Last week you might be forgiven for thinking that the political dead heat in Canberra is only thing happening across the nation. Here are three things of importance to Queenslanders in the areas of transport, Climate Change and water that might have slipped by...
Connecting SEQ 2031
On Tuesday the State Government released its Integrated Transport Plan for SEQ (Connecting SEQ 2013 ). In our view it’s a bold plan but is doomed to disappoint due to its price tag-an estimated $225 billion over 20 years. The main issue is population growth. The plan assumes a 60% increase in the SEQ population in the next 20 years. QCC has asked this question;
what would the price be if the plan was based upon a stable population
projection? We believe that could halve the price tag and make the
integrated transport dream closer to a reality.
As someone relatively new to the green movement, I attended Tuesday evening’s public forum filled with excitement, ready to hear the candidates for the seat of Brisbane debate key environmental priorities. The forum took place at the Bleeding Heart Café. With only five days until the election, this was an opportunity for Teresa Gambaro (Liberal National Party), Arch Bevis (National Labor Party) and Andrew Bartlett (The Australian Greens) to clearly address pollution and climate change, sustainable cities and population, and the environment. Polling has indicated climate change and the environment are high priority issues in most electorates.
Federal politics should be more interesting in the next parliament witha far greater focus on environmental and liveability agendas. This is theopportunity for government to build the transformation to a more ecologicallysustainable society.
For Queensland Conservation Council that means:
Urgent Action for a Safe Climate
We support clean energy, sustainable transport and changed agricultural practices
We support the transformation to a new green economy
Sustain Healthy River Systems
We oppose all major new dams and support sustainable water allocation, water sensitive urban design and improved water quality
Protect and Restore Nature on Land and Sea
We support larger protected areas, marine parks and iconic landscapes like the Great Barrier Reef
Build Sustainable and Liveable Communities
We support a sustainable level of population, a clean economy, healthy local food and zero waste
We want to see ecological sustainability as a central principle for our way of life
The grounding of the bulk coal carrier Shen Neng 1 on Douglas Shoal is of great concern to all who care about the Great Barrier Reef - especially as this vessel was outside of designated shipping channels. Thankfully major pollution was avoided, although a 3km scar was cut through the reef.
Maritime Safety Queensland, after securing the vessel, decided to unload its cargo so the ship could be safely returned to China. The decision to move the ship for unloading was taken because the ship was ‘letting in water’ - not ‘sinking’. Apparently there’s a difference…
The grounding of the bulk coal carrier Shen Neng 1 on Douglas shoal is a major concern for all who care about the Great Barrier Reef. Of particular concern is the fact that this was caused by a vessel sailing outside of designated shipping channels. We wonder if there is a riff raff culture in the shipping industry, where cutting costs is more important than minimising risks to the Great Barrier Reef.
Whatever the situation, authorities must now act to ensure the protection of the reef. This must not happen ever again.
Reflection on the 'Growth Management Summit' - A Tale of Two Stories
On one hand the Government and the development industry portray the population issue as primarily about economic prosperity whilst on the other hand, environmentalists and a majority of stakeholders and community representatives saw the question in a far broader context.
Read more A Tale of Two Stories 634.47 Kb
The 'Queensland Growth Management Summit' makes no attempt to answer questions like 'what is a sustainable population?' Download our views on some population issues here Growth Summit 689.78 Kb
Kelvin Thompson MP, Federal member for Wills, addressed the issue of what is really sustainable at Queensland Conservation's recent population forum. Read his speech here What is really sustainable 589.70 Kb
Last Christmas we asked if Kevin Rudd would be Sanity Clause and reduce greenhouse emissions to a safe level. Sadly, we must report that we didn’t get our wish in 2009. What we did get from Copenhagen was a lot of promises and a deal that amounts to a global suicide note for the planet.
World leaders no longer question the science and they admit that what is on the table is simply not good enough. They claim commitment to limiting global temperature rise to under 2 degrees -and then don’t tell us how they will achieve this.
It has taken 18 years since the 1992 Earth Summit for us to get to this. Eighteen years of denial, delay and blatant ignoring of the consequences.
Survival of the species is now the issue .What we need is a safe climate targeting 350 ppm and urgent assistance for climate-affected developing nations. We hope that our leaders can put aside the politics and take their cues from the scientific reality...
That’s our wish and our big hope for 2010. We must make this happen.
The Queensland Network of Environmental Organisations have developed a series of four position papers. These are designed to clarify the most important issues for the environment movement in the immediate future.
These joint position papers will frame our campaigning work in four themes: climate, water, nature conservation and community.
This letter outlines Anna Bligh's response to the Joint Conservation Group's demands. It discusses the QLD Government's proposals on issues such as renewable energy, sustainable housing, uranium mining, healthy river systems, sustainable water supply and the protection and restoration of natural habitats on both land and water.
For further information click on the PDF file below.
Last week you might be forgiven for thinking that the political dead heat in Canberra is only thing happening across the nation. Here are three things of importance to Queenslanders in the areas of transport, Climate Change and water that might have slipped by...
The grounding of the bulk coal carrier Shen Neng 1 on Douglas Shoal is of great concern to all who care about the Great Barrier Reef - especially as this vessel was outside of designated shipping channels. Thankfully major pollution was avoided, although a 3km scar was cut through the reef.
The grounding of the bulk coal carrier Shen Neng 1 on Douglas shoal is a major concern for all who care about the Great Barrier Reef. Of particular concern is the fact that this was caused by a vessel sailing outside of designated shipping channels. We wonder if there is a riff raff culture in the shipping industry, where cutting costs is more important than minimising risks to the Great Barrier Reef.
Reflection on the 'Growth Management Summit' - A Tale of Two Stories
A Tale of Two Stories
Last Christmas we asked if Kevin Rudd would be Sanity Clause and reduce greenhouse emissions to a safe level. Sadly, we must report that we didn’t get our wish in 2009. What we did get from Copenhagen was a lot of promises and a deal that amounts to a global suicide note for the planet.
The Queensland Network of Environmental Organisations have developed a series of four position papers. These are designed to clarify the most important issues for the environment movement in the immediate future.