By Margaret Wilson
CARDWELL — There used to be a time when concerned citizens worried about government disregard for the environmental impact of mega-developments. And about favours done in return for "brown paper bags" passed under tables by the boys of the "white shoe brigade".
The Bjelke-Petersen era is now referred to almost fondly. "Ah, those were the days. We fought the hard fight. Now we've got Gossy in there, we can put our feet up a bit." Ha!
A little publicised innovation at the Premier's Department has sent a rather gentle and sedate community of north Queensland greens into a tail-spin: the activation, by Labor Premier Wayne Goss, of the powers of the coordinator general.
Cardwell, snuggling between Townsville and Cairns, is to have a tourist mega-development, whether it wants it or not. Hinchinbrook Island, the world's largest island national park, is prime real estate for profit hungry developers. Shame about the mangroves.
A real deal! We can give you a 2000 person resort right on your doorstep with marina, helipad, international airport, acres of swimming pools, a beautiful sandy beach to replace all those "awful mangroves". We'll even "up-grade" Hinchinbrook Island.
Oh, by the way, you also get Keith "we don't intend to comply with anything inappropriate" Williams of Hamilton Island fame, some other mates from Raby Bay and Runaway Bay — blokes who really "know what they're doing".
OK, so this is starting to sound like sour grapes. We've got a revised environmental impact process to spot any potential damage to the environment and community. This would normally be investigated in the approval process. We've got a whole swarm of watchdogs on the job: Department of Environment and Heritage, Beach Protection Authority, Water Resources, Department of Planning, the Wet Tropics Agency, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and others. Why should we worry?
Because Gossy has personally taken this one under his wing and out of the hands of those watchdog agencies. The Coordinator General's Department (CGD) has been activated as never before. It has powers to take over the role of all other assessment authorities if a project is thought to have state economic significance.
The CGD has the power to "expedite", help hoops to be jumped through, find out what "impediments" might hold up "progress", clear the way of "obstacles". Euphemisms such as these are now gushing from the mouth of the CGD.
Who can you trust? The bad old days when you knew things happened behind closed doors, or the new era of up-front "facilitation"? What is the CGD doing acting as a real estate agent for these people on such questionable circumstances? That is: a proposal with no proper plans, just a pretty drawing and lots of back-slapping; no economic cost/benefit analysis at all; and circumvention of environmental impact assessment at today's standards. Those agencies mentioned above have been told to shut up, thank you.
Two representatives of the CGD have been touring the north of the state holding Williams' hand and "consulting" with the public. "Hands up anyone who objects to this wonderful development."
These meetings have been dubbed "the circus" by local greens. Public character assassination of non-supporters and rumours of private threats and innuendo dog the "circus'" trail. It's not a pretty picture.
The question which needs answering is this: If the process of environmental impact assessment is a reflection of today's community expectations, how can Goss promote so forcefully a development that is circumventing the proper process, on the basis of a dubious technicality?
The fact is that this development wouldn't have a hope in hell of getting past current standards of impact assessment. The current process makes a mockery of the endeavours of other state government agencies.
The Friends of Hinchinbrook can be contacted at PO Box 29, Cardwell Qld 4861.