hot and sticky Coquette Point,

Like an unwelcome visitor the monsoon surged and dropped down on January 17. Two lows formed on the trough, one in the white-hot waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria and was destined to become tropical cyclone Oswald on the January 21- but only for 12 hours. The weather system soon reverted to a tropical low and danced in the Gulf for a week before beginning its move south. The BOM computer models gave conflicting forecasts on Oswald's movement and at one stage had it sitting over the southern Atherton Tablelands for a couple of days.

Read more

Trials of the wet, but there's comforting news for some

4/2/2013

LEARNING: Nibbling grass is a skill baby agile wallaby Albert is learning while in the care of his human foster parents. To Albert, life is a joy and full of interesting discoveries.

WILDWATCH, by ANNE WILKINSON.

It never rains but it pours.

How true that old saying was in the Cassowary Coast this last week, then the rain left us and moved south with disastrous results.

Such heavy rain always seems to come as a shock, but in reality it happens quite regularly. It is a wonderful boost for the water table and makes everything, including the grass, grow fast. It also leaches nutrient from the ground and causes untold problems for human mobility.

Yet wildlife seems to take it in its stride. In the silence following the drumming of the rain when it finally eased, it was really good to hear the birds begin to celebrate what must have seemed a release as they set out to catch up on their feeding and, for those with young families, hunting for food for them.

Keep
Mission Beach Special - stop the plan for an intrusive artificial rock island breakwater
at Mission Beach

The Cassowary Coast Alliance (CCA) is a collaborative hub for entities and individuals who
are actively seeking good quality and long term public interest outcomes for the world
heritage listed Cassowary Coast in Far North Queensland.

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